Bird Sightings

By Thomas Weston

Most likely our last Wheatear of the year on Brick Field by Thomas Weston

Today was a very busy migration day. The visiting ringers were in Millcombe and manned the nets all day. There was excitement in the bushes, but surprisingly not a lot in the air to begin with. Census was a good one – a day of nice species, and good company. Walking down through Millcombe, the valley was alive with birds. There were at least 14 Robins scattered around, and a healthy number of Dunnocks with 7 recorded. Stonechats have been a good migrant species the last few days and today saw a flock of 5 noted including 2 caught and ringed whilst I walked by. By around 08:30, the ringers were busy in Millcombe with a Yellow browed Warbler caught, ringed and colour ringed (with another later to add to the project), lots of Blackcaps (32 on census), Chiffchaffs (18 on census), a couple of Blackbirds (6 seen throughout the route), a Whinchat and a female Pied Flycather all caught and ringed in Millcombe, all being seen around census time. Nine Wrens were quite low and quiet, though obscured by the other species around. Low numbers of finches were seen across the route, which is odd being a time where movement is high. However, this did include 4 Chaffinches, 7 Goldfinches, 3 Siskins, and 4 Linnets. Resident species such as 10 Carrion Crows, 17 House Sparrows, 46 Starlings, and 7 Ravens were nice to spot and our now resident Water Rail in Smelly Gully. Out in the Landing Bay, 2 Oystercatchers, a Great Black-backed Gulls, 4 Shags, a single Swallow, and a single Rock Pipit were seen, so a quiet state of affairs. In the woods, going off to Brambles and Government, a Song Thrush was a new migrant, and a Firecrest and 8 Goldcrest were of note. The team of ringers by this point started catching Meadow Pipits with 193 seen migrating south past, though with the wind being slightly south-west, most movement was on the east coast again. A Tree Pipit flyover was of note. It's getting slightly late for this species but this bird has been seen well in Barton Field previously. Over South West Field, a female Merlin flew high south, and then departed out to sea. In the same view there were two Peregrines showing really well, circling up and heading off to the west. Walking the Airfield, alba wagtails were the most commonly found migrant with 11 seen throughout the route. In addition, a single Wheatear will almost likely be one of the last this year, and a female/1st-year Redstart in Brick/Tillage Field was the best on the way back from a very quiet Belle Vue Cottages.

Joining the ringers from around 10:30, a very high number of birds were ringed right up to 18:00 resulting in 509 birds caught and processed. There was an upsurge of Meadow Pipits and Swallows with the odd House Martin mixed in throughout the afternoon. Meanwhile, elsewhere on the island, two Snipe at Pondsbury, another Yellow-browed Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher were both on the Terraces, with a fourth and final Yellow-browed Warbler at St Helen's Copse. This busy, bird-filled day was rounded off by a Snow Bunting being found at Rocket Pole Pond this evening and showing incredibly well to those who saw it.    

By Eleanor Harris

Today started off as a rather foggy day with low cloud and dampness in the air. As it was a busy busy change over and travel day we were all out and about doing a variety of different jobs. Today me, Thomas and Greg were all housekeeping so were on the look out for some good birding highlights as we were out and about. Simon and Tara were sorting the boat out, with Kirsty conducting pup checks and seal police. 

As the cloud and fog lifted, our team of visiting ringers were out and about in Milcombe and St John's Valley with all the nets open. It was a busy day with many birds processed and ringed including a few Goldcrest, Firecrest, Swallows, House Martins and much more. It was great to see the nets open with the valley a hive of activity – a real change from yesterday’s blustery day. Two single Brambling were heard over Milcombe today by Nik Ward, the first of the year. Today it was alive with birdsong and a welcome change from the windy days we have had this week, when it was difficult to hear or see anything. As we were housekeeping it was noticeable that there was a big passage of hirundines flooding through the island – a really beautiful sight to see on such a clear and calm day. Walking from around the south it was noticeable that the temperature and humidity were pretty high. It felt more like a spring day than an autumn day so it will be interesting to see what the next few days will bring. 

