Angus remembers the sightings on his final week on the island.
Sadly we mentioned goodbye to each of our autumn volunteers because the final boat
of the season left the island on Friday Twenty eighth October. Tom and Angus have seen some incredible birds in addition to helped us out by finishing the yearly seal pup surveys.
A light week sometimes
with  average to robust south or
south-westerly winds.
The Wigeon has
remained at Pondsbury all by this week and was typically accompanied by up
to 2 Teal. As much as three Water Rail are nonetheless heard every day in Millcombe Valley. Two Gray Herons flew over the south of the island on the twenty fourth and one other
was harassed by Ravens over
Benjamin’s Chair on the twenty ninth.
In comparison with final week, this week was far quieter for wader
data. The excessive rely for Oystercatchers
across the coast was 18. One Golden Plover was recorded calling on the twenty fourth.
Single Woodcock have been seen
individually on three events although, the twenty fifth, twenty sixth and twenty ninth including a bit extra
range. Six Snipe have been seen
in complete this week.
A number of hundred Kittiwake
have been recorded out to sea on most days, with the height rely of 1000+ on twenty ninth.
Just a few Widespread Gulls featured among the many flocks in the direction of the tip of the week and a
single Mediterranean Gull. A handful of Lesser
Black-backed Gulls proceed to be recorded most days, however by no means greater than
4 this week (on the twenty ninth). One Arctic
Skua was seen off the east coast on
the twenty sixth. The very best rely of auk spp. Was 652 on the Twenty eighth. 5 Manx Shearwater have been seen on the twenty sixth. Highest Gannet rely was additionally on the very windy twenty sixth with 150 birds. A Storm Petrel sp. was seen far
off the east coast by Chris Baillie on the thirtieth.
The second ringtail Hen
Harrier of final week has stayed with
us on the island, favouring the heathland north of Quarter Wall. It’s
sometimes seen searching however is usually very elusive. The robust winds
typically preserve it hunkered down within the vegetated gullies close to Gannets Coombe.
Peak counts of Sparrowhawk and Kestrel stay at three as has been
typical this month, and a Merlin has
been seen most days. Just like the Wigeon
and Hen Harrier, the one Jackdaw
has outstayed our expectations, additionally remaining for the week, nonetheless sticking to
the easterly fields south of Quarter Wall (Tillage, Brick and Barton’s). One other
enhance in Carrion Crow has been famous, with as much as 31
roosting within the high of Millcombe.
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| Hen Harrier, East Coast © Angus Croudace |
Skylark passage
has continued regardless of the wind though numbers have been lowering because the
week progresses. Max of 70 on the twenty fourth. Swallows
have adopted the identical development with 20 on the twenty fourth. Contrastingly, increasingly Starlings are shifting by with about
200 at the beginning of the week and 350 on the finish of the week, with a peak rely
of 600 on the Twenty eighth.
The ringed Willow
Warbler has been seen just a few extra
instances close to Quarter Wall up till the Twenty eighth, and a second was additionally seen on the twenty fifth.
Chiffchaff counts have numbered
between 4 and 6 birds all week. Blackcap
counts have been within the single figures aside from 20 on the twenty fourth. Two Firecrests have been seen on the twenty fourth, with
one chook additionally recorded on the twenty fifth and twenty seventh. There was an inflow of Goldcrest on the twenty fourth, with 26 recorded
for the primary two days this week after which 41 on the twenty sixth. Yet one more late Whinchat was recorded on the twenty fourth on
the morning census at Quarter Wall.
A number of Ring Ouzels are seen on the east coast most
days with a few good males typically discovered across the Terrace. Tune Thrush numbers are comparable though sightings are distributed
between Ackland’s Moor and Millcombe. Blackbird
numbers have halved this week, falling from excessive teenagers to single determine counts.
Fieldfare counts began with about
120 birds at the beginning on the week and was shortly right down to 40 midweek which has
remained constant. Redwing have
been extra variable with some days simply a few birds recorded, and others
32 (twenty fourth), 90 (twenty seventh) and 67 (twenty ninth) birds seen. One Mistle Thrush was seen
on the twenty fourth. As much as three Black Redstart have been seen, with sightings
day by day this week.
After 12 Pied/White
Wagtails on the twenty fourth right here has been minimal passage of wagtails with between
one and 4 birds 25-Twenty eighth after which seven birds together with one Gray Wagtail on the twenty ninth.
One Brambling was
seen amongst a flock of Chaffinches in
Barton’s Discipline, and later by the Lambing Shed on the twenty fourth and two extra have been
picked up on the twenty seventh. Chaffinch counts
began the week at 139 on the twenty fourth however greater actions midweek resulted in
totals of 594 and 550 on the twenty seventh and Twenty eighth respectively, with 222 on the twenty ninth.
Greater than 70 Siskins have been recorded
on the twenty fifth and twenty seventh, with decrease counts on different days not exceeding the teenagers. Goldfinch counts have remained low at
only a couple most days. A small resurgence of Linnets, primarily from a few bigger flocks shifting by
numbered 22 on the twenty fourth and 35 on the twenty fifth.Â
One chook a day fills out the remainder of the row this week, with the
exception of the twenty ninth, the place there was neither a Linnet nor a single Goldfinch
recorded! Two Lesser Redpoll singles have been recorded on the twenty fourth
and twenty fifth. One Snow Bunting was seen on just a few events in
the primary half of this week.
The windy week has been scattered with just a few highlights,
beginning with a Little Bunting on the twenty fourth, which was heard
and tracked down by Paul Holt shortly after dawn however by no means confirmed for any of
the opposite birders on the island regardless of thorough searches of Millcombe. The Bullfinch was additionally heard calling in
Millcombe once more on the twenty fourth. A Yellow-browed
Warbler was picked up by Authorities on the twenty fifth. On the twenty seventh Chris Baillie
found a Crimson-breasted Flycatcher
within the Blackthorn on the high of Millcombe. It was not a very showy
particular person and behaved equally to the remainder of this season’s rarities; teasing
after which upping and leaving earlier than the day is out. A Richard’s Pipit was flushed close to to Tibbetts within the morning on the
twenty seventh. An thrilling report for Lundy of a Booted/Syke’s
Warbler on the Terrace was picked up by Stuart on the twenty ninth however regardless of many
hours of looking out sadly the chook was by no means relocated, and no
pictures have been obtained.
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| Little Bunting, Millcombe © Paul Holt |
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| Crimson-breasted Flycatcher, Millcombe © Stuart Cossey |
After a lull for per week or two within the moth entice, the calm
evening of the Twenty eighth gave us a Convolvulus
Hawk-moth and the island’s second
report of Olive Tree Pearl Palpita vitrealis.
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| Convolvulus Hawk-moth © Stuart Cossey |
Contributors: Stuart Cossey, Rosie Ellis, Angus Croudace,
Tom Wright, Paul Holt, Chris Baillie