10th to 31st Aug – Steady passage of autumn migrants, and a lost bishop!

The island's resident Starlings are now forming big pre-roost flocks around the Village, a handful of Lundy Cabbage flowers hang on from delicate stems as they protrude from clumps of browning bracken, the first Fulmar chicks have left their cosy ledges for a new life on the open sea, and the cries of young gulls along the sidelands have now been replaced by the wails of hauled-out seals ready for the breeding season. The end-of-summer season is blending magically into the start of autumn but summer isn’t going out without a wildlife-filled bang!

 

Weather-wise – from the end of the last post (9th) up until the 21st, Lundy was subjected to some rather prolonged, grey, overcast and wet conditions, with frequent spells of mist and low cloud and, of course, a number of days with strong westerly winds – particularly on the 15th when gusts were just shy of gale force. Thankfully, a much-welcomed spell of high pressure arrived on the night of the 22nd bringing more summer-like conditions up until the 30th. Skies cleared, temperatures rose and the winds turned to the east – ideal conditions for bringing a wonderful diversity and number of southbound migrants to the island.

 

The warm, settled weather over the last week has urged more ants to take to the wing,
including this swarm at South West Point, 26 Aug © Dean Jones

Birding highlights from this period included the Marsh Harrier, which remained on the island from earlier in the month until the 12th at least, mostly seen quartering the slopes and combes in the north-east of the island. However, it did travel further south on the 11th when it was perched upon a recently deceased sheep on Ackland's Moor, being seen by Ash Garfoot from his bathroom window in Old Light Cottage.

 

Record shot of the Marsh Harrier, Ackland's Moor, 11 Aug © Dean Jones

Other star birds included a Wryneck, which found itself in the shelf of a mist-net in Millcombe on the 29th. The second Wood Sandpiper of the year flew low over the Village on the 15th, two Little Egrets (the first of the year) were present together in the Devil’s Kitchen on the evening of the 29th, and adult and young Water Rails were heard calling to one another from Quarter Wall on the 25th – confirming breeding for another year. Nearby, the first Whinchat of the autumn was perched at the end of 'Pointless Wall' (on the northern side of the Airfield) on the same date, with another at Quarter Wall on the 28th, and Spotted Flycatchers started moving through the island from the 23rd, with spectacular numbers on the 26th (24) and 27th (35). Pied Flycatchers too have been arriving in good numbers since the 25th, with higher counts including eight on the 25th, four on the 26th and a super 20 birds on the 27th – though this is still a ways off the record of 100 on 2nd September 1989!

 

Wryneck, Millcombe, 29 Aug © Dean Jones

Whinchat, Brick Field, 28 Aug © Dean Jones

 

Pied Flycatcher, Millcombe, 25 Aug © Dean Jones

Spotted Flycatcher, Brick Field, 28 Aug © Dean Jones

Other south-bound migrants included a juvenile Cuckoo on the 23rd & 24th, single Swifts on four dates, a lone Teal periodically on Brick Field Pond, up to 12 Woodpigeon logged each day, a single Collared Dove singing in Millcombe on the 23rd, lone Cormorants perched on South West Point and South East Point on the 18th and 29th respectively, a Grey Heron over the Beach Road on the 29th, a stunning adult male Merlin perched below the Terrace on the 28th, and up to three Kestrels present daily.

 

A lone Cormorant (left) with Shags, South West Point, 18 Aug © Dean Jones

Waders have also continued to move through, with singles of Curlew logged on the 10th and 12th, the first southbound Whimbrel of the year on Rat Island on the 13th and five in Barton Field on the 19th. One or two Dunlin were logged on seven dates, mostly flyovers apart from a bird at Brick Field Pond on the 23rd, and a single Snipe was logged at Pondsbury, also on the 23rd. A Green Sandpiper flew south past the Landing Bay on the 18th and three were logged overhead on the 31st, two Common Sandpiper were heard calling along the east coast on the 23rd, single Ringed Plovers flew over the island on the 21st and 28th, with two on the 23rd, two Golden Plover were on the Airfield on the 23rd, 24th and 31st, and single flyover Turnstones were logged on the 24th and 31st, whilst another spent two days in the Landing Bay on the 26th & 27th. Finally, a Greenshank flew over the island on the 26th, single Redshanks were logged on the 28th (Pondsbury) and the 30th (Village), and a juvenile Knot dropped into Rocket Pole Pond on the 30th – the first for Lundy since 2018.