On the other housekeeping team, Thomas and Jane Starkey heard a Golden Plover circling over Old Light – a lovely autumnal wader. It is great to see the waders returning with other wader records today including a few Snipe. 

Sunset at SW Point by EleanorHarris

As it was a clear evening, me and Thomas decided to make some dinner and spontaneously walk it to South West Point with a well earned cup of tea to watch the sunset. It was rather magical over there, with orange and golden light – a gorgeous sunset for a busy day. A few Gannets were out at sea with Meadow Pipits and Linnets in the area. After the sun went down we headed back to the Village for Wildlife Log meeting the new birders who are visiting. 

A very successful day overall with some other finds including a Grey Heron over Millcombe, Wryneck in Smelly Gully and a female Kestrel over St Mark's Stone. 

By Greg Lee

It's beginning to feel more autumnal by the day on Lundy at the moment and today's census in the strong winds saw me donning my winter hat. Down in Millcombe, a lot of time was spent waiting for movement in the bushes as birds generally were keeping themselves on the down low. Two Pied Flycatchers were nice to see, one of them being a bird ringed yesterday but the another being an apparent new arrival. A couple of Firecrests and Goldcrests were sifting through the Sycamores, a classic October scene for these autumn sprites. A Spotted Flycatcher in the Secret Garden was a tad on the late side but seemed to enjoy basking in the sun. Birding in strong winds can always be tricky but if you can find a sheltered spot the rewards can be very good! 

Spotted Flycatcher by G.Lee

A Tree Pipit buzzing over St John's broke the monopoly of Meadow Pipits, whilst a couple more Firecrests were seen by others near the Terrace and three seen down in the copse below Hanmers. Interestingly, yesterday, I was treated to a rather exciting sighting of a male Vagrant Emperor dragonfly which appeared around the ringing bench in Millcombe, where it hawked quite passionately for around five minutes. I was able to take a video of this long-distance migrant, although my screenshots weren't the best, you could see the brown eyes, bronzy colouration and blue saddle. Clearly there had been an arrival of migrant invertebrates as today, as Thomas encountered our first Red-veined Darter on the island for a couple of months, which probably arrived on the southerly winds with the Vagrant Emperor! 

Red-veined Darter by T.Weston

By Thomas Weston

A good start to the month. Census counts were really nice, it was sunny but breezy from the SW, a good mix of migration was going on in the bushes, though not much was going on overhead. Even less was going on out to sea, and at one point I even got wet backs of my legs as it rained for a few minutes. Walking through Millcombe it was apparent there was a fall of Blackcaps with over 40 seen, and a good number caught in the nets too by the visiting ringing groups. A nice influx of Chiffchaffs to join our ever-present migrant Firecrest and Goldcrest were really nice to spot. In the bushes, Dunnock calls highlighted there may have been a small arrival of these, though the number of Robins have certainly dropped since last week's influx. There was the first Song Thrush of the autumn overhead, but out to sea not much was moving apart from some local Shags. From the Ugly, a flock of migrant Chaffinches alighted in the Pines, and a flock of roosting Oystercatchers were seen below Millcombe. There was at least one Water Rail calling in the bushes, and getting to the ringing table by the Gas Store led to the counts including a recently ringed Pied Flycatcher. A late Willow Warbler was noteworthy, and a few Goldfinches overhead was a nice charm to see. There was not much on the plauteau today, some passing Meadow Pipits were nice, as were the Skylarks overhead. There were a couple of Stonechats on the walls too, tacking away to each other. After the rain, a Golden Plover was heard, a Peregrine and Kestrel flew by, and a couple of Woodpigeons erupted out of Quarter Wall Copse. A Sparrowhawk and Spotted Flycatcher reported by others did not make it onto the counts today, with the usual Mallards and flocks of Starlings ending census. 

Whilst watching some winch training by the Pembrokeshire coastguards, check out the new Jenny's Cove Coordinated count post in the article section....

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