Wednesday, 2 October 2013
Sea fog for a whole week hid Lundy from migrants
A team of ringers on Lundy from 21-28 September, led by Chris Dee struggled to catch as many birds as would be usual at this time of year, despite calm conditions. Persistant sea fog and light south-easterly winds for almost the entire week meant very little diurnal migration of Swallows or Meadow Pipits, or if they were migrating they couldn't find Lundy. Highlight of the week was the Wryneck (not trapped) in upper Millcombe and up to two Whinchat in St John's Valley and around the church. Water Rails were vocal in St John's and smelly gully. Four Firecrests were ringed along with three Grasshopper Warblers, and singles of Redstart, Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler. The House Sparrows seemed to be spending more time in Millcombe than in recent years and Wrens seemed to have had a good breeding season.
Thursday, 26 September 2013
First Firecrests of autumn and a Wryneck
Chris Dee, who has been ringing on Lundy since Saturday, reported yesterday, 25th September, that he had trapped three Firecrests to date and that a Wryneck had been seen on 24th & 25th (also reported by Beccy MacDonald on 25th). Commoner migrants, however, had been quite thin on the ground, with even Swallow numbers quite low, in contrast with the strong passage reported from parts of the Devon mainland early this week.
Friday, 6 September 2013
Shearwaters thrive...and some rarities drop in!
Tony Taylor reports that from 24th August to 3rd September, he and Richard and Rebecca Taylor were on the island, "...primarily shearwatering but we did some daytime birding too. The Manx Shearwater work was very successful, with 200 chicks and 52 adults ringed, plus lots of interesting retraps (highlight was one I had ringed as a chick in 2005, when we ringed just 7 birds in total). Yet another year when there have been very noticeably more shearwaters than on the previous year's ringing trip. The crossing on the 24th included 1,000 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Storm Petrel, and 2 Great Skuas. A possible Wryneck was reported on 24th and Rich saw one later in Millcombe (on 26th I think). Rich also ringed an Icterine Warbler in Millcombe on 3rd September (after the boat had already left for Ilfracombe, meaning that day visitors did not have the chance to see it). Not many migrants about: Willow Warblers commonest, with a few Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, one or two Redstarts, Whinchats, Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs."
Other recent news from wardens Beccy and Aislinn is of a Little Egret around the Landing Bay on 21st August and a Pectoral Sandpiper near the dung heap by the Main Track on 4th & 5th September – see the Lundy Conservation Team's Facebook page for photos.
Other recent news from wardens Beccy and Aislinn is of a Little Egret around the Landing Bay on 21st August and a Pectoral Sandpiper near the dung heap by the Main Track on 4th & 5th September – see the Lundy Conservation Team's Facebook page for photos.
Monday, 22 July 2013
Day trip Saturday 20 July
An extended day trip. Hot and sunny, with the gusty easterly breeze being pleasantly refreshing for a change – in contrast to the bone-chilling easterlies we have so often experienced on Lundy! On the crossing, hundreds of Manx Shearwaters feeding close to the mainland off Morte Point, plus three Puffins about half-a-mile out from the island. We completed coverage of Lundy for the Devon Bird Atlas with a one-hour Timed Tetrad Visit from the Landing Bay up to the Castle, accompanied by Seasonal Assistant Warden Aislinn Mottahedin-Fardo. After completing the TTV we walked along the West Side to Threequarter Wall and back S along the main track and Terrace. At least 50 Puffins in Jenny's Cove (up to 35 on land) and 30 at St Philip's Stone. Several hundred Guillemots still on the ledges at Jenny's. Several Kittiwake chicks about to fledge, with well-developed juvenile plumage and lots of energetic wing-exercising (how do they not fall off?!). There was a trickle of "autumn" (!) migration already, with nine Swifts and five Sand Martins passing through. We didn't get to Pondsbury, but other visitors reported a Green Sandpiper there. Among the breeding landbirds, an adult Pied Wagtail was feeding two well-grown juveniles in Lower Millcombe, a very juvenile Goldfinch with adults in St John's Valley, several family parties of Linnets (particularly in Middle Park), a Meadow Pipit carrying food to a nest site near Hanmers, and a singing Chiffchaff in Millcombe. Butterflies included: 4 Graylings (West Side and the Ugly), 350+ Meadow Browns, 6 Red Admirals, 5 Small Tortoiseshells and 20 Large Whites. Also about 20 male Oak Eggar moths, a few burnet moths (Five-spotted?) whizzing by at high speed and one very smart Rosechafer beetle. Tim Davis & Tim Jones
Monday, 15 July 2013
Lundy puffling 2013
Just 3 guillemot chicks and one egg left on my survey ledge. But I did see a puffin chick this morning.