 

Dunlin, Brick Field Pond, 18 Aug © Dean Jones

Onto the songbirds, and Willow Warblers continued moving through in good numbers each day, with high counts of 28 on the 12th, 36 on the 16th and at least 70 on the 27th. The first Reed Warblers of the ornithological autumn were logged in the Secret Garden on the 26th, followed by two together in the Government House tree nursery on the 27th. A single Grasshopper Warbler was flushed from St John’s Valley on the 20th, two Garden Warblers were in Millcombe on the 12th, with a single bird on the 26th, and small numbers of Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap and Whitethroat were logged each day – the first of these including a pair feeding a second brood of three chicks in Millcombe on the 21st.

 

Hirundine passage has picked up a bit too over the past few weeks – namely Swallow (max 38 on the 23rd) and Sand Martin (max 25 on the 26th). The first Firecrest of the autumn was in Millcombe pines on the 28th and still present on 31st, accompanied by a single Goldcrest on the 30th and 31st. Two southbound Yellow Wagtails were logged on the mornings of the 27th and 30th, followed by four in Brick Field on the 31st, a single White Wagtail was next to the water tanks on the 31st, and the first southbound Tree Pipits arrived on the 16th and have since been logged on nine days (max six over the Village/Millcombe area on the 28th), along with a small but noticeable increase in Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits across the island. Wheatears too were logged in low double-digit counts most days and the post-breeding Linnet flocks are still growing, particularly in Middle Park where a flock of 170  was seen on the 27th.

 

One of four Yellow Wagtails in Brick Field, with Boris-the-Bull, 31 Aug © Dean Jones

Wheatear ruffled by the easterly breeze, Brick Field, 25 Aug © Dean Jones

Young Linnet, Rocket Pole Pond, 18 Aug © Dean Jones

There have been a few later Goldfinch broods this month too! Millcombe, 28 Aug © Dean Jones

Reports over the radio on the 24th of a bright yellow finch-like bird on the fence of the Lodge garden had members of the Conservation Team running up the hill to investigate. By the time we got there, however, the bird had gone but luckily the finder, Paul Sofield, managed to get some shots of the mystery bird on his mobile phone. As you can see from the record shot below, the bird in question turned out to be a Yellow-crowned Bishop, a species native to numerous African countries south of the Sahara, occurring also in parts of Spain and Portugal where it was accidently introduced.

 

The exotic-looking Yellow-crowned Bishop in the Lodge garden, 24 Aug © Paul Sofield

Despite this bird being of captive origin from an aviary in North Devon, it is incredible that it made the jump over the sea to the island. It just goes to show, you never know what you’re going to find on Lundy! Since the 24th, the bird has taken a liking to South West Field and the Aerogenerator (Lighthouse) Field, where it was seen periodically up until the 31st.

 

Other exciting avian news included a breeding colour-ringed Kittiwake in Jenny’s Cove, found by Eleanor Grover whilst surveying Puffins on the 18th July. FX21721 or orange/red/metal (left leg), red/blue/blue (right leg) was hatched at Pointe du Raz, Plogoff, Finistère, Brittany, France in 2009 and had not been resighted until now. It is highly possible that this bird may have bred at Jenny’s Cove for several years but gone unnoticed until now. Bravo Eleanor!

