7th to 9th Oct – White’s Thrush! UPDATED

Lundy Warden Dean Jones found a White’s Thrush in Millcombe early on the morning of 7 Oct. It was elusive, not being seen after 08.30 hrs on 7th and not at all on 8th (in spite of thorough searching by multiple observers), but then turned up in a mist-net, also in Millcombe, on the morning of Friday 9th. Here are the 'back of camera' record shot that Dean managed on 7th and the bird in the hand, after ringing by Nik Ward, on 9th!

White's Thrush, Millcombe, 7 Oct © Dean Jones

 

The bird was ringed on 9 Oct © Dean Jones

There has been one previous record of White's Thrush on Lundy – a first-year male, also in Millcombe, was first seen on 15th Oct 1952 and stayed until 8th Nov.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ANYONE WISHING TO VISIT THE ISLAND:

The island's passenger vessel has a limited capacity due to current Covid-19 restrictions.

If visiting Lundy, face masks must be worn at all times when entering the island's General Stores or the Marisco Tavern.  

Many thanks to everyone for your understanding and cooperation.

 

27th to 30th Sep – The year's first Dotterel and a breaching Bluefin Tuna!

Dean Jones swings back into action on the blog with all the news from the last four days of September. Ringing numbers provided by team leader Chris Dee.

September 27th

Light to moderate northerly winds in the morning, shifting north-westerly in the mid-afternoon. A dry day with clear skies for most.

The title of star bird of the day went to a juvenile Dotterel (the first of the year) which was photographed by Lundy Ranger Matt Stritch in South West Field in the late afternoon.

 

A record shot of the year's first Dotterel, in South West Field, 27 Sep © Matt Stritch

 

 

Other sightings of note included a Whinchat in South West Field, a single Firecrest foraging in the Terrace willows, a light passage of hirundines comprising 400 Swallow, 20 Sand Martin and 42 House Martin. Skylarks too were moving in small numbers throughout the morning, with 17 logged overhead. Additional sightings included a Water Rail in Smelly Gully, seven Chiffchaff, 40 Blackcap, 20 Goldcrest, 16 Robin, 12 Dunnock, three Stonechat, 88 Meadow Pipit, six Chaffinch, 46 Goldfinch, just 20 Linnet, six fly-over Redpoll and nine Siskin.

Whinchat, South West Field, 27 Sep © Dean Jones

 

A total of 64 birds were ringed in Millcombe, including five Chiffchaff, 25 Blackcap, seven Goldcrest and 20 Swallow.

 

September 28th

A light to moderate westerly wind in the morning swinging north-westerly by the evening. Clear but overcast for the first hour or so in the morning, followed by a thick mist and fog which enveloped the island for most of the day – give or take a few clearer spells.

A much quieter bird day with most of yesterday’s migrants having cleared out overnight and, of course, reduced visibility due to the weather.

Highlights included a huge Bluefin Tuna which was seen fully breaching just offshore from Rat Island during a brief, mist-free spell just after noon. 

Other sightings of note included the first Redwing of the year in Millcombe, two Water Rail in Millcombe, a lone Snipe, a single Willow Warbler in the Laundry Garden Privet, seven Swallow, three Goldcrest, eight Pied Wagtail in the Camping Field, twelve Goldfinch, four Siskin and two fly-over Redpoll.

Eight birds were ringed before the mist descended, among them four Blackcap and two Chiffchaff.

Finally, 30 moths of 17 species were caught in the Millcombe Heath trap. Highlights were singles of Delicate and Silver Y and the second record of Mecyna asinalis for the island.

September 29th 

 

A glorious autumn day complete with spectacular sunrise, clear skies and a slight northerly breeze.

 

Lundy's East Side in all its autumn splendour, 29 Sep © Dean Jones

 

A nice variety and number of migrants today, with two Yellow-browed Warblers the stars of the day – one in Millcombe and another foraging in the Terrace willows.

One of the two Yellow-browed Warblers present on the island, Terrace, 29 Sep © Dean Jones

 

Hirundines also put on a great show, particularly between 10:00 and 12:00 hrs. Totals for the day came to a conservative estimate of 2,500 Swallow, 15 Sand Martin and 150 House Martin.

