Friday 17th, Tony Taylor's last day on this particular visit, saw a clear, chilly dawn, following the passage of a cold front from the north on Thursday afternoon, with plenty of the birds on the move. Totals for the day were: Merlin 1, Peregrine 2, Skylark 4, Starling 1,260 mainly moving south towards Hartland, Fieldfare 14, Song Thrush 4, Redwing 80, Mistle Thrush 2 (scarce on Lundy), Stonechat 2 (m&f), Meadow Pipit 5, Brambling 3, Chaffinch 70, Linnet 3, Siskin 3 and a Snow Bunting flying over the stonecrusher area.
Tony says: "The raptors were very active, with the Merlin targeting feeding flocks of Starlings and Chaffinches around the Lighthouse Field, a female Peregrine making two unsuccessful attempts on Starling flocks, and a pair cooperating to take a thrush-sized bird, eventually caught after diving from flying high up to low on the west side of Castle Hill. Then came a Raven stealing a bird (and plucking it, still alive) from a male Peregrine that had it on the ground in the Tent Field. The Peregrine mobbed the Raven to no avail."
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