 

The coming of August not only brings wonderful migrant birds but also numerous Atlantic Grey Seals to the island, as they arrive en masse to give birth in sheltered coves and tucked-away beaches. At the moment the pupping season has been rather slow and late compared to most years, with the first pup arriving on 21st August – nearly four weeks later than the first of 2020. So far we have found four 'white coat' pups; fingers crossed we’ll be finding plenty more in the weeks to come (we found 50 pups in 2020). A full seal count along the east coast on the 11th resulted in a super 244 animals – the highest number of these playful pinnipeds yet to be recorded around Lundy!

 

Atlantic Grey Seals, Mousehole & Trap, 11 Aug © Dean Jones

Nine species of butterfly were noted during this period, including a few Painted Ladies on four dates, a single Gatekeeper on the 25th, and good numbers of Common Blue and Small Heath on a few days – particularly on days with settled weather.

 

Common Blue butterfly, South West Field, 26 Aug © Dean Jones

The Millcombe mothtrap has also provided some exciting finds throughout – including two new species for the island! The first of these came in the form of a Slender Brindle on the 11th, a rather localised species here in the UK where its larvae feed on a range of woodland grasses. The second, a Small Dusky Wave on the 24th, is a much more common and widespread species on the mainland.

 

Another exciting find, on the 13th, was the island's second record of the fabulous-looking Burnished Brass. Again this is a common species on the mainland, but the last to be found on Lundy was 78 years ago in 1943!

 

The first Burnished Brass moth for Lundy since 1943! Millcombe, 13 Aug © Dean Jones

The best of the rest included good numbers of Scarce Footman on the 11th (35), as well as a handful of migrants including Rush Veneer, Silver Y, Dark Sword Grass and Diamond-backed Moth.

 

Report composed of sightings from Dan Brown, Pete Clabburn, Charles Crundwell, Jamie Dunning, Ash & Kobe Garfoot, Eleanor Grover, Dean Jones, Alan Rowland, Chloe Woolfenden and Amanda Yates.

 

Raven hiding from the brisk easterly behind High Street Wall, 25 Aug © Dean Jones

Spotted Flycatcher snoozing in the afternoon sun, 23 Aug © Dean Jones

13th Jul to 9th Aug – A surprise grebe, first warbler falls of autumn, plus three new moths for Lundy

In the midst of a frantically busy summer season, Lundy Warden Dean Jones has made the time to put together another compelling and evocative read for blog aficionados, summing up the latter part of the breeding season for most birds and the start of southbound migration, as well as sharing the latest non-avian wildlife highlights from the island. Thanks Dean for another fantastic round-up!

 

Towering stands of bracken are at present coating the island's east coast, quilts of purple blossoms from flowering heather now lighten up the North End, cries of young gulls echo from the cliff-tops, seals are strewn out along the low shoreline, resting up before the busy breeding season, and fabulous post-breeding flocks of passerines such as Linnet grow with each passing day. Lundy’s busiest part of the summer for visitors has now begun and what a start it has been!
 
Weather-wise, the start of the period was mostly warm, dry and settled (max temp 26°C on 18th) with the winds being light and from the north up until the 17th when they shifted easterly until the 23rd. Things changed again come the 24th, when the weather became more unsettled and very wet. The next two days were then dry and calm before Storm Evert made his way across the Atlantic between the 28th & 30th, bringing with him lots of rain and strong winds (max 56mph gusts on 30th). Post-storm, things then became settled once again, particularly on the 3rd & 4th which were characterised by some lovely warm, sunny conditions, encouraging the first small emergence of flying ants across the island. This is always a very interesting time to be on Lundy, with the island's Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls taking to mimicking Swallows as they hawk for the aerial bonanza. It is always a great time for spotting pods of Common Dolphin close into shore too, as ants on the water’s surface encourage their fishy prey to move closer to shore. From the 5th the winds once again picked up, this time from the west, bringing with them spells of rain and mist which continued to the end of the period.
 

