Angus studies on every week busy with birders however not essentially the birds. A workforce of ringers have been working in Millcombe and St Johns Valley all week and a complete host of frequent Lundy birders have been on the island.
Combined spells of climate this week with calm days on Tuesday
eleventh and Thursday Thirteenth and a powerful sustained south-westerly on Saturday Fifteenth.
A excessive depend of 16 Mallard have been seen on the Thirteenth, with some popping up close to Rocket Pole on
a number of mornings. A feminine Teal has
been at Pondsbury for many of the week. 5 Water Rail have been
recorded on the Thirteenth, largely in Millcombe with one other at Quarter Wall.
26 Oystercatcher have been recorded across the island on
the Fifteenth and sixteenth. A few Golden Plover left us early this week however
one has remained within the fields close to to the village. Dunlin singles have been
picked up on the Thirteenth and sixteenth, and a Woodcock burst out of canopy close to
to Rocket Pole within the afternoon of the eleventh. Snipe have been recorded most days, normally picked up individually
flying over with totals of 4 on the Twelfth and the Thirteenth.
Robust winds meant a number of pairs of eyes have been fastened on the
sea on the Fifteenth, leading to: 380 Kittiwake, 1 Black-headed Gull (with
one other seen on the sixteenth), 4 Widespread Gull, 9 Nice Black-backed
Gull (max depend 18 on the 14th), three Herring Gull (max counts of
17 on each eleventh and sixteenth), two Lesser Black-backed Gull (three additionally
recorded on the eleventh, and two on the Twelfth), two Fulmar, 12 Manx
Shearwater, 11 Shag and 5 ‘commic’ terns. A excessive
depend of 125 Gannets was recorded on the Fifteenth, and one other 82 have been
recorded on the Twelfth. 9 Guillemot have been recorded on the Twelfth, with 6
on the Fifteenth. Razorbill numbered 16 on the Twelfth and 15 on the Fifteenth. There
have been 101 unidentified Auks on the Twelfth, 41 on the 14th, 335 on the Fifteenth
and 11 on the sixteenth.
An Arctic Skua was recorded on the 14th off of Rat
Island and a Nice Northern Diver flew previous north gentle heading southeast
on the sixteenth, shut sufficient to be recognized with binoculars. One Cormorant was
recorded on the eleventh, and two Gray Herons slowly flew over Millcombe and
the south of the island on the Twelfth.
Two Sparrowhawks are seen most days, with three every
day on the weekend (three females on Saturday Fifteenth and two plus a male on Sunday
sixteenth). We nonetheless have two Kestrels and one was seen brawling with a Merlin
along with a Peregrine early within the week. Two Merlins have been
recorded Thirteenth-Fifteenth, and 4 Peregrines on sixteenth, with three interacting
over the church mid-morning. 21 Carrion Crows and 22 Ravens have been
recorded on the sixteenth with barely elevated numbers and flightier behaviour
maybe representing some new arrivals.
The calm days this week noticed massive hirundine and finch
passage, with 600 Swallows on each eleventh and Thirteenth, and 160 on the 14th.
There have been 200 Home Martins on the eleventh and 300 on the Thirteenth, and 5 Sand
Martins on the eleventh. Skylarks numbered 50 on the eleventh and an enormous 170
on the Thirteenth, with numbers within the teenagers on the opposite windier days. 300 Meadow
Pipits on the eleventh and 600 on the Thirteenth. Good island protection has resulted
in up 40 Rock Pipits this week, with a flock of 18 within the north-west and
12 close to to Quarter Wall within the west recorded on the sixteenth.
A Cetti’s Warbler began the week off nicely, as solely
the seventh file for the island. Seven Chiffchaffs have been recorded
virtually every single day, excluding 15 on the eleventh and 6 on the sixteenth. Blackcap
quantity 20-30 most days, with a excessive depend of 40 on the 14th. Three Firecrests
have been current because the eleventh, though just one has been recorded over the
weekend. About 25 Goldcrests are famous every day, with a max of 34 on the
sixteenth. A excessive depend of 52 Wrens have been recorded on the 14th, maybe on account of
birds shifting south down the island because the climate turns colder. A Treecreeper
has been in Millcombe because the Tenth. A Wryneck hung round within the gorse
by Rocket Pole on the Tenth and eleventh, and was much more elusive than our
earlier data this autumn, with no pictures captured of this particular person.
