Our last two days on the island for this trip... The 15th saw the
Stock Dove,
Grey Heron and two male
Cuckoos remaining on the island, a
Cormorant (surprisingly scarce on Lundy) and a handful of
Swallows (15),
House Martins (4) and
Swifts (7) passing through, and the female
Teal still accompanied by four ducklings. A female
Mallard led a late brood of freshly hatched ducklings past the helipad just before dusk on 15th. We did not see the
Rose-coloured Starling again (note photo below is from 14th), but did not search thoroughly for it. Good numbers of
Red Admirals and
Painted Ladies were seen once again, with totals of 51 and 48 respectively entered in the log. Also a
Hummingbird Hawk-moth near Stoneycroft.
Moth-trapping on the night of 15th/16th brought an interesting array of species, including an
L-album Wainscot, two
Northern Rustics,
Mullein Wave and, surprisingly, a
Red Admiral, suggesting that some migrant butterflies are still active at night. Eight
Common Dolphins were close in off the South End during the evening of 15th, with a few attendant
Gannets and
Kittiwakes.
On 16th, both
Cuckoos were still around the Millcombe/St John's area. Also in Millcombe were a sub-singing male, possibly territorial,
Blackcap, a
Spotted Flycatcher and a
Chiffchaff gathering nesting material, while a
Sedge Warbler was sub-singing at the mouth of 'Smelly Gully'. The
Stock Dove was still around the Farm. At Jenny's Cove there were not many
Puffins to be seen on either land or water, but two
Swallows whipped through, showing that some migrants are still heading north, while others, such as non-/failed breeding waders, will be heading back south any day... A few 'record shots' follow below.
Tim Davis & Tim Jones
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| Rose-coloured and Common Starlings on top of Church at sunset |
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| Cuckoo at St John's Valley crossroads |
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| Grey Heron at Quarry Pond |
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| Mallard with brood near helipad |
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| Stock Dove in Tillage Field |
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