Sunset on flying ant day! 3 Aug © Dean Jones

A Wheatear enjoys the evening light show from the lower Lighthouse Field wall, 3 Aug © Dean Jones

Avian sightings of note included small numbers of Swift on 11 dates (max 16 on the 4th), singles of juvenile Cuckoo in various locations on the 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th & 2nd, a small movement of Woodpigeons was also noted at the end of July (max 12 on 27th), along with a few accompanying Collared Doves on the 23rd, 27th & 30th. Waders were also on the move with singles of Curlew on six dates, a lone Golden Plover on the 16th, singles of Snipe on the 3rd and 5th, two Green Sandpipers over the Village on the 23rd, and another at the bottom of Aztec Bay on the 26th. A Common Sandpiper dropped into the Landing Bay beach on the 7th, and a small number of Dunlin moved through on three dates – e.g. seven past Rat Island on the 5th.

 

Juvenile Cuckoo, 29 Jul © Liz Barrett

Furthermore, the first juvenile Black-headed Gull of the autumn was present in the Landing Bay on the 21st, a young Cormorant flew over the island on the 25th, up to two Grey Herons have been present across eight dates, as well as up to six Kestrels hovering around the island each day – one of which was found eaten by a Peregrine along the Lower East Side Path on the 2nd.
 
On the passerine front, autumn hirundine passage has started to pick up, particularly with regard to Sand Martin (max 32 on the 4th) and Swallow (max 28 on the 5th). Warblers are trickling through most days too, including low single-digit counts of Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat and Blackcap, though Sedge Warbler reached a peak of 17 on the 9th.
 
Willow Warblers too are moving in low double-digit numbers each day, though the island has also seen a number of falls since the last blog post, e.g. 70 birds on 25th, a super 230 on 28th, 73 on 1st, and 210 on  9th.

 

Just one of the juvenile Willow Warbers with which the island was hopping on 28 Jul © Philip Lymbery

Many Willow Warblers have also been caught and ringed over the last week or so, 3 Aug © Dean Jones

Sedge Warbler resting in Millcombe © Philip Lymbery

Small numbers of Sedge Warblers have also been ringed, 3 Aug © Dean Jones

Other birds of note included the first returning Garden Warbler in Millcombe on 2nd of August, singles of Song Thrush on 18th, 19th & 25th of July, and a smattering of Wheatear each day – including a count of  41 on the 4th. Additionally, species such as Linnet have seemingly had a great breeding season, with numerous three-figure counts throughout the period. Up to 34 Goldfinch have been present also and a single Lesser Redpoll flew over the Village on the 15th.

 

Juvenile Wheatear © Liz Barrett

 

The title of star bird however was taken by a stunning summer-plumaged adult Little Grebe in the Landing Bay – a bird which was expertly found by Paul Holt and his family as they made their way down to the Jetty on the 30th. This is only the fifth record of this species for Lundy, the last of which was 21 years ago on July 26th 2000. Bravo Paul!

 

Record shot of the Little Grebe, Landing Bay, 30 Jul © Dean Jones

 

Other highlights have included a female/immature Marsh Harrier over Pondsbury on the 24th – a bird which has remained on the island and has been seen periodically up until the 9th. Additionally, an adult Hobby was logged hunting over Barton/St Helen’s Field on the 23rd, two Balearic Shearwaters (the first of the year) flew past Rat Island on the 7th, a lone Black-tailed Godwit flew south past Rat Island with three Oystercatchers on the 8th, and a noisy Wood Sandpiper flew low over the Jetty area/Rat Island on the 9th. The last record of Wood Sandpiper was, like the Little Grebe, in 2000, so more than two decades ago.

 

Hobby hunting over Barton Field, 23 Jul © Philip Lymbery

Finally, a stunning male Yellow Wagtail was foraging in St Helen’s Field on the 21st, and a female or immature Crossbill pitched down briefly into Millcombe pines on the 24th.

