28th March – A change in the weather and a lull in migration

After several days of clear blue skies and a stiff easterly, Tuesday saw the wind veering south, then south-west, bringing cloud and showery rain during the afternoon. Although there was a good scattering of Phylloscopus warblers along the East Side combes and on the Terrace (totalling an estimated 30 Chiffchaffs and 15 Willow Warblers), the range and volume of migrants was generally reduced. Among the more notable sightings were about a dozen Pied Wagtails and 4 White Wagtails, 2 Blackcaps, flocks of 6 + 8 Cormorants (all except one were breeding-plumaged adults) flying north, and a handful of Sand Martins and Swallows. Several Song Thrushes may have been lingering from Monday's influx, whilst the female Bullfinch certainly was, having apparently not moved from her favourite blackthorn bush for 24 hours! Record shots below:

Female Bullfinch, head of St Helen's Combe © Tim Jones

Two of the Robins seen during the day had the greyish tones and pallid orange breasts associated with continental birds (see the Skokholm Observatory blog for 28th March). The 1st-summer Great Northern Diver and the Red-necked Grebe (now showing quite extensive signs of breeding plumage) continued their sojourns in the Landing Bay, the grebe taking to the air briefy as MS Oldenburg, on her first scheduled sailing of the year, hove into view.

MS Oldenburg was heavily booked for her first sailing of 2017 © Tim Jones

The Red-necked Grebe flew behind Rat Island as the ship arrived © Tim Jones

Birds seen during the late-afternoon crossing back to Ilfracombe included a single Manx Shearwater, 5 Common Gulls, and a few Fulmars, Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks. A Sandwich Tern was flying around Ilfracombe harbour to greet disembarking passengers, just as the rain began to fall in earnest...

27th March – Osprey through and first Blackcaps of the year

Tim Davis, Tim Jones and Tony Taylor report excellent views of an Osprey arriving low below Castle Hill before climbing as it moved north along the East Side, mobbed by gulls and corvids (record shot below).

Osprey mobbed by crow over East Side 27 March ©Tim Jones

An influx of thrushes included 2 male Ring Ouzels on the Terrace, up to 15 Song Thrushes and a noticeable increase in Blackbirds. Auk numbers totalled 99 Puffins in Jenny's Cove, with 900 Guillemots on the ledges and a further 200 on the water and 400 Razorbills. Puffins were later seen on land for the first time this season, exploring nesting burrows. There was a Golden Plover calling in flight over the Airfield and the Jackdaw count increased to four, all of which were seen apparently leaving the island to the NNE over the Terrace during the morning. A female Bullfinch feeding on blackthorn buds at the head of St Helen's Combe was unusual for the island, though most recent records are for March and April. Hirundine passage comprised 75 Sand Martins and 4 Swallows. There was a count of 20 Willow Warblers and the first Blackcaps of the year were recorded; a female and two males – the female feeding on rocky slopes at North Light! Two Siskins were present on feeders in the Village, there were several White Wagtails alongside migrant Pieds and the Red-necked Grebe was still in the Landing Bay. Finally an extremely dark-mantled adult Lesser Black-backed Gull – as dark as the adult Great Black-back standing next to it and therefore presumed to be of the continental breeding race L. f. intermedius – was at Pondsbury in the afternoon.

Male Ring Ouzel, VC Quarry 27 March © Tim Jones

White Wagtail at Quarter Wall 27 March © Tim Jones

Seven Manx Shearwaters were caught at the Old Light study colony between 9.30pm & 11.00pm, comprising four new birds and three retraps.

The lighter winds and warm sunshine made it a good day for invertebrates:

Common Carder Bee, Terrace willows © Tim Jones

Common Plume moth, Upper East Side Path © Tim Jones

Minotaur Beetle, Upper East Side Path © Tim Jones

26th March – Grey Heron and three Jackdaws

Tim Jones and Tim Davis report 58 Puffins in Jenny's Cove. In the strong easterly wind, 110 Sand Martins and 25 Swallows were counted moving north in the lee of the West Side. A Grey Heron flew across the South End and there were 3 Jackdaws in Lighthouse Field. The Meadow Pipit count totalled 400 and 20 Linnets and a Siskin were observed. The Red-necked Grebe and Great Northern Diver were still present.

Jackdaws in Lighthouse Field, 26 March © Tim Davis

Male Starling on farmyard song post © Tim Jones

25th March – Strong Meadow Pipit passage

Tim Davis and Tim Jones report 41 Puffins in Jenny's Cove and a strong passage of Meadow Pipits amounting to 500 birds, including 300 moving north in the lee of the West Side in the early morning. Other sightings included 22 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, a Lapwing flying in off the sea at Jenny's Cove, 2 Jackdaws over the East Side and a female Siskin in the camping field. The Great Northern Diver and Red-necked Grebe were still present in the Landing Bay.

Meadow Pipits in Middle Park © Tim Jones

A brief visit to the shearwater study colony near Old Light, on a beautiful, moonless but starlit night, revealed the presence of calling Manx Shearwaters and birds of breeding age already visiting their nesting burrows. Two individuals ringed in previous years were retrapped. During the afternoon, Tony Taylor, Dean Jones and the two Tims had completed a pre-season check of the shearwater nestboxes installed in 2016, some of which already showed signs of visitation this year.

Lundy Warden Dean Jones maps and marks a shearwater nestbox © Tim Davis

Nestboxes in situ, the entrances are buried piping to one side © Tim Davis

Lundy shearwater maestro Tony Taylor out on patrol © Tim Davis

24th March – Wheatear seen on Guernsey back on territory

Tim Jones and Tim Davis report 250 Razorbills off the South End, but a big clear-out of Chiffchaffs and Meadow Pipits with only 12 and 70 respectively logged. A total of 240 Kittiwakes were counted at the two remaining West Side colonies. Of note were 2 Black Redstarts, a "singing" Water Rail, 6 Teal, 4 Snipe and a Song Thrush. The day's highlight was confirmation that the colour-ringed male Wheatear seen on Guernsey on 13 March (see blog post dated 14 March) was back on its territory near the Earthquake, in hot pursuit of a female and fending off another male – record shots below.

Lundy colour-ringed Wheatear 'pale blue over black' © Tim Davis

Now on its Lundy breeding territory, this bird was seen on Guernsey on 13 Mar

23rd March – Chiffchaff fall and returning female Wheatears

Tim Davis and Tim Jones report 60+ Chiffchaffs hopping around on the fields and walls. Meadow Pipit numbers totalled 300, with 5 Black Redstarts, 2 Redwings, a Song Thrush, a Sand Martin and 2 Swallows seen. Three more Wheatear colour rings were read, including two females – the first known returning females for the year. Rafts totalling 500 Razorbills were counted off the South End in the early morning. The Red-necked Grebe was still present.

22nd March – Significant migration

Tim Jones and Tim Davis report significant overnight and diurnal movement. Over 20 Wheatears were counted, including the first three females of the year and three returning colour-ringed Lundy breeding males. The 5 Teal were a little early to start making predictions of breeding again this year, but counts of 130 Meadow Pipits, 19 Rock Pipits, 46 Skylarks and 6 Stonechats presumably included local breeders, whilst 8 Cormorant and 3 Kestrel were probably migrants. Other migrants included 12 alba Wagtails, 7 Sand Martins, 3 Black Redstarts, 6 Chiffchaffs, an early Willow Warbler, 10 Goldcrests, a Firecrest and 2 Redwings. Linnet numbers increased by 100% to two. The Great Nothern Diver and Red-necked Grebe were still present in the Landing Bay.