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| Treecreeper, St Helens Copse © Stuart Cossey |
Max Starling depend this week was 173, with the Rosy-coloured
Starling solely sighted on the Tenth this week. One Ring Ouzel was
noticed on the 14th, and there have been plenty of Blackbirds additionally round on
at the present time, with 23. Just a few Redwings have been picked up every day flying
over or feeding among the many brambles on the high of Millcombe. The best depend was
21 on the eleventh. With current massive actions of thrushes within the north and robust
easterlies forecast for the center of the approaching week it’s anticipated that many
extra will probably be recorded subsequent week. Over the Twelfth-Fifteenth three Music Thrushes have been
recorded in Millcombe.
One Noticed Flycatcher was current by the fuel shed till
the Twelfth, with a Pied Flycatcher additionally on the eleventh. 30 Robins have been
recorded on the 14th. Black Redstart was recorded as soon as on the eleventh and
as soon as on the seashore highway on the Fifteenth. Two Widespread Redstarts have been in
Millcombe on the Tenth (one male and one feminine), and one other feminine was seen on
the Thirteenth. A really late Whinchat was seen by Quarter Wall on the sixteenth
(final recorded was Sept twenty second). Prime of the week for Stonechat was on the
Thirteenth with 30, the best depend up to now this season. One other lone Wheatear popped
up on the Twelfth, and three have been seen on the 14th (two in South-west Discipline and
one by Benjamin’s Chair).
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| Black Redstart, South West Discipline © Tim Williams |
Most days had Yellow Wagtail flying over, with three
on the Twelfth. 5 Gray Wagtails on the Tenth and 6 on the Thirteenth. One White
Wagtail every day Tenth-Thirteenth. Unidentified Pied/White Wagtails flying over
peaked at 35 on the Thirteenth with good numbers most different days too.
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| Yellow Wagtail, South West Discipline © Tim Williams |
Chaffinches are shifting by in huge numbers this
week, with 90 on the Thirteenth and 350 on the sixteenth! One feminine Brambling was
in Millcombe on the eleventh. Greenfinches are sometimes heard, with 5
on the eleventh. Goldfinch numbers are variable with 40 and 52 on the Twelfth
and Thirteenth respectively, however simply 8 later within the week on the Fifteenth. Siskin numbers
at the moment are up, with counts of 1, 145, 200, 30, 29 and 100 stretching from Monday
to Sunday respectively. The eleventh and Thirteenth have been one of the best for Linnets with
87 and 122, and counts between 17 and 39 on different days. Just one Lesser
Redpoll was recorded on the eleventh over Millcombe.
Buntings have began passing by, with one Lapland
Bunting over the Airfield on the Thirteenth, 3 Snow Buntings over the
weekend and two or three Reed Buntings usually round St John’s Valley
between eleventh and 14th, with a depend of 12 on the sixteenth! A single Yellowhammer
calling flew over the church on the sixteenth.
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| Snow Buntings, Fundamental Observe © Stuart Cossey |
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| Angus and Tom catching up with the Snow Buntings © Tim Jones |
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| The ensuing photographs! Snow Bunting © Tom Wright |
Highlights of birds ringed this week embrace: three Firecrests,
three Yellow-browed Warblers, Cetti’s Warbler, male Widespread
Redstart, one Treecreeper, one Redwing and some Siskin.
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| Clockwise from high left: Male Redstart, Cetti’s Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Firecrest © Tom Wright |
In non-avian information a couple of Painted Girls have been
recorded this week, a Clouded Yellow on the eleventh, 45 Purple Admiral on
the tranquil Thirteenth in addition to as much as 5 Hummingbird Hawk-moths in
Millcombe. 11 Rush Veneer have been scattered throughout the island too on the sixteenth.
Harbour Porpoise have additionally been seen round Rat Island with two on the
Twelfth, one on Thirteenth and one of many 14th.
Contributors: Stuart Cossey, Rosie Ellis, Tom Wright, Angus
Croudace, Tim Davis, Tim Jones, Tim Worfolk, Nik Ward, Greg Conway, Andy Jayne,
Paul Holt, Andrew Cleave, Tim Williams.