About this page...


You're now viewing the old Lundy Bird Observatory blogspot. Explore the new website for all your favourite island news and wildlife updates. If you have sightings to report, please consider sharing your observations or photographs with the Bird Obs team here.

Sunday 17 October 2021

17th Oct – Lundy's 2nd record of Great White Egret and 12th Dartford Warbler

Another remarkable day of visible migration combined with Lundy rarities, including the island's second record of Great White Egret, a Dartford Warbler, 12 Crossbills, and a Lapland Bunting.
 
The egret was flying south off the East Side mid-morning and headed SSE over Rat Island and Surf Point before veering more south-westerly past South Light and the Castle.
 
Distant record shot of the Great White Egret © Tim Jones
 
The Dartford Warbler (the 12th for Lundy) was in gorse clumps along the western end of Quarter Wall, about 75m W of the Airfield, whilst the Lapland Bunting was calling over the Airfield and Pondsbury, and the Crossbills flew south over Millcombe at lunchtime.
 
Visible migration was negligible post dawn, but got going during the day, with Chaffinch and Siskin flocks particularly prominent during the late morning and early afternoon. Totals logged were 400 and 500 respectively – the highest of the autumn so far. Also notable were: two Teal, three Golden Plover, 6 Common Snipe, a Merlin, two Kestrels, 15 Ravens, 25 Swallow, a Garden Warbler, the long-staying Common Whitethroat, two Firecrest, a Common Redstart, two Black Redstart, 30 Redwing, a Mistle Thrush, a Ring Ouzel, a Spotted Flycatcher, three Bramblings, and a Reed Bunting. Offshore, there was much more seabird action than in recent days, with feeeding flocks of 500 Kittiwake and 300 Herring Gull, amongst which were 12 Mediterranean Gull, two Common Gull and a Black-headed Gull. Also noted were 350 auk sp. and two pale-morph Arctic Skuas, both of which seemed intent on south-westward migration, not bothering to stop and harass the Kittiwakes.
 
Redwing, Millcombe Pond, 17 Oct © Richard Campey

Ringing total 54 comprising: 6 Blackcap, 1 Redwing, 1 Blackbird, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Chaffinch and 44 Siskin.
 
Observations contributed by: Chris & Carol Baillie, Richard Campey, Tim Davis, James Diamond, Rob Duncan, Andy Jayne and Tim Jones.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment