Lundy Chicken Observatory Sightings Archive: Lundy Chicken Observatory Replace Seventeenth

The island has turn out to be a frenzy of looking raptors this week with Merlin a continuing presence. As much as 5 people counted, in addition to an autumn excessive rely of 5 Kestrel. As much as eight Peregrine Falcon have been recorded this week, and a male Sparrowhawk has joined the lengthy staying feminine with the 2 birds often seen looking alongside the east coast. A ringtail Hen Harrier was current on the Nineteenth and as much as two Brief-eared Owl have been picked up Twenty first-Twenty fifth. Our spotlight of this week was undoubtedly a surprising juvenile Pallid Harrier on the Nineteenth, the primary document for Lundy. It was seen by many at places throughout the size and breadth of the island. It was watched carrying away a Frequent Snipe and later roosted by Pondsbury, however sadly for us was noticed leaving the island shortly after daybreak on the Twentieth.

Juvenile Pallid Harrier © Eden Davies

Preliminary Views of juvenile Pallid Harrier over Quarries © Tim Jones

Juvenile Pallid Harrier © Eden Davies

A single first-winter male Wigeon was current on Barton Subject on the Nineteenth after which Pondsbury 20-Twenty first. A number of Teal arrived on the 18th with a excessive rely of 4. A feminine sort Frequent Scoter was seen off of Benjamin’s Chair on the 18th after which North Mild on the Nineteenth. As much as 5 Water Rail have been heard calling this week, all in Millcombe/St John’s aside from a chook under St Helen’s Copse. Woodpigeon numbers have dropped from eight to zero, possible falling prey to the raptor inflow, with at the least one carcass discovered on the north finish of the island. 

First-winter male Wigeon at Barton Subject © Tim Jones

Frequent Scoter off of North Mild on the Nineteenth © Tim Jones

A single Lapwing was seen on the Twenty third with one other single chook seen on the Twenty fifth across the Airfield. The final date Golden Plover have been recorded was the Twentieth, with two birds heard calling. A single Dunlin was picked up across the island between Sixteenth-Twentieth, often across the Airfield. The primary Woodcock of autumn was ringed on a nocturnal survey on the Seventeenth in south-west subject with one other two recorded on the Twenty second and one chook flushed from Quarry Pond on the Twenty sixth. Jack Snipe have turn out to be pretty recurrently recorded, with 5 ringed previously week and a excessive rely of seven on the Twentieth. Information of Frequent Snipe have decreased after the massive inflow in the course of the month, with sometimes round eight birds recorded each day on this interval. The Redshank continues its keep, though it was recaught on the 18th and worryingly had dropped from 150g to 120g. It has been seen feeding on worms because the 18th although and so is now discovering extra appropriate locations to feed than cattle grids and automobile tracks!

Jack Snipe Barton Subject © Luke Marriner

A few Frequent Gull have been sighted across the shoreline with three under Quarry Seashore on the Twenty first. A flock of 25 Herring Gull with a single Frequent Gull have been loafing within the Touchdown Bay on the Twenty fifth, later seen flying in smaller events across the north finish. An excellent day rely of 30 Lesser Black-backed Gull on the Twenty third. A primary-winter Yellow-Legged Gull was discovered feeding on a carcass of an Atlantic Blue-fin Tuna on the Seventeenth, each good Lundy information. We additionally acquired a belated report of a improbable commentary this week – a single Chough was seen and heard north of Jenny’s Cove by a visiting climber!

A Purple-throated Diver was seen from the MS Oldenburg 10 minutes after it departed the Touchdown Bay on the Twenty first. A Nice Northern Diver has been picked up virtually each day because the Twenty first, feeding off of the Touchdown Bay. Usually round 40 Gannet are recorded off of the shoreline each day. A number of information of Cormorant this week, which is a reasonably scarce customer to the island. On this interval three on the Nineteenth, six on the Twenty second, one on the Twenty third and two on the twenty fourth. As much as two Gray Heron have nonetheless been seen fishing across the shoreline, which is presumably proving extra fruitful than Pondsbury – many earlier visiting herons have appeared strongly connected to the assorted small freshwater our bodies throughout the island, usually showing to battle to seek out adequate meals for sustaining situation. A small flock of three Gray Heron drifted over Tibbetts from the east on the twenty fourth.

At the very least two Yellow-browed Warbler have been discovered alongside the east coast on the afternoon of the Twentieth, with one chook persevering with to the Twenty sixth, sometimes seen in Quarter Wall Copse. A Purple-breasted Flycatcher additionally turned up at Quarter Wall Copse on the Twentieth, detected late within the day and never seen subsequently. 

Yellow-Browed Warbler Quarter Wall Copse © Angus Croudace

We have seen fairly just a few late information of some species passing via, possible as a result of very gentle autumn. It began to really feel like September once more when one other Frequent Whitethroat, a hanging male Frequent Redstart and a male Pied Flycatcher have been picked up on the Twenty second! A late Eurasian Reed Warbler was seen recurrently in Millcombe Nineteenth-Twenty third, transferring between the again of Millcombe Home and the Decrease Backyard. A single late Whinchat was at Quarter Wall on the Twenty sixth. A late Tree Pipit was seen on the deck by Quarry Cottages on the Nineteenth and one was additionally heard in flight by two observers on the Twentieth heading north over the Terrace. On the identical day a Richard’s Pipit was heard and seen in flight leaving the island over the Fortress. 

