7th to 10th May – Golden Oriole and... Rustic Bunting!

News of an action-packed few days from Warden Dean Woodfin Jones:

7th May

A windy start to the day becoming very still by the mid-afternoon – sunshine and clear skies throughout.

Highlights from another great Lundy bird day included the first Turtle Dove of the year – singing its heart out in Millcombe in the mid-afternoon. Nearby a female Cuckoo was calling in the scrub between Government House and Old School in the morning, and it was another good day for Spotted Flycatchers with 12 logged across the island.

Other sightings of note included three Cormorant flying south over Millcombe in the afternoon, two Whimbrel in the Landing Bay, a fly-over Dunlin, a small arrival of Woodpigeon along the east (9), two Collared Dove in the Village, one Kestrel, five Blackcap, two Garden Warbler, two Reed Warbler in Millcombe (one which was caught and ringed), 14 Whitethroat, 13 Sedge Warbler, nine Willow Warbler, two Chiffchaff, 152 Swallow, 52 Sand Martin, 48 House Martin, two Swift, a single Stonechat, eight Pied Wagtails, 15 Goldfinch (including a pair of collecting nest material in Millcombe) and 25 Linnet (including a few pairs also collecting nest material).

Garden Warbler, Terrace willows, 7 May © Dean Jones

One of the two Reed Warblers in Millcombe on 7 May © Dean Jones

Resting hirundines below Hanmers, 7 May © Dean Jones

Non-avian sightings included clouds of Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella in Millcombe and along the Beach Road and a Silver Y flushed from the Lower East Side Path.

Cocksfoot Moths on Oxeye Daisy, Beach Road, 7 May © Dean Jones

8th May

Another beautiful still, calm day; sunshine, hazy in the morning, becoming overcast by the early afternoon.

The unquestionable highlight of the day came in the form of a male Golden Oriole which was singing and calling in Millcombe just above the Casbah first thing. Although the bird was being very vocal, I didn’t managed to actually see it until later in the day due to the now lush-green canopies in Millcombe providing perfect camouflage. Luckily though, come the afternoon, Tom was driving down the Valley in his ATV, after his umpteenth lamb check of the day, and flushed the bird, allowing brief but spectacular views in flight. Thanks Tom!

Coming a close second was a spectacular pod of c.60 Common Dolphin off the east coast in mid-morning. This big group – which included a number of small calves – spent around 30 minutes feeding only a few hundred metres offshore from the Terrace before moving north and out of sight. A brilliant start to the day.

Other birds logged included 35 Shag along the east coast (obviously lots of food about today), a lone Whimbrel, another small arrival of Woodpigeon along the east (11), four Collared Dove, eight Blackcap, a Reed Warbler in the Terrace willows, two Whitethroat, seven Sedge Warbler (including a bird sporting a ring from elsewhere in the UK), seven Willow Warbler, six Chiffchaff (which included a nice abietinus-type bird), 30 Swallow, five Sand Martin, three House Martin, a single Swift, two Pied Wagtail, six Spotted Flycatcher, a Whinchat below the Terrace, 10 Goldfinch and 12 Linnet.

Collared Doves on the Laundry Room roof, 8 May © Dean Jones

Possible abietinus Chiffchaff. It called on release and sounded better for this race than tristis, Millcombe, 8 May © Dean Jones

The rest of the morning was spent finding and counting Starling nests around the Village, Church and the Old Lighthouse. So far there are 48 active nests – most of which have big noisy chicks in them – a figure which is unfortunately down on the 2019 total (56). There were a few birds still collecting nest material around the farm, however, so fingers crossed this figure will increase by the end of the spring.

Male Starling  – we are so lucky to have such beautiful birds nesting all around us here in the Village, 8 May © Dean Jones

Non-avian sightings included another Silver Y on the Lower East Side Path, six male Emperor Moths around Pondsbury and a Barrel Jellyfish in Halfway Wall Bay.

