Bird Sightings

Canada Goose in the Landing Bay. ©Thomas Weston

Highlights from a very windy NW wind today:

1.  Two Night Herons in Millcombe (1st summer and adult)
2. Golden Oriole remains in Millcombe all day.
3. Single Jackdaw in the Village
4. 'New in' Canada Goose flew into the Landind Bay - the first of the year!
5. 'New in' Green Sandpiper flew into Millcombe/St John's Valley - the first of the year!

Census counts this morning were completed before the rain/thick fog set in for the rest of the day. Totals included 4 Mallards, 6 Woodpigeons, 3 Oystercatchers, 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 4 Great Black-backed Gulls, 212 Herring Gulls, single Guillemot, single Great Northern Diver, 4 Gannet, 5 Shag, 36 Carrion Crow, 8 Ravens, 5 Skylarks, 2 Swallows, single Blackcap, single reeling Grasshopper Warbler in Millcombe, single Chiffchaff, single Goldcrest, 10 Wrens, 58 Starlings, the Golden Oriole, 6 Blackbird, single Song Thrush, 2 late Redwing, 4 Robins, 6 Wheatears, single Stonechat, 5 Dunnocks, 14 House Sparrows, a Yellow Wagtail in Barton’s Field, single Pied Wagtails, 12 Meadow Pipits, 2 Chaffinch, 21 Linnets, and 3 Goldfinches.

Another exciting day on the island.

Night Heron sat in roost in Millcombe. ©Thomas Weston

• A Purple Heron was seen well for 5 minutes and photographed flying along the East Coast heading North this morning. The bird is the first of the year and was a surprise sighting in the stronger SW wind. However, indication of the origin of the wind shows this bird could have been in N or W France or even N Spain yesterday.
• There was no initial sign of the Night Herons throughout the day until about 15:15. This involved a single Adult seen flying around the top of Millcombe, having previously been seen flying from Barton’s Pond. The bird was not seen to drop below the cliff and flew down through Millcombe before being lost to view. At the same time, a Night Heron adult flew along the cliff by Quarter Wall Copse and was seen heading towards Millcombe where it dropped down into the trees and went to roost for a few hours. At 18:30, whilst this adult was roosting in the tree, a brown winged 1st summer bird was seen flying over Brambles Villa East.
• There was no sign of the Golden Oriole until 16:34 when a/or a new male was seen at the bottom of Smelly Gully. The bird was flighty and quickly moved up to the top of Millcombe soon after. Like the herons, the number of people in Millcombe and surrounding areas was much higher than normal meaning this could well be a new bird from yesterday. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell.

Census counts this morning were completed before the rain/thick fog set in for the rest of the day. Totals included 4 Mallards, 4 Woodpigeons, 2 Oystercatchers, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 4 Great Black-backed Gulls, 81 Herring Gulls, 146 Razorbills, 2 Great Northern Diver, single Fulmar, single Gannet, 4 Shag, single Kestrel, single Peregrine, 33 Carrion Crow, 3 Ravens, 3 Jackdaws (scarce here), 7 Skylarks, 37 Swallows, 12 Sand Martins, 8 House Martins, 8 Blackcap, 21 Willow Warblers, single Chiffchaff, single Goldcrest, 15 Wrens, 43 Starlings, 8 Blackbird, single Song Thrush, 6 now late Redwing, 5 Robins, 7 Wheatears (6 ‘greenland subspecies), single Stonechat, 7 Dunnocks, 34 House Sparrows, a Yellow Wagtail (we thought it was the first of the year but one arrived yesterday), 7 Pied Wagtails, 24 Meadow Pipits, single Chaffinch, 64 Linnets, 11 Goldfinches and 2 Siskin.