 

Male Yellow Wagtail, St Helen's Field, 21 Jul © Philip Lymbery

 

Meadow Pipit © Philip Lymbery

Out on the cliffs, things have become much quieter now with the departure of the island's breeding auks. Fulmar chicks are still occupying ledges, however, along with small numbers of young gulls, including a handful of Kittiwakes that are seemingly reluctant to fledge in both Aztec Bay and Jenny’s Cove. A visit to the Manx Shearwater nestboxes on the 4th revealed that all six of the incubating pairs recorded at the start of the season now have healthy young chicks inside. Five of these were still very much covered in fluffy grey down, though the chick in box D1 was much further along, looking more like an adult and thus probably thinking of fledging in the next week or so. How time flies!

 

One of the last Puffins of the season – all are now back out at sea for yet another year © Philip Lymbery

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Jenny's Cove, 13 Jul © Dean Jones

 

Some of the Manx Shearwater chicks have grown up fast! 4 Aug © Dean Jones

 

On to the invertebrates! Highlights included the first Migrant Hawker dragonfly of the year at Quarter Wall on 1st August, a male Black-tailed Skimmer at Pondsbury on 2nd (only the second record for the island following a male on 30th June in the same location) and small numbers of Emperor Dragonfly, Common Darter, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Common Blue Damselfly most days.

 

Emperor Dragonfly, Quarter Wall Pond, 14 Jul © Dean Jones

 

There has also been a nice diversity of butterflies on the wing throughout – though all have been logged in relatively small numbers.

 

Clockwise from top left: Small Tortoiseshell, Small Copper, Red Admiral, Painted Lady,
Five-spot Burnet moth, Meadow Brown, 3 Aug © Ben Arkless

 

Common Blue outside the Marisco Tavern, 3 Aug © Dean Jones

 

Other Lepidoptera of note have included three more new moth species for the island. These comprised the micro-moths Pseudargyrotoza conwagana and Gypsonoma dealbana found at 'Rüppell’s Quarry' (south of VC Quarry) on the 13th, and an Amphipoea species of macro-moth (commonly known as 'Ear' moths), which unfortunately could not be narrowed-down to species level without dissection (we decided to let the wee critter go!), in the Paradise Row Heath trap on 3rd August.

 

Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, 'Rüppell's Quarry', 13 Jul © Dean Jones

 

Gypsonoma dealbana, 'Rüppell's Quarry', 13 Jul © Dean Jones

 

Additional moth records of note included the second record of White Plume – found by Alice Waterfield in the Tavern on 28th July – a species last recorded here in 1989. Bravo Alice! Another second record for Lundy was a Tawny Shears caught outside Paradise Row on the 3rd (previously recorded in 2012), along with singles of Silver Y, Rush Veneer and Dark Sword-grass.
 
A huge thank you to everyone who submitted sightings during this period: Liz Barrett, Chris & Sharron Blackmore, Janet Chik, Rosie Ellis, Eleanor Grover, Dean Jones, Philip & Helen Lymbery, Jackie, Nicole & Paul Holt, Alan & Sandra Smith, Sophie Smith, Matt Stritch, Adam Waters and Mark Webber.
 
I would also like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Volunteer Assistant Warden Ben Arkless for all his hard work and top-class company during the past four months on the island. All the staff on Lundy are missing you already and sending you lots of luck and good vibes for your new venture on Brownsea Island! Thanks Ben!

 

Volunteer Assistant Warden Ben Arkless (left) and Warden Dean Jones counting seabirds © Jaclyn Pearson

24th Jun to 12th Jul – Storm Petrels on the rise, six new moth species and Lundy's first Black-tailed Skimmer

Dean Jones pens another mega-roundup of the latest goings-on in the summer whirl of Lundy birds and other wildlife.

 

A slightly quieter period compared to all the happenings of the last blog (we’re still buzzing on the seabird census results and the Sulphur-bellied Warbler) – that said, the period since has still been a very eventful and exciting one. The island is still exuding a midsummer splendour and is bustling with events and interesting wildlife sightings, such as jangling post-breeding flocks of Linnets which are now starting to form across the island and an eruption of Heath Spotted Orchids around Pondsbury (118 flowering plants counted on the 6th), while Rosechafers are plentiful, particularly on clumps of flowering honeysuckle on the east coast, and small numbers of Harbour Porpoise and Common Dolphin have been breaching from glass-like seas on a number of dates.