Ringing totals from a quiet morning session included: 2 Sedge Warbler (including the control bird), 1 Blackcap, 3 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff and a Goldfinch.

9th May

Another beautiful summer-like day with wall-to-wall sunshine and a very light easterly breeze.

Highlights included the male Golden Oriole for his second day (much showier today but I still didn’t manage a photo), a rather tatty Common Buzzard over the Village, two Common Sandpiper foraging along the shoreline in the Landing Bay, two Pied Flycatcher having a wash in the stream next to the Casbah and two female Common Redstart flitting around the Quarries.

The best of the rest included a lone Whimbrel, six Blackcap, six Whitethroat, ten Sedge Warbler, three Willow Warbler, just one Chiffchaff, 18 Swallow, two House Martin, two Pied Wagtail, three Stonechat (including a female bird delivering food to chicks on the east coast), a big Greenland-type Wheatear on the main track and nine Spotted Flycatcher.

Spotted Flycatcher,  Bramble Villa, 9 May © Dean Jones

Non-avian sightings included the first Common Blue of the year next to the Beach Road.

Good numbers of the micro-moth Cydia ulicetana were flying around the sunlit gorse on the East Side, 9 May © Dean Jones

10th May

A beautiful, sunny and clear morning with a light north-east breeze, becoming cloudy and very windy by the early afternoon.

It was a rather quiet start in Millcombe first thing, with very few migrants moving up the Valley and into the mist-nets. A secretive Lesser Whitethroat near the Walled Gardens got the heart racing and a few singing Sedge Warbler and a fly-over Tree Pipit raised the spirits during empty net rounds. Then as the forecast predicted, the wind picked up and the nets had to be furled.

It was then – as I was tying up the last of the nets in the Secret Garden – that I heard a bird “zitting” high up on the Sycamore in the heart of the garden. Luckily I could just about see its head through the canopy and, as I raised my binoculars, I was immediately met with a beautiful chestnut-and-white face pattern – the markings of a female Rustic Bunting!

The bird then flew around the Valley for a few minutes or so, perching briefly again in the trees next to Millcombe House before flying towards St John’s Valley and out of sight. This is the first spring record of this beautiful bunting for Lundy and the seventh overall – the last of which was on 1st October 2015.

Other birds of note from today included two Whimbrel, the fifth Cuckoo of the spring – singing in Millcombe in the early afternoon (Sue Waterfield), two Collared Dove, two Kestrels (defending a possible breeding territory from passing Carrion Crow), eight Blackcap, four Whitethroat, two Sedge Warbler, five Willow Warbler, five Chiffchaff, 29 Swallow, three House Martin, a single Sand Martin, three Pied Wagtails, a male Yellow Wagtail in Brick Field, three Spotted Flycatcher and 30 Linnet.

Record shot of the female Rustic Bunting, Millcombe, 10 May © Dean Jones

Cropped copy of the same image © Dean Jones

Non-avian news included the first Small Heath of the year next to the Tennis Lawn and a Slow-worm and two Rosechafer beetles on the Terrace.

Ringing totals from a brief morning session before the wind got up included: 2 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Linnet, 1 Robin and a retrap House Sparrow.

Lundy is currently closed to visitors. The latest Covid-19 update from the Landmark Trust can be found here.

4th to 6th May – Migrants, moths and a flush of wildflowers

The latest instalment of spring migration highlights, other avian goings-on and general nature news from the Lundy Warden, Dean Woodfin Jones:

4th May

A beautifully calm and sunny early morning before the stiff easterly winds returned around 10:00am, becoming overcast in the afternoon.

Another reasonably quiet day for migrants apart from another good push of Swallows (303), House Martin (60) and Sand Martin (26) throughout the day.

The best of the rest included six Dunlin in flight along the west coast, two Collared Dove in the Laundry Garden, ten Swift, two Willow Warbler, two Chiffchaff, three Sedge Warbler and seven Blackcap.

