5th & 6th June – Mass fledging from the 'Starling Factory'

The continued fine, dry weather and light, predominantly north-easterly winds have been ideal for enabling the surveys of Manx Shearwater burrows and nesting large gulls to continue apace. One of the team members found a colour-ringed Oystercatcher on 6th; it will be fascinating to see what the ringing details reveal, once available.

Migration has pretty much come to an end, with just a single Swift on 5th and none at all on 6th, whilst Spotted Flycatchers were only present in ones and twos, contrasting with double digits at the start of the month. A dozen-or-so late Swallows, a singing Chiffchaff on the western sidelands at the Old Light Shearwater colony, and two House Martins heading north off North Light, provided the only evidence of ongoing movement.

The Lundy 'Starling Factory' has been in full swing, with a mass fledging from nests around the village, farm and Old Light, particularly on 6th, when 22 fledglings were lined up on the Lambing Shed door. A survey a few days ago revealed 39 active nests, but as a couple of broods had already fledged, it's safe to say that this year's population was in excess of 40 breeding pairs – the highest of recent times.

Two female Cuckoos were seen on 6th – one staking out Meadow Pipit nests at Quarter Wall and one at Threequarter Wall. Finally, there was a female Teal with a brood of six small ducklings on Pondsbury on 6th.

The Starling Factory production line – 6th June © Tim Jones