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Two guillemot chicks fledged
Two chicks have fledged. Eleanor jumped on Thursday night.
Qawser jumped on Saturday night.
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| Eleanor on Thursday morning... |
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| ... and not there Saturday morning. |
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| Qawser on Saturday morning |
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| ... and her mother with a fish this morning. |
Thursday, 4 July 2013
Two new guillemot chicks have hatched, but one chick was lost.
Highlights: 180 puffins seen on one day. Another 29 guillemot feeds during 5 mornings of observation.
Busy times over the last few days. The Splash-in underwater photography competition was a great success last Saturday. We had Baz & Steve Dambusker and friends playing music in the Marisco Tavern on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Despite this, I still managed to record 2 hours of guillemot feeding on Thu 27th, Fri 28th, Sun 30th, Mon 1st, Tues 2nd, Wed 3rd. Each hour of video requires an hour to upload to my laptop, plus another hour to convert the file into an mpeg2 file.
However this morning is still foggy, so I'll grab this opportunity to give you an update on the last week's activity.
Wednesday 26/6/13. The trip around the island on the Jessica Hettie was very successful - Shelley counted 56 puffins on the water.
Thursday 27/6/13. The guillemot chicks received 6 feeds, 2 feeds each for chicks E (Eleanor) and S (Stanley), also single feeds for chicks H (Harman) and Q (Qawser). The other four chicks were seen: B (Bevill), C (Christie), I (Irwin) and N (Neville).
This was also a good day for puffins. I counted 53 puffins on the land at St Philip's Stone at 8am, plus 104 puffins on the land at Jenny's Cove at 9am. Alan Rowland was also on the island and counted 23 puffins at Long Roost at 1pm.
Friday 28/6/13. Eight feeds today: Eleanor received 3 feeds, Harman received 2 feeds, with single feeds for Christie, Irwin and Qawser. No feeds seen for Bevill, Neville, or Stanley. It was foggy for 20 minutes during my survey. Fortunately Sony Vegas was able to stretch the light levels so that I still had the full 2 hour coverage. No birds arrived during the fog.
Saturday 29/6/13. Splash-in.
Sunday 30/6/13. Foggy in the morning but I managed to get out at midday. 62 puffins on the land at St Philip's Stone at 1:40pm. 4 feeds were seen (Christie, Eleanor, Qawser and Stanley) and four other chicks were seen Bevill, Harman, Irwin and Neville.
Monday 1/7/13. Another chick has hatched! When I first arrived, the adult at site G was tenting its wings. There were also small pieces of egg-shell on the ledge. Later on, I managed to catch a glimpse of the new chick "Grenville". There were five feeds in my 2 hour watch today - Bevill, Christie, Eleanor, Harman and Irwin received feeds - Grenville, Neville, Qawser and Stanley were feedless.
Tuesday 2/7/13. Six feeds today. I thought that this would be a exceptional morning - I saw 5 feeds in the first hour, but then I sat through 40 minutes of rain with no feeds. Irwin received 2 feeds, Bevill, Grenville, Harman and Stanley all received one feed each. Christie, Eleanor, Neville and Qawser were also present.
Wednesday 3/7/13. Neville has gone. Both parents were at site N this morning but there was no sign of Neville. At 16 days old, Neville would have been capable of "fledging" but the presence of both parents means that either predation or bad communication was responsible.
In guillemots, the chick jumps to the sea before it can fly (giving them the name 'droplings'). The male parent accompanies the chick for the first two months of its life at sea. During this time, the chick learns to fish for itself and the adult is flightless during its moult. Jeremy Greenwood studied the fledging of Lundy's guillemots in July 1962. With a fuller study on Handa (Sutherland, Scotland) he concluded the most fledging deaths result from chick and adult failing to meet each other on the sea. (Greenwood, 1964, Ibis 106, pp.469-481).