A Meadow Pipit sheltering from the stiff easterlies near The Battery, 4 May © Dean Jones

This lovely Ruby Tiger moth joined us during our Swallow counts, 4 May © Dean Jones

Ringing totals from a brief early morning session included: Sedge Warbler 2, Blackcap 6, Chiffchaff 2, Willow Warbler 1 and Goldfinch 1.

5th May

Horrible weather today unfortunately, with easterly gales during the morning easing to just below gale force in the afternoon. Heavy rain up until 11:00am followed by overcast skies and a few sunny spells later in the afternoon.

Hirundines again pushed on through despite the strong winds, with 42 Swallow, 17 House Martin and four Sand Martin logged after the rain. Other birds of note included three Swift low over Quarter Wall, a Blackcap in Millcombe (the only warbler logged today) and a small fall of eight Pied Wagtail sheltering on High Street track.

6th May

Today was one of those magical Lundy bird days characterised by a fantastic diversity of migrants, beautiful weather (other than a stiff easterly wind) and seabird-covered cliffs!

The East Sidelands are now awash with wildflowers, namely Bluebells, gorse, Foxgloves and, of course,
our beloved Lundy Cabbage, 6 May © Dean Jones

Highlights included a superb arrival of 26 Spotted Flycatcher across the island and the best day yet of spring hirundine passage!

Birds logged included four Manx Shearwater off the South West Point, two Dunlin, four Whimbrel, a young male Sparrowhawk in Millcombe, two Kestrel, a female Merlin, a super 1,916 Swallow, 478 Sand Martin and 341 House Martin throughout the day, two Swift, 3,722 Guillemot, 1,426 Razorbill, 107 Puffin, 202 Kittiwake, four Sedge Warbler, a Grasshopper Warbler in the Walled Garden, a Reed Warbler in Smelly Gully, nine Whitethroat, ten Blackcap, a Garden Warbler on the Terrace, seven Willow Warbler, three Chiffchaff, at least three Greenland-type Wheatear, two Stonechat, two Whinchat, seven Pied Wagtail, three fly-over unraced alba wagtails, two White Wagtail at Benjamin’s Chair, a male and two female Yellow Wagtail in Barton Field, three Chaffinch, ten Goldfinch and 41 Linnet.

Lots more Guillemots with eggs in the St Mark's Stone study plots now (147 to be precise), 6 May © Dean Jones

Swallows taking a rest near Quarters Pond, 6 May © Dean Jones

Non-avian sightings included the first two Rosechafer of the year near St Mark’s Stone and two Silver Y.

Lundy is currently closed to visitors. The latest Covid-19 update from the Landmark Trust can be found here.

1st to 3rd May – Where have all the migrants gone?!

1st May

Sunny with cloudy spells throughout, coupled with a strong westerly wind.

Pyramid Rock and the sidelands above took the brunt of the strong May Day westerlies  © Dean Jones

Highlights from a rather quiet bird day included a Hooded Crow foraging in Tent Field and a flock of six Jackdaw over Jenny’s Cove in the afternoon.

Record shot of the Hooded Crow in Tent Field, 1 May © Dean Jones

Out of the blue – six Jackdaws over Jenny's Cove, 1 May © Dean Jones

Another interesting sighting came in the form of a colour-ringed Guillemot (Red 0114) in Jenny’s Cove. Cast your mind back to September last year (see blog post: Goldfinch and Storm Petrels among the latest bird ringing highlights posted on 25 Sep) and you may remember this bird loafing around Jenny’s Cove last summer. Originally ringed as a nestling on July 8th 2013 on Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, he or she was back again on pretty much the same ledge it was spotted on last year – with a potential mate! It is rare for these birds to breed elsewhere other than their natal colonies so this could be an unusual record if the bird does decide to settle and breed. Fingers crossed that this will be the case!

Colour-ringed Guillemot "Red 0114" in Jenny's Cove, 1 May © Dean Jones

Other birds logged included four Whimbrel, two Blackcap, three Willow Warbler, four Chiffchaff, one Goldcrest, 112 Swallow, 11 Sand Martin, 42 House Martin, two Yellow Wagtail and two Spotted Flycatcher.