Other sightings included a fly-over Cormorant, two apiece of Woodpigeon and Water Rail, a Merlin and a female Sparrowhawk having a quarrel over the Terrace, 14 Skylark, two Grey Wagtail, three Pied Wagtail (plus two other fly-over unraced birds), 300 Meadow Pipit (which included two nice flocks of 85 birds in High Street and 60 in Lower Lighthouse Field), 15 Blackcap, four Chiffchaff, 10 Goldcrest, seven Wheatear (including one large Greenland-type bird), a single Stonechat, 16 Robin, nine Dunnock, 25 Goldfinch, six Chaffinch, 37 Linnet and two each of Lesser Redpoll and Siskin.

 

This excellent candidate for the leucorhoa (Greenland and Iceland) race of Northern
Wheatear dropped into Paradise Row this morning, 29 Sep © Dean Jones

Dunnock in the beautiful morning light, Millcombe, 29 Sep © Dean Jones

 

A total of 60 birds were caught and ringed throughout the day, including 12 Blackcap, five Goldcrest and 39 Swallow.

Non-avian sightings included five Harbour Porpoise in the Southern Races in the evening.

September 30th

A very wet day with frequent squalls, periods of thick mist and one or two heavy downpours up until the mid-afternoon, followed by sunny spells and light showers. Strong to moderate south-west/westerly winds throughout.

Very difficult birding conditions for most of the day due to the very poor weather. The only sightings of note were a fly-over Ringed Plover first thing, a female Sparrowhawk, one Woodpigeon, 75 Swallow, a single House Martin, 14 Goldcrest, four Chiffchaff, a lone Blackcap, 22 Robin, two Stonechat, 80 Meadow Pipit, and a Grey Wagtail in Millcombe Pond.

 

A Grey Wagtail braving the rain, 30 Sep © Dean Jones

New photos added to recent blog posts

We have added photos from Richard Campey to the blog posts below for 16th to 22nd September, including this beautifully atmospheric, autumnal portrait of a foraging Firecrest in Millcombe on 21st.

 

© Richard Campey

26th Sep – Blackcaps continue to lead the ringing totals

It was going home day for Chris & Carol Bailie, but prior to departure in the afternon they notched up: "A Bonxie off the West Side at just after 08.00, a Cormorant flying up-Channel past South Light and we put up a Lapland Bunting from South West Field close to where Richard Campey saw one on 22nd. Light but distinct hirundine passage, comprising 60 Swallow and 5 House Martin, and Meadow Pipits on the move too. Also 4 auk sp., a Sparrowhawk, 8 Skylark, additional Blackcaps to those ringed and 18 Siskin."


 

Meanwhile, Dean Jones noted two Golden Plover over the Village in the morning, 2 Firecrest and 11 Goldcrest in Millcombe along with 3 flyover Lesser Redpoll and 8 Chaffinch. Non-avian highlgihts included 2 Harbour Porpoise were offshore from the Landing Bay

Chris Dee reports that 30 birds were ringed, including 22 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest and a Lesser Redpoll, and that sightings off the East Side in the late afternoon included 60 Kittiwake, 20 Gannet and what seems likely to have been a different Bonxie, given that observations from the North Somerset and North Devon coasts on Saturday morning showed skuas moving through on (presumed) overland passage between The Wash and Bristol Channel – a phenomenon that has been recognised for a number of years, but yet to be explicitly linked to occurrences off Lundy. Watch this space!

25th Sep – Migration continues amidst blustery conditions

Chris Dee writes that:

"Although it was windy on the top of the island, ringing was possible in Millcombe from 7am after early morning rain cleared through. The total of 45 birds ringed included 29 Blackcap, four Goldcrest, two Chiffchaff, three Swallow and a Kestrel. Other sightings in Millcombe were three Lesser Redpoll, a Garden Warbler (seen by Dean Jones) and a Water Rail in Smelly Gully."

Among other species/counts recorded by Chris & Carol Baillie were: 17 Gannet, 14 Shag, an Oystercatcher, six Woodpigeon, 14 Skylark, 12 Swallow, 11 Chiffchaff, three Stonechat, a Pied Wagtail, four Chaffinches, 11 Goldfinches, 12 Siskin, 38 Linnet and the island's second Snow Bunting of autumn, found along the main track near Tibbetts. Chris & Carol also saw two Harbour Porpoise, four Red Admiral, two Small White and 11 Fox Moth larvae.