A shocking male Frequent Redstart at Stoneycroft © Angus Croudace

Usually round 100 Meadow Pipit have been recorded each day at first of this era, transferring over in small teams or individually, with a excessive rely of 394 on the Twenty second earlier than numbers decreased extra not too long ago with 42 on the Twenty fifth and 29 on the Twenty sixth. Skylark passage continues with as much as about 30 heading south most days though simply three on the Twenty sixth. The Twentieth noticed just a few late hirundines transferring via with 230 Swallow and 16 Home Martin. As much as 30 Swallow are recorded on most different days though an entire absence on the Nineteenth and Twenty sixth are a sign that their passage is tapering off. 

About 18 Chiffchaff each day Nineteenth-Twenty second, dropping to five by the Twenty sixth. A small arrival of twenty-two Blackcap on the Twenty second though these rapidly moved via with simply half a dozen remaining on the Twenty sixth. Firecrest proceed to be seen virtually each day, with a excessive rely of 5 on the Twentieth, together with one which was noticed arriving ‘in-off’ within the firm of 25 Goldcrest. There was one other massive inflow of Goldcrest on the Twenty second, with 112 recorded and 74 ringed in Millcombe within the morning. The second Treecreeper of the yr was heard calling within the backside of Millcombe on the Twenty first.

Firecrest ringed in Millcombe © Luke Marriner

We had a noticeable arrival of migrant Robin on the Twentieth with a excessive day rely of 39. Two Black Redstart have been discovered on the west coast on the Twenty third with one chook working its method from Outdated Mild to the Lodge on the Twenty fifth. After a small hiatus in information just a few Wheatear have been sighted on the finish of this era, with two each day because the Twenty first, and a excessive rely of 5 on the Twenty fifth. Single Gray Wagtail over each day because the Twenty second with three on the Twenty third. Three sightings of White Wagtail on the Nineteenth, Twenty first and Twenty second. 

Feminine sort Black Redstart by Lambing Shed/Lodge © Angus Croudace

As warbler and hirundine passage dwindles, the baton passes over to thrushes and finches. Autumn finch passage on Lundy is a spectacle to behold within the second half of October, with small flocks consistently streaming previous the island on some days. Starling additionally transfer, with our typical early October counts of barely over 100 birds joined transiently by flocks of migrants. A number of hundred have been recorded each day between 18th-Twenty sixth with two excessive counts of 414 on the Twentieth and 478 on the twenty fourth. 

The Twentieth and Twenty fifth noticed reasonable thrush arrivals. While most days have recorded at the least one Ring Ouzel this week, we had a excessive rely of 8 on the Twentieth and three on the Twenty fifth. 40 Fieldfare on the Twentieth and 51 on the Twenty fifth. There have been 92 Redwing on the Twentieth with about 40 most different days, and so they can often be heard calling as they go over at evening too. Most notably on the Twenty fifth was a big arrival of Blackbird and Track Thrush with day counts of 39 for each species. Mistle Thrush are unusual on Lundy in autumn and so it was good to have one on the North Finish on the Twenty third and at the least one rattling across the high of Millcombe on the Twenty fifth.

Fieldfare Millcombe © Tim Jones

After the primary preliminary push of c1500 Chaffinch already reported on the Sixteenth, we noticed this scale up considerably. A few hundred have been recorded each day Seventeenth-Twenty first earlier than 550 moved via on the Twenty second, 4031 on Twenty third and 3114 on twenty fourth! The largest push coincided with the south-easterlies, which is typical for Lundy. Chaffinch appear to choose flying into a light-weight to reasonable headwind. Worthwhile ringing information have confirmed that some – maybe most – birds passing via Lundy in autumn breed in Fennoscandia and even as far east as Russia. From these breeding grounds they migrate south-west alongside a comparatively slim hall via Denmark, Germany and the low nations (rather than crossing the North Sea) earlier than both crossing the English Channel to the UK and Eire, or persevering with south-west into France and Iberia. The large flocks passing Lundy not too long ago have been maybe readjusting their course to a extra south-westerly course, having been pushed additional north and west than supposed by robust easterly/south-easterly winds.

Siskin scaled up proportionally, with round 100 each day however 810 on Twenty second, 1157 on Twenty third after which a drop to 334 on twenty fourth the place they have been considerably outnumbered by the Chaffinch. Among the many finches a few Brambling have been picked out on most days, often detected by their nasal, wheezing name. There was excessive rely of 14 on the Twenty third. A single Greenfinch was recorded on Seventeenth, Twenty second and Twenty fifth. Lesser Redpoll have been picked up sometimes as singles with a pair a day however excessive counts of 5 on the Twenty third and eight on the Twenty fifth. Linnet numbers have dropped considerably from the 168 recorded in early October. We’re now solely reaching tallies of 20-40 birds recorded each day, with related numbers of Goldfinch. These are sometimes in very small flocks with not one of the massive groupings seen earlier within the season. 

A Lapland Bunting toured the island on the Twentieth-Twenty second as seen/heard by many observers. The second Snow Bunting of the autumn was elusive round Center Park on the Twenty third, having first been seen perched atop a outstanding rock at Useless Cow Level, the place it narrowly averted the clutches of a Merlin! We’re hoping that some extra classically confiding people drop in earlier than the season is out. Good Reed Bunting passage has been recorded with between one and 6 birds each day, often as singles calling overhead or dropping into favoured areas such because the willows under Authorities, and Pondsbury/Ackland’s Moor/Quarter Wall.

Ringing station in Millcombe with (L-R) Luke Marriner, Joe Parker and Paul Morton © Tim Jones