One of the two Spotted Flyctachers logged, Millcombe, 1 May © Dean Jones

At least three male Emperor Moths were on the wing along the east coast in the afternoon.

2nd May

A beautiful spring day – slight westerly breeze, lots of sunshine and a few cloudy spells.

Hirundines once again stole the show with 220 Swallow, 69 House Martin and 14 Sand Martin being logged throughout the day. Other migrants included a small arrival of Sedge Warbler (seven logged), a reeling Grasshopper Warbler at Quarter Wall, small numbers of Blackcap (6) and Willow Warbler (17), two Swift, four Whimbrel in Barton Field and a small push of Wheatear which included at least three Greenland-type birds around High Street Field.

Lots of nesting activity again, with Robins, Starlings and Blackbirds all feeding chicks in their nests and a number of Meadow Pipit and Wheatear collecting nest material.

Female Wheatear collecting nesting material in the evening light, Battery, 1 May © Dean Jones

3rd May

A miserable day weather wise, with a stiff easterly wind, thick mist and drizzle throughout...

Unsurprisingly, given the very poor visibility and constant rain, birds were rather inconspicuous. Birds logged included 26 Swallow, one Swift hawking low down through Millcombe in the murk, a Tree Pipit and Whimbrel calling from Barton Field, three Blackcap, three Sedge Warbler, five Willow Warbler, two Chiffchaff and a Whitethroat.

A total of 36 moths were trapped overnight on 2nd/3rd, including a nice Vine’s Rustic – only the second record for the island with the last one being caught in 1990!

Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua – the 2nd Lundy record but the first for 30 years! Millcombe, 3 May © Dean Jones

A male Fox Moth Macrothylacia rubi shows off his pheromone-detecting antennae, Millcombe, 3 May © Dean Jones

Lundy is currently closed to visitors. The latest Covid-19 update from the Landmark Trust can be found here.

28th to 30th Apr – Another Wood Warbler and more Whimbrels

28th April

A dreich day with thick mist and drizzle for the most part and a stiff easterly wind. But thankfully the clouds cleared and the winds dropped by mid-afternoon for a spot of decent birding.

Highlights included another Wood Warbler foraging in Millcombe Wood and a flock of 10 Whimbrel in Barton Field.

Wood Warbler (the third of the year), Millcombe, 28 Apr © Dean Jones

Other birds logged were the female Sparrowhawk, a male Kestrel, singles of Sedge and Reed Warbler, three Whitethroat, ten Blackcap, nine Willow Warbler, three Chiffchaff, one Goldcrest, 18 Swallow, 23 Sand Martin, three House Martin, a single White Wagtail, three Yellow Wagtails, two Tree Pipit, a single Song Thrush singing away in Millcombe and a small fall of Linnet which included a flock of 24 along the High Street track.

Thankfully the rain held off just long enough for us to enjoy a beautiful sunset, 28 Apr © Dean Jones

29th April

Heavy rain and strong south-easterly winds in the morning brightening up by the afternoon. Moderate south-westerlies later in the day and then more heavy rain and gale-force winds by the evening.

Trickier birding today due to the weather, though there were a few nice migrants hiding around the island, including the female Sparrowhawk hunting in St John’s Valley, seven Whimbrel in Barton Field, a Common Sandpiper calling from White Beach, a single Swift over Pondsbury, two Sedge Warbler, two Whitethroat, 17 Blackcap, a Garden Warbler, nine Willow Warbler, three Chiffchaff, 79 Swallow, 13 Sand Martin, 20 House Martin, a single White Wagtail, a female Common Redstart, one Spotted Flycatcher and a few migrant Wheatear, which included one Greenland-type bird on the High Street track.

Six of the seven Whimbrel in Barton Field, 29 Apr © Dean Jones

Whimbrel, Barton Field, 29 Apr © Dean Jones

30th April

Another wet, drizzly morning which cleared up nicely by 11:00. Strong to moderate west/south-westerlies throughout.

