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Thursday 24 September 2020

24th Sep – Wet & windy... but a new (non-avian) species for the island!

The latest daily update comes courtesy of ringing team-leader Chris Dee, who reports that it was:

"Too wet and windy for mist-netting in Millcombe today. When most of the showers had passed I headed out. Lower Millcombe was pretty quiet apart from a single Blackcap and a Water Rail calling in Smelly Gully. Along the Lower East Side Path there were a couple of Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest and a Stonechat. Flyover records of four (unraced) alba wagtail and a Tree Pipit were noted. Five Red Admirals working their way south in the relative shelter from the strong south-westerlies were augmented by a further two on the Terrace. Elsewhere there were six Skylark on the Airfield and 10 Linnet by the Stonecrusher. Later in the afternoon there were three Dunnock in Millcombe and the usual motley assortment of House Sparrows. On the sea and East Side there were seven Great Black-backed and two Herring Gull. Also one Shag."

Chris & Carol Baillie's sightings were similar, with the addition of three Woodpigeon, a single Lesser Black-backed Gull, three Wheatear, 20 Meadow Pipit, 23 Goldfinch and a further 48 Linnet. Also a single Harbour Porpoise.

Dean Jones adds: "It was indeed a rather quiet bird day all-in-all but I did have a fairly productive morning seawatch from the Ugly. Highlights included a pale-morph Pomarine Skua, three adult Mediterranean Gulls, and singles of ‘commic’ Tern and Manx Shearwater, as well as small numbers of Gannet, Razorbill and Kittiwake and two Harbour Porpoise. Not much else of note, other than a single Firecrest in Quarter Wall Copse, at least 16 Goldcrest in Millcombe and along the Lower East Side Path, and two Kestrel near the Quarries."

In other news, Sue Waterfield found a moth in the shop, which Dean was able to identify as Lundy's first Scarce Bordered Straw, a migrant from southern Europe. Happily the moth was still alive when found and Sue was able to release it promptly.

The Scarce Bordered Straw found in the shop, 24 Sep © Sue Waterfield

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