20th to 26th May – Two rarities, continued northward migration & news of breeding birds

 Highlights of the past week have included:

• A Woodchat Shrike along the Lower East Side Path below Tibbetts on Thursday 25th.
• A Little Egret (Lundy rarity – see record shot below) in the Landing Bay on Tuesday 23rd as MS Oldenburg was leaving.
• Confirmation of successful breeding by Teal for the third year running.
• An extremely good night for Manx Shearwaters on 22nd/23rd, with numerous calling birds over Millcombe and St John's Valley and more than 50 handled in the study colony north of Old Light, including three individuals ringed as chicks on Lundy in 2009 and 2013. One of the Manx Shearwater nestboxes checked on 26th contained an incubating bird.
• Three immature Cormorants thermalling off North East Point before heading for the Welsh coast on 21st.
• One or two Whimbrels on several dates and a breeding-plumaged Golden Plover on 21st & 22nd.
• Continuing northward passage of hirundines (especially on 21st), Swifts, Spotted Flycatchers (peaking at 7 on 22nd) and a handful of warblers, among them two Sedge Warblers and several Chiffchaffs, the latter including two mist-netted birds with prominent pollen 'horns' suggesting that they were recently arrived from habitats well to the south of the UK.
• A Hobby over South West Field and along the West Side on 21st.
• An influx of seven Collared Doves on 22nd.
• Further sightings of colour-ringed Wheatears, bringing to 30 the total number of birds ringed in previous years and re-sighted during 2017.
• Evidence of at least one territorial Water Rail, with persistent calling at night.
• House Martins visiting crevices on the eastern side of Old House; landing but no sign of nest building as yet.
• A pair of nest-building Chiffchaffs and potentially territorial Blackcap, Whitethroat and Willow Warbler (though no females of these species were recorded).
• 40+ singing Wrens holding territory around the island, including at the North Light and along the West Side.
• Evidence of a particularly good breeding season for the island's Blackbirds (at least 12 pairs) and Robins (up to 8 pairs).
• Dunnocks feeding young in Millcombe.
• Two to three breeding pairs of Pied Wagtail, perhaps four or more pairs of Goldfinch, three Chaffinch territories and Linnets gathering nest material.

Compiled from observations by Ryan Burrell, André & Marie Jo Coutanche, Tim Davis, Chris Dee, Paul & Sue James, Dean Jones, Mike Jones, Tim Jones, Seb Loram, Alan & Sandra Rowland, Ann & Tony Taylor.

 Little Egret, Landing Bay, 23rd May. © Alan Rowland