Warden Dean Jones added to the day's tally with a Golden Plover and a Grey Wagtail over the Village, a "stunning" Great Northern Diver in full breeding plumage offshore from the Landing Bay in the afternoon, and a Lapland Bunting over Paradise Row in the evening.

24th Sep – Wet & windy... but a new (non-avian) species for the island!

The latest daily update comes courtesy of ringing team-leader Chris Dee, who reports that it was:

"Too wet and windy for mist-netting in Millcombe today. When most of the showers had passed I headed out. Lower Millcombe was pretty quiet apart from a single Blackcap and a Water Rail calling in Smelly Gully. Along the Lower East Side Path there were a couple of Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest and a Stonechat. Flyover records of four (unraced) alba wagtail and a Tree Pipit were noted. Five Red Admirals working their way south in the relative shelter from the strong south-westerlies were augmented by a further two on the Terrace. Elsewhere there were six Skylark on the Airfield and 10 Linnet by the Stonecrusher. Later in the afternoon there were three Dunnock in Millcombe and the usual motley assortment of House Sparrows. On the sea and East Side there were seven Great Black-backed and two Herring Gull. Also one Shag."

Chris & Carol Baillie's sightings were similar, with the addition of three Woodpigeon, a single Lesser Black-backed Gull, three Wheatear, 20 Meadow Pipit, 23 Goldfinch and a further 48 Linnet. Also a single Harbour Porpoise.

Dean Jones adds: "It was indeed a rather quiet bird day all-in-all but I did have a fairly productive morning seawatch from the Ugly. Highlights included a pale-morph Pomarine Skua, three adult Mediterranean Gulls, and singles of ‘commic’ Tern and Manx Shearwater, as well as small numbers of Gannet, Razorbill and Kittiwake and two Harbour Porpoise. Not much else of note, other than a single Firecrest in Quarter Wall Copse, at least 16 Goldcrest in Millcombe and along the Lower East Side Path, and two Kestrel near the Quarries."

In other news, Sue Waterfield found a moth in the shop, which Dean was able to identify as Lundy's first Scarce Bordered Straw, a migrant from southern Europe. Happily the moth was still alive when found and Sue was able to release it promptly.

The Scarce Bordered Straw found in the shop, 24 Sep © Sue Waterfield

23rd Sep – Golden Plovers & Green Sandpiper the best of a quiet day

Today's blogger is Chris Baillie, who writes:

"This morning (Weds 23rd) was a wet and breezy walk to North End for coffee and a seawatch. The weather cleared as I walked up the northernmost slope and the 10 Golden Plovers there to greet me were a real picture. The sea was very quiet bird-wise; I think food may currently be limited around the island. Two Sparrowhawks were busy in the Terrace area and continued to jostle with each other, Peregrines and Kestrels. Hirundines were few today and the general sense is that stuff moved on in good conditions during the last two days but has not really been replaced much. But there is always something going on!"

Chris's sightings for the logbook comprised: 3 Fulmar (past North End), 23 Gannet, 38 Shag, 2 Sparrowhawk, 10 Golden Plover, single Kittiwake & Guillemot, two Woodpigeon, a Kestrel, 3 Peregrine, 7 Raven, just 9 Swallow, 15 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 7 Goldcrest, one remaining Pied Flycatcher (in Millcombe), 140 Linnet, 8 Siskin and 13 Goldfinch.

Dean Jones adds: "I managed to log three extra Golden Plover over the South End in the drizzle first thing,closely followed by a lone Green Sandpiper. Also 20 Skylark dotted around the island, a single Firecrest above the Gas Store in Millcombe, a Whitethroat next to Millcombe House, a lone Willow Warbler on the Terrace, three House Martin and a single Sand Martin along the east, two White Wagtails in the Camping Field and five Lesser Redpoll. Lastly a Vestal (a migrant moth) was flushed from the long grass above Smelly Gully in the afternoon."

Chris Dee advises that ringing operations couldn't commence until after 10.00am due to rain and only 17 birds were ringed, among them 3 Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap, 4 Goldcrest and a Grey Wagtail.

Vestal Rhodometra sacraria – good numbers have reached the UK this year, 23 Sep © Dean Jones