It was very quiet on the bird front, probably the quietest day yet for the spring in fact.

Birds logged on a day of planting willow cuttings in St John’s Valley, fitting new deer-proof tree cages on a number of young saplings and clearing the last of the Alexanders from Millcombe included: 11 Whimbrel, three each of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, just two Blackcap, one Sand Martin over the Terrace, six Swallow and a flock of 18 Linnet in High Street Field.

Lundy is currently closed to visitors. The latest Covid-19 update from the Landmark Trust can be found here.

24th to 27th Apr – Two Wood Warblers the star arrivals (plus chocolate!)

24th April

An absolutely stunning summer-like day with wall-to-wall sunshine, clear skies, seabird-covered cliffs and next to no wind. Come 17:00 however, an eerie thick sea-mist rolled in on a chilly easterly breeze which lasted through the night.

A very quiet day migrant-wise with a mass exodus of yesterday’s birds and a lack of new arrivals.

Migrants logged on a day of seabird surveys included a Cuckoo – the second of the spring – ‘singing’ outside Paradise Row at first light, a lone Whimbrel in the Landing Bay, a female Redstart on the Terrace, a White Wagtail in Brick Field, seven Willow Warbler, seven Blackcap, two Goldcrest, a single Song Thrush, a handful of Wheatear along the main track and single-figure counts of Swallow (which included some of our Lundy breeding birds), Sand Martin and House Martin.

Non-avian sightings included three Barrel Jellyfish offshore along the east coast.

25th April

The thick sea-mist and fog remained from the previous evening for most of the morning, but brightening up by the afternoon, with very low winds throughout.

Another very quiet day for migrants, highlights being a flock of 11 Jackdaw in lower Aerogenerator (Lighthouse) Field and a female Merlin hunting Meadow Pipits in Brick Field in the afternoon.

Other migrants logged during another day of seabird surveys included a lone Whimbrel, just three Willow Warbler, two Chiffchaff, six Blackcap, a single Sedge Warbler, one Goldcrest, eight Swallow and small number of Wheatear pushing through.

Auk-covered ledges in Jenny's Cove, 25 Apr © Dean Jones

Over 110 burrows had Puffins taking nesting material down them in Jenny's Cove, 25 Apr © Dean Jones

26th April

Beautifully clear and still first thing, becoming overcast by the late morning, with the wind picking up from the west around 14:00, bringing with it some more clear skies.

A very quiet first few hours of the morning – and then as if someone flicked the migrant switch, a steady stream of birds started to arrive from the south come 08:00.

Highlights were the first Common Sandpiper of the year, scuttling along the low shore in the Devil’s Kitchen, as well as an amazing diversity of migrants throughout, including a total of seven Whimbrel, a lone female Sparrowhawk, the Jackdaw gang again in the Helicopter (Tent) Field, 149 Swallow, 112 Sand Martin, 21 House Martin, two Swift over the Village, a fly-over Tree Pipit, nine White Wagtails (which included a flock of seven in Brick Field), a male Yellow Wagtail in Barton Field, a male and female Redstart, a single Spotted Flycatcher above the Gas Shed, 19 Sedge Warbler, 57 Willow Warbler, 39 Blackcap, 14 Whitethroat, two Garden Warbler, three Chiffchaff, a single Lesser Whitethroat, one Goldcrest (a ringed female which has been present on the island since 18th Apr) and a small number of migrant Wheatear and Linnet.

Common Sandpipe, Devil's Kitchen, 26 Apr © Dean Jones

Female Redstart, Terrace, 26 Apr © Dean Jones

Among 57 birds ringed were (retraps shown in brackets): 19 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 12 Blackcap, 13 Sedge Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, (1) Goldcrest, 1 Redstart, 1 Blackbird and 1 Goldfinch.

One of 13 Sedge Warblers ringed, 26 Apr © Dean Jones

Lesser Whitethroat, Millcombe, 26 Apr © Dean Jones

Non-avian sightings included at least 15 male Emperor Moths on the wing between Quarter and Halfway Walls.

