Unsettled weather, with showers and longer spells of rain at the end of March gave way to predominantly dry and often sunny conditions during the first ten days of April, with high pressure ruling the roost. Clear skies brought frequently sunny days to the island, but chilly nights (alongside a waxing moon, full on 11th), whilst daytime temperatures were pegged back by winds mainly from the north and west, though there was a short-lived incursion of warmer, continental air during the weekend of 8/9 April. There was another Osprey on 2nd, an influx of Swallows on 6th & 7th, a modest arrival of 20 Willow Warblers on 7th, and first records for the year of single Sandwich Tern (1st), Common Redstart (9th) and Grasshopper Warbler (8th). In general though, visible migration was sluggish, as is often the case in fine weather, when birds tend to overfly Lundy having little need to make landfall on a remote island. Having said that, it is still early in the season and many summer migrants are yet to reach Britain in significant numbers. Lingering winter birds included Great Northern Diver, Red-necked Grebe and the odd Redwing.
Great Northern Diver: One on 1st.
Red-necked Grebe: The overwintering bird was still in the Landing Bay on 30th (Dean Jones), but then looked like it might have commenced its spring migration as there were no reports during the first week of Apr. Confounding any such assumptions, the bird was again in the Landing Bay, off the Sugar Loaf, on 9 Apr (Dean Jones & Zoë Barton).
Fulmar: Max 153 on 31st.
Manx Shearwater: Max 300, flying west off North Light on 1st (Martin Thorne).
Gannet: Max 10 on 1st.
Cormorant: Six flying north on 6th.
Sparrowhawk: A male on 31st.
Osprey: One moving rapidly north-east off the Terrace on 2nd; the second of the spring so far (Solomon Gilbert).
Snipe: Three on 31st and one on 7th.
Kittiwake: Max 137 on 31st.
Black-headed Gull: An adult in the Landing Bay on 28th (Kevin Welsh) and four reported on 3rd.
Sandwich Tern: One on 1st was the first of the year.
Puffin: Max 97 on 29th (of which 77 prospecting on land) and 60+ in Jenny's Cove on 1st.
Guillemot: Max 1,212 on 29th.
Woodpigeon: Max five on 7th.
Sand Martin: Records on six dates; max 16 on 1st and 20 on 7th.
Swallow: Records on seven dates; max 78 on 6th and 100 on 7th.
House Martin: Three on 31st was the only record.
Pied Wagtail: Max six on 8th.
White Wagtail: Two on 31st.
Robin: A bird was carrying nesting material in Millcombe on 7th.
Black Redstart: Records on six dates, with a female-type on 31st, 2m + 1f on 1st, 1f 6th-8th and 1m on 9th.
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| Black Redstart © Dean Jones |
Common Redstart: A single male on gorse near the Rocket Pole on 9th was the first of the spring (Dean Jones & Zoë Barton).
Wheatear: Max 25 on 1st and 21 on 9th; several more colour-rings were read.
Redwing: Singles on 31st and 7th (latter in Millcombe).
Song Thrush: Three on 31st but no Apr records so far.
Blackcap: Ones and twos on six dates, plus the max of five on 3rd.
Grasshopper Warbler: One reeling from cover in St John's Valley on 8th was the first of the spring.
Willow Warbler: Records for six dates, with a max of 20 on 7th.
Chiffchaff: Records for five dates, with a max of seven on 1st & 7th.
Goldcrest: Records on three dates, with a max of three on 7th.
Linnet: Max 11 on 6th.
Goldfinch: Max 10 on 31st and 13 on 6th.
Invertebrate records have included a Black Oil Beetle (3rd), 11 Dor Beetles and 3 Minotaur Beetles (5th); the first Peacock (6th) and Green-veined White (8th) butterflies of the year; and two Diamond-back Moths (9th).
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