Bird Sightings
March 1st Sightings – An exciting start to the month
Today welcomed three new excitements for the Bird Observatory.
Firstly, our Bird Observatory Assistant Thomas Weston will be joining our team today until the end of September. Thomas will be resident on the island and help with the ongoing projects of the Bird Obs. Thomas is a S permit bird ringer so he will be helping with the ringing projects we undertake on the island and will be helping to set up and try new techniques too. Thomas is also a keen birder and will be able to help with the Bird Obs counts and surveys. This leads onto the second excitement of the month which is the start of our standardised bird census began. The bird census is a daily task undertaken by the team whereby the number of species, and the total number of each species are recorded. Due to the census being standardised, the counts provide an idea of the amount of migration through the island up to the quarter wall. Therefore, any counts undertaken beyond the quarter wall, or during your stay are valuable. This takes us onto the third and final excitement, the daily bird log. Our daily bird log will be undertaken every evening at 8pm in the Tavern by the Bird Obs team. During the log, we will take into account everyone’s counts before adding a total count to the logbook. We encourage sightings of birds, butterflies, cetaceans, lichens, or any other taxa you may be interested in.
Sightings
Sightings from around the island today included the continuing male Green-winged Teal who was loosely associated with 9 Eurasian Teal on Pondsbury. Our resident Mallard flock remained at 10 individuals split between Pondsbury and Rocket Pole Pool. It will not be long before this species starts thinking of breeding. On our rocky south coast, a pair of Rock Pipit and a small mixed flock of Guillemot (10) and Razorbill (1) were seen. Around the landing bay 3 Oystercatchers were heard defending their territory as they begin thinking of breeding. Due to the weather, the most unusual species of the day, a 2nd calander year Common Gull, was seen heading south. Out at sea, small numbers of Herring gull (32), Kittiwake (15), Shag (10) and Gannet (6) were recorded. An equal number of Raven and Carrion crow (both 9) were sighted with non-breeding birds frequently spotted flying around the village. Out in the fields, 3 Skylarks, 23 Meadow Pipits, 60 Starling, and a single flyover Linnet were recorded. Millcombe Valley was quiet with a small flock of Woodpigeon, 3 Chaffinch, a Goldcrest and 5 Redwing the highlights.
Ringing
No ringing was undertaken today.
7th - 12th February
Most of my recent birding has taken place at night while conducting nocturnal surveys around the southern quarter of the island with the fantastic new support from enthusiastic islander, Jane Sharkey! A session on 7th revealed the elusive female Snow Bunting is still overwintering, roosting in South West Field. A couple of additional nocturnal sessions puts our current annual ringing totals at 21 new Common Snipe, 7 new Jack Snipe, 3 new Woodcock and 5 new Skylark. The Green-winged Teal continues its residence at Pondsbury, logged during visits to the site on 7th and 12th. A high tide visit to Brazen Ward on 7th only revealed 6 roosting Purple Sandpiper, however it's likely more were out of sight. Further north, a roosting Woodcock flushed from Gannet's Coombe while the female Kestrel worked the sidelands. The day also welcomed the first stirrings of spring with a hint of passerine movement, namely 7 Meadow Pipit and 9 Skylark. A visit to Jenny's Cove on 12th enjoyed 190 Kittiwake going in and out of breeding sites, accompanied by 12 Guillemot on ledges while 2 Great Northern Diver were feeding in the Landing Bay.
Re-trap Skylark returning to Airfield breeding grounds, 7 Feb © Joe Parker
28th January - 6th February
A winter seal census was conducted along the east coast on 28th as part of Cornwall, Devon and SW Wales wide study coordinated by Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust. It would have been rude not to have checked Pondsbury en route to North End and a preliminary long distance scan on approach revealed a small group of Teal and Mallard. A closer inspection kicked up 2 Common Snipe and quickly revealed a 8 Eurasian and a drake Green-winged Teal - incredibly only the second island record (previous record back in May 2006). A wander down Brazen Ward to count the hauled out seals produced a minimum count of 13 Purple Sandpiper and a flyby female Merlin. A female Kestrel worked the Lower East all day and Gannet's Rock was laden with 78 prospecting Fulmar, while Long Roost received similar interest from returning seabirds, with 55 Guillemot on ledges and 105 Razorbill feeding nearby offshore. By 1st February the first returning Skylark started to return, confirmed by a between season re-trap encountered on the Airfield after a 3 month absence.
Green-winged Teal in flight (centre) with Eurasian Teal at Pondsbury, 28 Jan © Joe Parker
Green-winged Teal at Pondsbury, 28 Jan © Joe Parker
11th - 27th January 2024
The island has now reopened after a busy 3-week long 'shutdown' of vital maintenance works. The Purple Sandpiper record count was broken yet again, this time involving 14 individuals at Brazen Ward on 13th. A visit to Jenny's Cove that afternoon welcomed the first returning Guillemot (108) to ledges in preparation for the upcoming breeding season, joined by six Fulmar inspecting old nesting sites and the first Herring Gulls returning to their breeding colonies. Pondsbury featured two drake Wigeon, joining a mixed flock of nine Teal and 15 Mallard while 6 Common Snipe roosted in the surrounding area. The overwintering female Merlin has been seen most days over the village, keeping the c200 strong Starling flock wary. Redwing numbers are pretty stable, averaging around the low double digits most days and a female Greenfinch put in a brief appearance at Millcombe Pond on 13th. A nocturnal survey the following day caught up with the female Snow Bunting originally ringed in SW Field on 30th Dec 2023 - a surprise given the absence of any daytime observations! The session also included a venture north of Threequarter Wall, ringing a new Woodcock at Widow's Tenement. A visit along the Obs census route on 27th encountered 322 Herring Gull feeding in Brick Field and preening at Quarter Wall Pond. A short stint from The Ugly at midday enjoyed 89 Kittiwake and six Common Gull feeding off the east coast, however the continued absence of divers continues!