27th April

A morning of thick sea-mist again, which burnt off by 08:00, with sunshine for the rest of the morning but becoming overcast in the afternoon; next to no wind throughout.

The much-loved MS Oldenburg arrives back from dry dock with lots of goodies
(especially chocolate!) for the islanders, 27 Apr © DeanJones

Another eventful day of migrants with two Wood Warbler – the first of the spring – taking the title of star birds!

Above and below: Wood Warbler, Lower East Side Path, 27 Apr © Dean Jones

Other birds of note included three Whimbrel, the Jackdaw gang again on the roof of Old House South first thing, a Cuckoo at Halfway Wall being ferociously mobbed by Meadow Pipits, a male Kestrel, five Woodpigeon, 83 Swallow, 68 Sand Martin, 19 House Martin, three Swift, 29 Willow Warbler, two Chiffchaff, 19 Blackcap, two Whitethroat, nine Sedge Warbler, two Reed Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, a single Goldcrest, three Spotted Flycatcher, two Yellow Wagtail, two White Wagtail, three Stonechat and a small push of Wheatear and Linnet.

Cuckoo, Halfway Wall, 27 Apr © Dean Jones

Twenty-one birds were ringed: 5 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 9 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap and a Wren.

Non-avian news included 14 male Emperor Moths on the wing, the first Green Tiger Beetle of the year (Rosie Ellis) and a Barrel Jellyfish in Threequarter Wall Bay.

Lundy is currently closed to visitors. The latest Covid-19 update from the Landmark Trust can be found here.

21st to 23rd Apr – Whinchats, Whimbrels and warblers (but not quite a Spectacled Warbler!)

April 21st

Overcast with one or two sunny spells and a strong easterly wind for most – slackening somewhat in the late afternoon.

A very quiet bird day today due to the winds – again most birds were found low down on the west cliffs, thick scrub on the east and in the lee of drystone walls.

Highlights included a decent passage of Swallow throughout the afternoon, despite the winds. Here, 120 birds were recorded pushing north, along with smaller numbers of House Martin (10) and Sand Martin (6).

Other migrants included a White Wagtail on High Street track, a handsome male Ring Ouzel next to Old Light, eight Blackcap, singles of Whitethroat and Willow Warbler and a small movement of Goldfinch and Linnet along the west in the afternoon.

White Wagtail, High Street track, 21st Apr © Dean Jones

April 22nd

Another very windy day, particularly in the morning, easing by the evening. Lots of sunshine (though still rather chilly due to the easterly winds) and clear skies throughout.

Despite Millcombe resembling a tree-lined wind tunnel first thing, there were a few newly arrived migrants sheltering and foraging within the Blackthorn in the lee of the Ugly. These included the second Reed Warbler of the year, a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, four Whitethroat, a female Ring Ouzel and a handful of Blackcap, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff. 

On the more sheltered west coast, hirundines once again stole the show with hourly counts of  over 530 Swallow, 30 Sand Martin and 34 House Martin zooming north from around 12:00 onwards.

Other migrants of note included 41 Wheatears – among them at least six Greenland race birds, a stunning male Whinchat sheltering behind the wall on route to the Old Light, a fly-over Tree Pipit in South West Field, a fly-by Yellow Wagtail in Jenny’s Cove, a lone Whimbrel in lower Lighthouse Field, a Ringed Plover on Ackland’s Moor and the first Siskin of the year, calling over Millcombe in the evening.

Male Whinchat, Old Light track, 22nd Apr © Dean Jones

There have been lots of handsome male Linnets singing in South West Field throughout this period,
22nd Apr © Dean Jones

One other bird that's worthy of mention was a very unusual looking Whitethroat in the scrub near the ‘Steps of Doom’. At first glance – as the bird's small dark head popped out from the undergrowth – Zoë Barton and myself thought we had found a nice Lesser Whitethroat. After a few seconds however the bird then revealed itself further, displaying a chestnutty colouration to its wings and a chestnut-brown back, similar to that of a Common Whitethroat.