 

Linnet feeding on sorrel in Millcombe, 26 Jun © Dean Jones

 

Weather-wise, it has been mostly calm and bright, though the island has received a decent fall of rain since the last post – 97mm³ to be precise – all of which has been very welcome following what was a very dry June. The 6th and 12th July kicked this trend however, with some strong south-westerly winds and noticeably cooler temperatures which made the day feel much more autumn-like.

 

Birds of note through this period included small numbers of Swifts heading south over seven days (max 30 on the 30th), singles of Cuckoo on the 26th (east coast) and 30th (Threequarter Wall), a Turtle Dove in the Quarter Wall area on the 3rd, singles of Collared Dove on the 28th and 30th, a Ringed Plover over the North End on the 2nd, singles of Curlew on the 28th, 30th, 1st and 2nd (perhaps the same individual touring the island), a Sparrowhawk looking for a meal in the Camping Field on 29th, and two Grey Herons on the 2nd and a single bird on the 8th.

 

Cuckoo being mobbed by Meadow Pipits at Threequarter Wall, 30 Jun © Dean Jones

Collared Dove, High Street, 30 Jun © Dean Jones

One of two Grey Herons off the Terrace, 2 Jul © Dean Jones

 

Small numbers of hirundines have been logged too on a number of dates, namely House Martins (max two on the 1st) and Sand Martins (max 14 on the 30th) already on their way south. Two Willow Warblers have been singing most days from both Millcombe and St Helen’s Copse, and the Millcombe Song Thrush is still singing away from the treetops of Millcombe wood most days – though for much shorter periods of time compared to earlier in the year. Finches too are on the move, with a single Siskin on 4th and small numbers of Goldfinch (e.g. two south over Jenny’s Cove on the 30th). Finally, two Crossbills were seen and heard in Millcombe on the 28th.

 

Male Stonechat, Lower East Side Path, 26 Jun © Dean Jones

A fledgling Wheatear near Quarry Cottages, 28 Jun © Dean Jones

 

The seabird season has progressed at a rapid pace since the last post, with many of the island auks now out on the high seas. On the St Mark's Guillemot plot all but two young birds are left as of the 11th. Although the numbers still need to be properly worked through, it appears that productivity at this site is slightly down on last year. Even though we only get brief insights into this spectacular seabird's breeding season (we’d love to spend more time on the slopes but other duties beckon), we think this drop in productivity is due to a higher level of predation this year, the flooding of some of the ledges (e.g. we lost 13 eggs in sub-site three after two days of heavy rain at the end of May), and a handful of unfertile eggs which the parent birds were still starting to incubate right up until 2nd Jul – though more than likely there are other unseen factors also influencing these birds. Although it is always sad to see a drop in productivity, 232 breeding attempts took place in this plot this year, the highest number of attempts recorded here since these studies began in 2007.

The Jenny’s Cove Puffins are seemingly having a great year, with fish being delivered to 287 burrows over the course of just over five weeks (compared to 261 apparently active burrows in 2020)! Additionally, the first puffling of the year was seen on 30th Jun – one day earlier than the first of 2020 – and fewer and fewer burrows are being provisioned each day, meaning that some of the young birds have already made the jump out to sea! Others haven’t been that lucky, as a few loafing birds on the slopes have been taken by Great Black-backed Gulls. Despite this, there have been some super numbers of Puffins on the slope (well for Lundy anyway), particularly during the evenings, e.g. 242 birds on the productivity slope on the evening of 9th Jul.

 

Record shot of one of the four pufflings seen in Jenny's Cove, 9 Jul © Dean Jones

 

Unfortunately, our Kittiwakes are having a poor season productivity-wise, with 68 of the original 124 nests failing so far over the two sites. Again, like the Guillemots, there is seemingly a higher level of predation at both sites this year by Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls. However, unlike the auks, there have also been a number of dead chicks found in nests, as well as multiple instances of siblicide noted, which is perhaps indicative that some birds are struggling to find enough food this year. Saying that, numerous other unseen factors are more than likely to be influencing the breeding season. Let’s hope the remaining chicks manage to fledge safely over the next few weeks.

