The island has transform a frenzy of searching raptors this week with Merlin a continuing presence. As much as 5 people counted, in addition to an autumn top depend of 5 Kestrel. As much as 8 Peregrine Falcon had been recorded this week, and a male Sparrowhawk has joined the lengthy staying feminine with the 2 birds most often noticed searching alongside the east coast. A ringtail Chicken Harrier used to be provide at the Nineteenth and as much as two Quick-eared Owl were picked up Twenty first-Twenty fifth. Our spotlight of this week used to be for sure a surprising juvenile Pallid Harrier at the Nineteenth, the primary report for Lundy. It used to be noticed by way of many at places around the duration and breadth of the island. It used to be watched sporting away a Not unusual Snipe and later roosted by way of Pondsbury, however sadly for us used to be noticed leaving the island in a while after morning time at the Twentieth.
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| Juvenile Pallid Harrier © Eden Davies |
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| Preliminary Perspectives of teenage Pallid Harrier over Quarries © Tim Jones |
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| Juvenile Pallid Harrier © Eden Davies |
A unmarried first-winter male Wigeon used to be provide on Barton Box at the Nineteenth after which Pondsbury 20-Twenty first. A couple of Teal arrived at the 18th with a top depend of 4. A feminine kind Not unusual Scoter used to be noticed off of Benjamin’s Chair at the 18th after which North Mild at the Nineteenth. As much as 5 Water Rail were heard calling this week, all in Millcombe/St Johns except for for a fowl beneath St Helen’s Copse. Woodpigeon numbers have dropped from 8 to 0, most probably falling prey to the raptor inflow, with no less than one carcass discovered on the north finish of the island.
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| First-winter male Wigeon at Barton Box © Tim Jones |
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| Not unusual Scoter off of North Mild at the Nineteenth © Tim Jones |
A unmarried Lapwing used to be noticed at the Twenty third with every other unmarried fowl noticed at the Twenty fifth across the airfield. The remaining date Golden Plover had been recorded used to be the twentieth, with two birds heard calling. A unmarried Dunlin used to be picked up across the island between Sixteenth-Twentieth, most often across the airfield. The primary Woodcock of autumn used to be ringed on a nocturnal survey at the Seventeenth in south-west box with every other two recorded at the Twenty second and one fowl flushed from Quarry Pond at the Twenty sixth. Jack Snipe have transform relatively continuously recorded, with 5 ringed previously week and a top depend of 7 at the Twentieth. Data of Not unusual Snipe have diminished after the massive inflow in the course of the month, with generally round 8 birds recorded day-to-day on this length. The Redshank continues its keep, even if it used to be recaught at the 18th and worryingly had dropped from 150g to 120g. It’s been noticed feeding on worms for the reason that 18th even though and so is now discovering extra appropriate puts to feed than farm animals grids and automobile tracks!
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| Jack Snipe Barton Box © Luke Marriner |
A few Not unusual Gull had been sighted across the beach with 3 beneath Quarry Seaside at the Twenty first. A flock of 25 Herring Gull with a unmarried Not unusual Gull had been loafing within the Touchdown Bay at the Twenty fifth, later noticed flying in smaller events across the north finish. A excellent day depend of 30 Lesser Black-backed Gull at the Twenty third. A primary-winter Yellow-Legged Gull used to be discovered feeding on a carcass of a Blue-fin Tuna at the Seventeenth, each excellent Lundy information. We additionally won a belated file of an unbelievable remark this week- a unmarried Chough used to be noticed and heard north of Jenny’s Cove by way of a visiting climber!
A Purple-throated Diver used to be noticed from the MS Oldenburg 10 mins after it departing the Touchdown Bay at the Twenty first. A Nice Northern Diver has been picked up nearly day-to-day for the reason that Twenty first, feeding off of the Touchdown Bay. Usually round 40 Gannet are recorded off of the beach day-to-day. A number of information of Cormorant this week, which isa relatively uncommon customer to the island. On this length 3 at the Nineteenth, six at the Twenty second, one at the Twenty third and two at the twenty fourth. As much as two Gray Heron have nonetheless been noticed fishing across the beach, which is possibly proving extra fruitful than Pondsbury – a whole lot of earlier guests have no longer stayed so long as those birds after generally being noticed at the freshwater our bodies around the island. A small flock of 3 Gray Heron drifted over Tibbets from the east at the twenty fourth.
No less than two Yellow-browed Warbler had been discovered alongside the east coast at the afternoon of the twentieth, with one fowl proceeding to the Twenty sixth, generally noticed in Quarter Wall Copse. A Purple-breasted Flycatcher additionally grew to become up at Quarter Wall Copse at the Twentieth, detected past due within the day and no longer noticed due to this fact.
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| Yellow-Browed Warbler Quarter Wall Copse © Angus Croudace |
We’ve got noticed moderately a couple of past due information of a few species passing thru, most probably because of the very gentle autumn. It began to really feel like September once more when every other Not unusual Whitethroat, a hanging male Not unusual Redstart and a Pied Flycatcher had been picked up at the Twenty second! A past due Eurasian Reed Warbler used to be noticed continuously in Millcombe Nineteenth-Twenty third, shifting between the again of Millcombe Space and the Decrease Lawn. A unmarried past due Whinchat used to be at Quarter Wall at the Twenty sixth. A past due Tree Pipit used to be noticed at the deck by way of Quarry Cottages at the Nineteenth and one used to be additionally heard in flight by way of two observers at the Twentieth heading north over the terrace. At the similar day a Richard’s Pipit used to be heard and noticed in flight leaving the island over the citadel.
