Bird Sightings

A warm day with light SE winds resulted in some new arrivals again.

Subalpine Warbler by Pointless Wall. ©Thomas Weston

The standout highlight was two immature/female type Golden Orioles joining our adult male. This means that in the last four days, there have been three different birds seen in Millcombe and the surrounding area. Now that is pretty impressive, and we are not sure if there are an other sites across the UK that have this many at the moment. Moreover, thank you to one of our guests for reporting a female type of Subalpine Warbler on the Airfield to us this afternoon. The bird was refound again in the evening to help with the identity. However, the reluctancy to call, the super elusive behaviour of the bird in the gorse bushes, and the inability to drop a faecal sample in view made it incredible difficult to prove the bird's identity. Alas the bird will remain a Subalp spp. 

Census was productive with 4 Mallards, 2 Feral Pigeon, 5 Woodpigeons, 2 Collared Dove, 4 Oystercatchers, 8 Razorbills, 210 Herring Gulls, 2 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 13 Lesser-Black Backed Gulls, 3 Shag, single Peregrine, 8 Carrion Crows, 9 Ravens, 3 Skylark, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Sedge Warbler, 6 Swallows, 3 Chiffchaff, 9 Wrens, 45 Starling, single Song Thrush, 8 Blackbird, 8 Robins, single male Stonechat, 2 Wheatear, 8 Dunnock, 29 House Sparrows, single Pied Wagtail, 8 Meadow Pipits, 2 Chaffinch, 20 Linnets, and 4 Goldfinches. 

A busy boat day resulted in some good coverage from across the island. The 2 Golden Orioles remained in Millcombe showing well in both the morning and afternoon and a flyover Osprey was a stunning bird, the second one of the year, and was only seen by one lucky observer.

HerringGull in Lower Lighthouse Field. ©Thomas Weston

Counts from across the island resulted in 29 Mallards, single Feral Pigeon, 5 Woodpigeons, 2 Collared Dove, 5 Oystercatchers, single Whimbrel, 174 Puffins, 944 Razorbills, 2681 Guillemots, 181 Kittiwakes, 283 Herring Gulls, 4 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 59 Lesser-Black Backed Gulls, the return of the 2 Great Northern Divers,  68 Fulmar, 7 Gannets, 19 Shag, pair Kestrel, Peregrines, 22 Carrion Crows, 7 Ravens, 20 Skylark, Sedge Warbler, single Sand Martins, 85 Swallows, 7 House Martins, 2 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, single Blackcap, single Garden Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, 23 Wrens, 77 Starling, single Song Thrush, 9 Blackbird, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 6 Robins, 10 Stonechat, 14 Wheatear, 4 Dunnock, 27 House Sparrows, 2 Pied Wagtails, 26 Meadow Pipits, 11 Rock Pipits, 2 Chaffinch, 53 Linnets, Lesser Redpoll, and 10 Goldfinches.  

Today was a nice sunny day resulting in some great counts by allcomers.  The standout highlight was the 2 Golden Orioles in Millcombe who were showing well together this afternoon. This confirmed we have an adult male and an immature/adult female type which was very very nice!

From allcomers, 7 Mallards, Feral Pigeon, 2 Woodpigeons, 2 Collared Dove, 3 Swifts, 9 Oystercatchers, 99 Puffins, 880 Razorbills, 3975 Guillemots, 347 Kittiwakes, 295 Herring Gulls, 8 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 85 Lesser-Black Backed Gulls, 49 Fulmar, 3 Gannets, 11 Shag, male Kestrel, Peregrines, 25 Carrion Crows, 8 Ravens, 18 Skylark, 2 Sand Martins, 124 Swallows, 4 House Martins, single singing Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, single Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat, 19 Wrens, 22 adult +44 juvenile Starling, single Song Thrush, 10 Blackbird, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 8 Robins, female Redstart, 6 Stonechat, 25 Wheatear, 3 Dunnock, 23 House Sparrows, single White Wagtail, 5 Pied Wagtails, 22 Meadow Pipits, 5 Rock Pipits, 4 Chaffinch, 155 Linnets, and 6  Goldfinches.  

The Conservation Team were rather busy today, so census was split. However, Millcombe was more productive than the SouthWest Field/Airfield area with a nice range of species noted. It’s been a while since we have seen a nice passage of Manx Shearwaters in the daytime, so to see 34 fly South past the Cruise Ship in the Bay in less than five minutes was really nice. Following their line, a single Gannet passed by during the very short seawatch. In Millcombe, a single Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff and a pair of Lesser Redpoll remained in the valley. Once the wind died down a bit, birds were moving with at least one Golden Oriole still in Millcombe, a Woodchat Shrike around the Old Quarry Cottages and a probable Montague’s Harrier were seen by visiting birders.

From allcomers, 13 Mallards, Feral Pigeon, 3 Woodpigeons, single Collared Dove, 2 Swifts, 8 Oystercatchers, single Ringed Plover, single Whimbrel, 63 Puffins, 57 Razorbills, 1503 Guillemots, 31 Kittiwakes, 250 Herring Gulls, 7 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 54 Lesser-Black Backed Gulls, 3 Storm Petrels, 17 Fulmar, 2 Gannets, 7 Cormorants flew North, 15 Shag, female Sparrowhawk came in off the sea, female Kestrel, pair of Peregrines, 18 Carrion Crows, 7 Ravens, 18 Skylark, 38 Swallows, 3 House Martins, 3 Willow Warbler, single Chiffchaff, single Blackcap, 17 Wrens, 40 Starling, single Song Thrush, 8 Blackbird, single Spotted Flycatcher, 7 Robins, 10 Stonechat, 3 Wheatear, 2 Dunnock, 15 House Sparrows, Yellow Wagtail flew North, 3 Pied Wagtails, 24 Meadow Pipits, single Tree Pipit, 2 Rock Pipits, 3 Chaffinch, 83 Linnets, 10 Goldfinches and a Siskin.