 

The Conservation Team also managed a trip to the North End on the 2nd to look for occupied Storm Petrel burrows. Here the team set out for a morning of playing recordings of Storm Petrel calls down suitable burrows. A total of 13 birds responded across a small section of the North End, though there were definitely more birds present, hinted by the presence of lots of distinctively smelly burrows. Excitingly, some of these responses came from areas where birds have not been found in the past, including some of the old walls built by Trinity House in the late 1800s/early 1900s.

 

Assistant Warden Ben in search of Storm Petrel burrows, 2 Jul © Dean Jones

 

As not all breeding Storm Petrels respond to calls played down their burrows, an adjustment is needed in order to get a better population estimate. The published conversion factor applied to Storm Petrel colonies without calibrations of their own is 2.4, based on the median response rate of 0.42 (Mitchell et al. 2004). In surveys conducted by the RSPB in 2018, the team managed to elicit seven responses from the same site, which after applying the conversion factor gave an estimate of around 11 apparently occupied sites (AOS). Applying the same conversion factor to this year’s responses produces an average of 31 AOS – nearly triple the numbers estimated just three years ago! If you’d like to read the 2018 Storm Petrel report, you can do so via the following Lundy Field Society link: http://lfs-resources.s3.amazonaws.com/ar68/LFS_Annual_Report_Vol_68_Part_17.pdf

 

Also on 2nd Jul, long-standing Lundy birder Chris Baillie (whose first visit dates back to 1968!) made another exciting discovery whilst spending part of the day exploring an area of boulder scree below the Battery. Here Chris found a number of 'Stormie' burrows in a site that we always thought birds would turn up in but where none had been confirmed until now. Bravo, Chris!

 

Following the RSPB's discovery of a new site along the east coast in early June (see last blog post), Lundy is now home to around 50 pairs of Storm Petrels – truly inspiring stuff, particularly as this recovery has come about in a relatively short space of time. Extensive surveys carried out for Stormies in 2010 failed to find any birds at all.

 

A curious Razorbill checking in on the team during the Storm Petrel search, 2 Jul © Dean Jones

 

Finally on the seabird front, the Gannets' Rock Fulmars are progressing, with chicks arriving in the study plot on 27th Jun and joined by many more since (15 active sites as of 5th Jul).

 

Other breeding bird highlights away from the cliffs included a pair of Whitethroat feeding fledglings near the Steps of Doom on the 24th – the third consecutive year this species has successfully bred on the island. At least one pair of Blackcaps has also managed to fledge young this year, with adults feeding young birds in the Secret Garden on 1st Jul. One of the two confirmed Chiffchaff pairs fledged young on the 8th, the first Woodpigeon chick fledged on the 11th, and three of the five Peregrine pairs now have fledged young (six in all), as from the 26th Jun.

 

Male Blackcap delivering food to fledglings in the Secret Garden, 5 Jul © Dean Jones

Peregrine fledglings on Tent Field wall, 7 Jul © Dean Jones

One of many young Meadow Pipits currently scattered across the island, 7 Jul © Dean Jones

 

Singing Wren, Millcombe, 6 Jul © Joanne Wilby

 

Following on from the last blog post, it has been yet another spectacular period for invertebrates. Emperor Dragonflies are seemingly having a very good year, with numerous insects on the wing on days of suitable weather, e.g. three on the 30th (Pondsbury, Middle Park and Quarter Wall Pond) and three together at Pondsbury on the 5th.

 

Male Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator), Quarter Wall Pond, 30 Jun © Dean Jones

 

Decent numbers of Blue-tailed Damselflies are also on the wing, with a count of 78 around the fringes of Pondsbury on the 7th, alongside smaller numbers of Common Blue Damselfly. The first Common Darter of the year also made an appearance there on the 10th.