Alarm bells then started to ring as I realised I was potentially looking at something unusual, as I couldn’t recall ever seeing such a small Common Whitethroat (a female Whitethroat nearby enabled a size comparison) with such a dark head colouration. The bird was very restless, jumping around the scrub in search of a meal in a rather frantic fashion, but luckily we managed to take a few record shots (see below) to help with identification.

Common Whitethroat – note the dark head colouration, 'Steps of Doom',
22nd Apr © Dean Jones

Common Whitethroat, 'Steps of Doom', 22nd Apr © Dean Jones

Common Whitethroat, 'Steps of Doom', 22nd Apr © Dean Jones

Common Whitethroat, 'Steps of Doom', 22nd Apr © Dean Jones

As you can see from the images, the colouration, particularly the head pattern, somewhat resembles a Spectacled Warbler (even more so in the field), a species which we were considering when watching the bird. Upon closer inspection however, you can see that this bird has a long primary projection compared to its tertial length (Spectacled Warbler should only be a third of the length, and Whitethroat more than half), dark centred greater coverts (though this wasn’t always obvious as you can see from some of the images – again resembling Spectacled Warbler), and was an all-round (bill, underparts and legs) duller bird than you would expect for a male Spectacled Warbler in breeding plumage.

Despite the bird not turning out to be a potential mega for the island and for the county [only one previous Spectacled Warbler, on Dartmoor in June 1999], this Whitethroat was an interesting bird nonetheless. I later shared these images with a number of friends and all agreed that they had never seen a Whitethroat quite like this one – thus I thought I would share the experience here. It just goes to shows that there is always something new to learn and see – even with familiar species!

April 23rd

A beautifully sunny and clear day, with strong and chilly easterly winds in the morning dropping to nothing by the late afternoon.

Highlights included the first three Spotted Flycatcher of the year (all in Millcombe) and a fantastic variety of other migrants including a Curlew (the first of the spring also), two Whimbrel, two female Pied Flycatcher, a stunning male Redstart, 18 Willow Warbler, three Chiffchaff, 32 Blackcap, eight Whitethroat, a single Garden Warbler, five Sedge Warbler, 46 Wheatear (of which there were at least nine Greenland birds), a female Whinchat on the Pointless Wall, two Song Thrush and a Reed Bunting in Millcombe.

Spotted Flycatcher, Millcombe, 23rd Apr © Dean Jones

Female Pied Flycatcher (and below), High Street, 23rd Apr © Dean Jones

This lady was very happy to have lots of photos taken of her © Dean Jones

Sedge Warbler, Terrace, 23rd Apr © Dean Jones

Hirundines also put in another great show with 780 Swallow, 130 Sand Martin and 11 House Martin logged.

17th to 20th Apr – More 'firsts' for the year, including Cuckoo & Swift

17th April

A day of strong easterly winds, frequent showers – particularly in the late morning – and a few spells of heavy rain. The first drop of rain in nearly four weeks!

Unsurprisingly, due to the poor weather conditions, it was a rather quiet day on the Lundy bird front. There was very little shelter for anything along the east coast, so most of the birds logged were from sheltered spots along the west coast. These included a fine male Pied Flycatcher and a Ring Ouzel in Jenny’s Cove, a single Whitethroat and Redstart feeding within the boulders down on The Battery slope, a lone Grasshopper Warbler reeling in in the brambles at the top of the 'Steps of Doom', small numbers of Swallow low on the west cliffs, two Song Thrush and the female Merlin with a Wheatear in its talons at Quarter Wall.

A Dunnock serenading from his windswept perch along the Upper East Side Path, 17 Apr © Dean Jones

The escaped Black Kite from yesterday was seen again this afternoon, battling through the strong winds and hordes of upset gulls in Jenny’s Cove, and later seen over the Village by Sue Waterfield.