Large coverage of the island resulted in some great counts, so thank you to the 38 people who came to log yesterday. We had some nice totals of Puffins with 118 seen this morning alongside hundreds of Guillemots and Razorbills. Colour ringed Wheatears were spotted along the coast adding to the BTO RAS project, and whilst searching for rings, a male Ring Ouzel was seen. Our 4 European Teal remain on Pondsbury. Sightings from Millcombe resulted in an arrival of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, and Blackcap and elsewhere a new Grasshopper Warbler was seen. The second Common Sandpiper of the year was seen in the Landing Bay which was a good addition to the daylist. Greenland Wheatears have started to arrive on the island so keep an eye out for these mainly on the Plateau. The first Feral Pigeon of the year was seen today, and a House Sparrow was seen at the Terraces (a new migrant?).

Ringing

A ringing session throughout the morning/early afternoon resulted in a small catch of migrants.

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Night Heron in Millcombe. ©Thomas Weston An exciting day started with the surprise appearance of two Night Herons at the bottom of Millcombe. One of which was almost certainly sat on the ringing chair, with the other only a metre away on the grass near the Gas Store. The birds were flighty and unsettled, moving between potential roost spots throughout the day. Luckily, for the first boat of the year, visitors had good views as one made a flyby over the Landing bay on their arrival. The birds were aged as an adult and a 1^st summer bird. They represent the 5^th island record and the 1^st multiple record of this species. The last record was in 2007.

Thinking the arrival of the herons was very good, visiting birder Tony Taylor found a very stunning adult male Golden Oriole on the first tree in Millcombe. The bird quickly went to the Blackthorn where it was seen feeding on and off all day. The bird remained until the afternoon but because rather mobile and elusive as the day went on.

'Greenland' Wheatear Benjamin's Chair. ©Thomas Weston

Census counts this morning were completed before the rain/thick fog set in for the rest of the day. Totals included 6 Woodpigeons, single Oystercatchers, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 150 Herring Gulls, 4 Razorbills, single Great Northern Diver, single Fulmar, single Gannets, 17 Shag, single Peregrine, 24 Carrion Crow, 5 Ravens, 6 Skylarks, 20 Swallows, 2 Blackcap, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 13 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrests, 11 Wrens, 24 Starlings, 5 Blackbird, single Song Thrush, 3 Redwing, 4 Robins, 4 Wheatears (1 Greenland Wheatear), single Stonechat, 3 Dunnocks, 18 House Sparrows, 2 Pied Wagtails, 13 Meadow Pipits, single Chaffinches, 87 Linnets and 12 Goldfinches.

Good coverage of the island today resulted in some nice seabird counts, a single White Wagtail and Sandwich Tern.

Millcombe

A ringing session before the fog and breeze picked up resulted in a small catch.

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A busy census and Terrace check this morning!

White Wagtail near the Watertanks Pool. ©Thomas Weston

Highlights so far have included the first 3 Grasshopper Warblers of they year with 2 in Millcombe and a single at the Terrace; the first female Redstart of the year with a female going back and forth around the Heligoland Trap; a male Pied Flycatcher in the willows in Quarry Pond; a fall of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff and Blackcap with a high proportion along the East coast; a passage of Linnets and Goldfinches with the highest count of the year for the former species; a pair of White Wagtails in Watertank Pool; an arrival of new Wheatears; 4 late Redwing; and a steady passage of hirundines.

Census counts this morning were completed before the rain/thick fog set in for the rest of the day. Totals included 2 Mallards, 4 Woodpigeons, 3 Oystercatchers, 75 Herring Gulls, 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 4 Great Black-backed Gulls, 7 Guillemots, 52 Razorbills, single Great Northern Diver, single Fulmar, 2 Gannets, 6 Shag, 2 Kestrels, 24 Carrion Crow, 5 Ravens, 8 Skylarks, 4 Sand Martins, 5 Swallows, 2 House Martins, 2 Blackcap, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 12 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaff, 14 Wrens, 31 Starlings, 9 Blackbird, single Song Thrush, 4 Redwing, 3 Robins, 5 Wheatears, single Stonechat, 5 Dunnocks, 26 House Sparrows, 8 Pied Wagtails, 3 ‘alba’ Wagtails, 10 Meadow Pipits, single Chaffinches, 78 Linnets and 5 Goldfinches.

Ringing

The Heligoland Trap was run once and a single Blackcap was caught today.

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