 

The undoubted Odonata highlight however, was the occurrence of a handsome male Black-tailed Skimmer quartering the north end of Pondsbury – the first time this species has been recorded on Lundy!

 

Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), Pondsbury, 5 Jul © Dean Jones

 

On the Lepidoptera front the first Grayling (4th) and Ringlet (5th) butterflies of the year have made appearances, though all-in-all this period has been a relatively poor one for butterfly sightings, with small numbers only of Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Large White, Green-veined White, Small Heath and Meadow Brown being logged most days.

 

The first Grayling of the year, Millcombe, 4 Jul © Dean Jones

Copulating Small Heaths, Middle Park, 2 Jul © Dean Jones

 

Unlike the butterflies, these past few weeks have been very productive for moths, with a wide range of common and rare species being recorded throughout – including another five new species not previously seen on the island (actually, six if you include larval cases).

 

The first of these came in the form of the odd-looking micro-moth Donacaula forficella in the Milllcombe Heath trap on the 29th. This strange little creature inhabits marshy areas and ditches, feeding on a range of wetland plants. Even stranger though is that the larvae, when in need of a new food plant, cuts off part of a leaf to make a raft which it then uses to move between plants – isn’t nature truly spectacular?!

 

Donacaula forficella, Millcombe, 29 Jun © Dean Jones

 

The next new moth for Lundy was a Purple Clay, again in the Millcombe Heath trap, on the 2nd. The occurrence of this species is much less of a surprise, being relatively common throughout the UK feeding on a wide range of herbaceous plants. The first Bryotropha terrella and Double Square-spot moths for Lundy were also caught in Millcombe on the 11th and, like the Purple Clay, both are common species for the UK, feeding on a wide range of grasses and trees/scrubs respectively.

 

Finally, whilst exploring the fringes of Pondsbury on the 6th, a number of the handsome Willow Tortrix were flushed – including one uni-coloured individual, a form which is rare in the wild. Again this is a common species in the UK, feeding on a range of salix species, particularly Creeping Willow Salix repens, a plant which is abundant in the Pondsbury area.

 

Willow Tortrix (Epinotia cruciana), Pondsbury, 7 Jul © Dean Jones

 

Other moth highlights included a stunning Lunar Hornet Moth in Rüppell’s Quarry on the 5th! This is the first time the adult moths have been seen on the island following the discovery of their larval cases here in 2020 (see blog post 1st to 8th Jul 2020 – Lundy re-opens and wildlife rises to the occasion).

 

Lunar Hornet Moth (Sesia bembeciformis), Rüppell’s Quarry, 5 Jul © Dean Jones

 

Yet another Privet Hawkmoth was caught in Millcombe on the 1st (where are they coming from?) and a single Nothris congressiella was caught in Millcombe on the 29th – the latter a very rare micro-moth found only in a handful of places in the UK where its food plant, Balm-leaved Figwort, grows.

 

Additional records of note were second records for Lundy of Acleris hastiana (5th), Grass Emerald and Beautiful Golden Y (29th), as well as good numbers of Brown China-mark (10) around Pondsbury on the 7th. 

 

Grass Emerald (Pseudoterpna pruinata), Millcombe, 29 Jun © Dean Jones

Beautiful Golden Y (Autographa pulchrina), Millcombe, 29 Jun © Dean Jones

Brown China-mark (Elophila nymphaeata), Quarry Pond, 2 Jul © Dean Jones

Finally, the first Giant Tachinid Fly (Tachina grossa) of the year was seen near Quarry Pond on 2nd.

 

Lots of thanks to all who submitted sightings: Ben Arkless, Chris Baillie, Sam Bosanquet, Eleanor Grover, Dean Jones, Tim & Liz Smith, and Kevin Waterfall.

 

Reference

 

Mitchell, P.I., Newton, S.F., Ratcliffe, N. & Dunn, T. E. (2004). Seabird Populations of Britain and Ireland. London: T. & A.D. Poyser.