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| A shocking male Not unusual Redstart at Stoneycroft © Angus Croudace |
Usually round 100 Meadow Pipit had been recorded day-to-day originally of this era, shifting over in small teams or in my view, with a top depend of 394 at the Twenty second prior to numbers diminished extra just lately with 42 at the Twenty fifth and 29 at the Twenty sixth. Skylark passage continues with as much as about 30 heading south maximum days even if simply 3 at the Twenty sixth. The 20 th noticed a couple of past due hirundines shifting thru with 230 Swallow and 16 Space Martin. As much as 30 Swallow are recorded on maximum different days even if a whole absence at the Nineteenth and Twenty sixth are a sign that their passage is tapering off.
About 18 Chiffchaff day-to-day Nineteenth-Twenty second, shedding to five by way of the Twenty sixth. A small arrival of twenty-two Blackcap at the Twenty second even if those temporarily moved thru with simply part a dozen final at the Twenty sixth. Firecrest proceed to be noticed nearly day-to-day, with a top depend of 5 at the Twentieth, together with one who used to be noticed arrive ‘in-off’ within the corporate of 25 Goldcrest. There used to be every other huge inflow of Goldcrest at the Twenty second, with 112 recorded and 74 ringed in Millcombe within the morning. The second one Treecreeper of the yr used to be heard calling within the backside of Millcombe at the Twenty first.
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| Firecrest ringed in Millcombe © Luke Marriner |
We had a noticeable arrival of migrant Robin at the Twentieth with a top day depend of 39. Two Black Redstart had been discovered at the west coast at the Twenty third with one fowl operating its means from Outdated Mild to the Hotel at the Twenty fifth. After a small hiatus in information a couple of Wheatear had been sighted on the finish of this era, with two day-to-day for the reason that Twenty first, and a top depend of 5 at the Twenty fifth. Unmarried Gray Wagtail over day-to-day for the reason that Twenty second with 3 at the Twenty third. 3 sightings of White Wagtail at the Nineteenth, Twenty first and Twenty second.
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| Feminine kind Black Redstart by way of Lambing Shed/Hotel © 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 in the second one part of October, with small flocks repeatedly streaming previous the island on some days. Starling additionally transfer, with our standard early October counts of quite over 100 birds joined transiently by way of flocks of migrants. A number of hundred had been recorded day-to-day between 18th-Twenty sixth with two top counts of 414 at the Twentieth and 478 at the twenty fourth.
The 20 th and Twenty fifth noticed reasonable thrush arrivals. While maximum days have recorded no less than one Ring Ouzel this week, we had a top depend of 8 at the Twentieth and 3 at the Twenty fifth. 40 Fieldfare at the Twentieth and 51 at the Twenty fifth. There have been 92 Redwing at the Twentieth with about 40 maximum different days, and they are able to from time to time be heard calling as they move over at evening too. Maximum significantly at the Twenty fifth used to be a big arrival of Blackbird and Music Thrush with day counts of 39 for each species. Mistle Thrush are unusual on Lundy in autumn and so it used to be great to have one on the North Finish at the Twenty third and no less than one damn across the most sensible of Millcombe at the Twenty fifth.
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| Fieldfare Millcombe © |Time Jones |
After the primary preliminary push of c1500 Chaffinch already reported at the Sixteenth, we noticed this scale up reasonably. A few hundred had been recorded day-to-day Seventeenth-Twenty first prior to 550 moved thru at the Twenty second, 4031 on Twenty third and 3114 on twenty fourth! The most important push coincided with the south-easterlies, which is standard for Lundy. Chaffinch appear to favor flying into a gentle headwind. Precious ringing information have confirmed that some birds passing thru Lundy breed in Scandinavia and even as a long way east as Russia. From those breeding grounds they migrate south-west down a slender hall over continental Europe (in place of crossing the North Sea) prior to some move the English Channel after which move again to transport south and overwinter in central/southern Europe. The people that we see passing Lundy are most probably readjusting their path after finishing up at the north facet of the Bristol Channel, in all probability quite additional east than that they had supposed.
Siskin scaled up proportionally, with round 100 day-to-day however 810 on Twenty second, 1157 on Twenty third after which a drop to 334 on twenty fourth the place they had been considerably outnumbered by way of the Chaffinch. Some of the finches a few Brambling were picked out on maximum days, most often detected by way of their nasal, wheezing name. There used to be a excellent top depend of 14 at the Twenty third. A unmarried Greenfinch used to be recorded on Seventeenth, Twenty second and Twenty fifth. Lesser Redpoll were picked up generally as singles with a pair an afternoon however top counts of 5 at the Twenty third and 8 at the Twenty fifth. Linnet numbers have dropped considerably from the 168 recorded in early October. We are now handiest achieving tallies of 20-40 birds recorded day-to-day, with equivalent numbers of Goldfinch. Those are generally in very small flocks with not one of the huge groupings noticed previous within the season.
A Lapland Bunting toured the island at the Twentieth-Twenty second as noticed/heard by way of many observers. The second one Snow Bunting of the fall used to be elusive round Heart Park at the Twenty third. We are hoping that some extra classically confiding people drop in prior to the season is out. Great Reed Bunting passage has been recorded with between one and 6 birds day-to-day, most often as singles calling overhead or shedding into favoured spaces such because the willows beneath Executive, and Pondsbury/Acklands Moor/Quarter Wall.
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| Ringing station in Millcombe with (L-R) Luke Marriner, Joe Parker and Paul Morton © Tim Jones |