18th April

A windy and cold start to the day, warming up in the afternoon as the wind speed eased and the skies cleared.

Birding highlights included the reappearance of the female Hawfinch (on Sue Waterfield’s feeders!), and the first Lesser Whitethroat and Cuckoo of the year – both seen on the Terrace.

The year's first Cuckoo, Terrace Quarry willows, 18 Apr © Dean Jones

Other migrants included three Whimbrel, 42 Swallow, singles of House and Sand Martin, two female Redstart, a fly-over Tree Pipit, three Grasshopper Warblers, five Sedge Warblers, five Whitethroat, 18 Blackcap, 44 Willow Warbler (including one very grey, pale acredula type bird), three Chiffchaff, 40 Wheatear (including three candidates for the Greenland race leucorhoa), four Ring Ouzel, three Song Thrush and 71 Linnet.

Ringing totals from a brief afternoon's ringing included: Whitethroat 2, Sedge Warbler 2, Blackcap 3, Willow Warbler 5, Blackbird 1, Goldcrest 1 and Goldfinch 1.

Non-avian sightings included the first two Lundy Cabbage plants in bloom in Smelly Gully.

19th April

Light easterly winds for the first few hours, picking up again around 10:00, short-lived spells of fog on top of the island first thing, becoming sunny and clear by the late morning.

Another glorious sunrise, Millcombe, 19 Apr © Dean Jones

It was another fantastic day for migrants on the island with four new species making their way onto the year list. The first of these came in the form of a Reed Warbler in the shelf of a mist-net first thing – a bird which was already sporting a BTO ring from somewhere else in the UK! Update: This bird was originally ringed at Nanjizal, Land's End, Cornwall on 8th July 2019.

More firsts included a Swift over Battery Slope in the afternoon, a Garden Warbler which was caught and ringed in the Secret Garden, and two Whinchats in South West Field.

Male Whinchat, South West Field, 19 Apr © Dean Jones

It was another decent day for hirundine passage with at least 429 Swallow, nine House Martin and 33 Sand Martins passing north throughout the day.

Other migrants included a Whimbrel in the Landing Bay, a stunning male Redstart caught and ringed in Millcombe, a fly-over Tree Pipit, four Grasshopper Warblers, nine Whitethroat, 30 Blackcap, 45 Willow Warbler, four Chiffchaff, 30 Wheatear (including two candidates for the Greenland race leucorhoa), a female Ring Ouzel in St John's Valley, three Song Thrush (which includes at least two nominate philomelos-raced birds) and 73 Linnet.

Ringing totals (retraps in brackets): Reed Warbler (1), Whitethroat 1, Garden Warbler 1, Grasshopper Warbler 1, Sedge Warbler 1, Blackcap 5, Willow Warbler 9, Chiffchaff 1, Redstart 1, Dunnock (1), Chaffinch 1 and Goldfinch 1.

The first Garden Warbler of the year, caught in
the Secret Garden, 19 Apr © Zoë Barton

Grasshopper Warbler, Millcombe, 20 Apr © Zoë Barton

Male Redstart, Millcombe, 19 Apr © Zoë Barton

Non-avian news included the first Red Admiral of the year, basking on the Terrace, and a number of newly emerged sundew plants.

The first Red Admiral of the spring, Terrace, 19 Apr © Dean Jones

20th April

A beautiful sunny spring day, though very windy – more so in the afternoon.

A quiet bird day due to the hefty easterly winds, conditions again which had most of the birds hiding out of sight in dense scrub/tussocks or low down on the West Side cliffs.

Best of the bunch today included a Rook – the first of the year – in the upper Aerogenerator Field, a female Ring Ouzel in St John’s Valley for her second day, a handful of Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Swallow, Sand Martin and House Martin, and singles of Chiffchaff and Goldcrest.

Female Ring Ouzel, St John's Valley, 20 Apr © Dean Jones

Lundy is currently closed to visitors as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The latest update from the Landmark Trust, dated 14 April, can be found here.