On the positive side, another chick hatched today. Chick R (Rene) received a feed. There were 7 other feeds: Eleanor and Harman each received 2 feeds, and there were singles feeds for Bevill, Grenville, and Irwin. Christie, Qawser and Stanley were also seen today.
The weather forecast is looking good for the next few days - I'll try to keep you updated. More chicks should be fledging...
Busy times over the last few days. The Splash-in underwater photography competition was a great success last Saturday. We had Baz & Steve Dambusker and friends playing music in the Marisco Tavern on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Despite this, I still managed to record 2 hours of guillemot feeding on Thu 27th, Fri 28th, Sun 30th, Mon 1st, Tues 2nd, Wed 3rd. Each hour of video requires an hour to upload to my laptop, plus another hour to convert the file into an mpeg2 file.
However this morning is still foggy, so I'll grab this opportunity to give you an update on the last week's activity.
Wednesday 26/6/13. The trip around the island on the Jessica Hettie was very successful - Shelley counted 56 puffins on the water.
Thursday 27/6/13. The guillemot chicks received 6 feeds, 2 feeds each for chicks E (Eleanor) and S (Stanley), also single feeds for chicks H (Harman) and Q (Qawser). The other four chicks were seen: B (Bevill), C (Christie), I (Irwin) and N (Neville).
This was also a good day for puffins. I counted 53 puffins on the land at St Philip's Stone at 8am, plus 104 puffins on the land at Jenny's Cove at 9am. Alan Rowland was also on the island and counted 23 puffins at Long Roost at 1pm.
Friday 28/6/13. Eight feeds today: Eleanor received 3 feeds, Harman received 2 feeds, with single feeds for Christie, Irwin and Qawser. No feeds seen for Bevill, Neville, or Stanley. It was foggy for 20 minutes during my survey. Fortunately Sony Vegas was able to stretch the light levels so that I still had the full 2 hour coverage. No birds arrived during the fog.
Saturday 29/6/13. Splash-in.
Sunday 30/6/13. Foggy in the morning but I managed to get out at midday. 62 puffins on the land at St Philip's Stone at 1:40pm. 4 feeds were seen (Christie, Eleanor, Qawser and Stanley) and four other chicks were seen Bevill, Harman, Irwin and Neville.
Monday 1/7/13. Another chick has hatched! When I first arrived, the adult at site G was tenting its wings. There were also small pieces of egg-shell on the ledge. Later on, I managed to catch a glimpse of the new chick "Grenville". There were five feeds in my 2 hour watch today - Bevill, Christie, Eleanor, Harman and Irwin received feeds - Grenville, Neville, Qawser and Stanley were feedless.
Tuesday 2/7/13. Six feeds today. I thought that this would be a exceptional morning - I saw 5 feeds in the first hour, but then I sat through 40 minutes of rain with no feeds. Irwin received 2 feeds, Bevill, Grenville, Harman and Stanley all received one feed each. Christie, Eleanor, Neville and Qawser were also present.
Wednesday 3/7/13. Neville has gone. Both parents were at site N this morning but there was no sign of Neville. At 16 days old, Neville would have been capable of "fledging" but the presence of both parents means that either predation or bad communication was responsible.
In guillemots, the chick jumps to the sea before it can fly (giving them the name 'droplings'). The male parent accompanies the chick for the first two months of its life at sea. During this time, the chick learns to fish for itself and the adult is flightless during its moult. Jeremy Greenwood studied the fledging of Lundy's guillemots in July 1962. With a fuller study on Handa (Sutherland, Scotland) he concluded the most fledging deaths result from chick and adult failing to meet each other on the sea. (Greenwood, 1964, Ibis 106, pp.469-481).
On the positive side, another chick hatched today. Chick R (Rene) received a feed. There were 7 other feeds: Eleanor and Harman each received 2 feeds, and there were singles feeds for Bevill, Grenville, and Irwin. Christie, Qawser and Stanley were also seen today.
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| Rene's first feed |
The weather forecast is looking good for the next few days - I'll try to keep you updated. More chicks should be fledging...
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