Tue 1 Sep to Thu 10 Sep – shearwater ringing, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a trickle of migrants

No sooner did I write about the lack of recent news, than a comprehensive update arrived from David Price, reporting on the results of the first half of this year's autumn Manx Shearwater ringing effort. David, wife Elisabeth, Peter Slader, A J Bellamy and Nik Ward were on the island from 1–9 September, along with Jeremy Barker on 9th.

An excellent 158 shearwater chicks were ringed – the highest total of young ringed over a comparable period since rat eradication, suggesting that the Lundy colony has had a good breeding season and is continuing to grow. Tony Taylor is leading a group that took over from David's shearwater team on 10th.

Other highlights included the Storm Petrel mentioned in the previous post. Over 100 passerines were ringed by day (though weather conditions were too settled for there to have been large numbers of grounded migrants), mainly Goldcrests, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps, but also a Firecrest, two first-winter Tree Pipits and both Spotted and Pied Flycatchers (likewise young of the year). On 9th Elisabeth found a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker in Millcombe. This Lundy rarity was subsequently trapped and ringed on 10th. Also present on 10th (reported by Tony Taylor) were: 5 Teal, 2 Grey Herons, 3 Firecrests, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 3 Spotted Flycatchers and 10 Siskins.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Millcombe, 9 Sep 2015. © Elisabeth Price