The elements has been rather constant for 3-Sixth October, with average winds from the south-west restricting any passage on a big scale over Lundy. The tail finish of this week featured a lot lighter winds and superb solar at the Eighth, with some prolonged classes of heavy fog at the Ninth-Tenth.
Golden Plover data were nearly day-to-day on this duration, with an autumn prime depend so far of 9 over Millcombe at the Ninth, with the flock apparently led through a unmarried Bar-tailed Godwit, and tailed through a unmarried Snipe! A flock of 24 Oystercatchers used to be observed at Quarry Seashore at the 4th.
A unmarried Nice Northern Diver used to be within the Touchdown Bay at the morning of the seventh. On an island-wide seal survey at the 4th two Arctic Skuas had been picked up, a faded morph from North Mild and a gloomy morph inflicting havoc in a Gannet feeding flock east of the Touchdown Bay. A Mediterranean Gull used to be picked up within the Touchdown Bay at the fifth and some other off of the east with 115 Kittiwake at the seventh. A primary-winter Yellow-Legged Gull used to be provide within the Touchdown Bay at the Tenth. After the fog cleared at the Ninth and Tenth the seabirds began feeding in earnest, with numerous Gannet job – 120 recorded off of the east feeding at the Ninth. Our 2nd autumn flock of possibly dispersed, roving Gray Heron used to be picked up at the Tenth, with 17 east of the Touchdown Bay in a while after break of day making slightly the spectacle, albeit at a distance!
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| Golden Plover, Airfield © Angus Croudace |
While it used to be too windy to ring in Millcombe early within the week we had been out dazzling each night time, with nice luck. Seven Commonplace Snipe were ringed. The use of the thermal has been beneficial in serving to us file what number of snipe we if truth be told have, with daylight hours data most often of unmarried birds. Now that slightly a couple of are ringed, with additional effort around the autumn and wintry weather, we’re going to be capable of get a greater deal with on what number of birds stick round for some time, or whether or not there may be a lot turnover of people. We are additionally taking a look ahead to mid-October, once we must start to pick out up Jack Snipe, which can be two thirds the dimensions of Commonplace Snipe and flush a lot a lot later, and are thus very tough to seek out! Every other 6 Wheatear in addition to over 20 Skylarks have additionally been ringed in those periods, that have interested in SW Box, Brick Box and the Airfield, with one foray north to Center Park. Particularly a Commonplace Redstart used to be additionally stuck with reference to the Stonecrusher at the night time on 4th, two days after it used to be first discovered on a morning census.
Within the gentle winds on the finish of the week shall we open the nets in Millcombe. The most efficient consultation used to be at the Ninth, once we stuck 51 Siskin and a dozen different commonplace migrants, in addition to some other Pink-eyed Vireo which have been picked up within the box through Luke within the morning. This chook weighed 20.3g, much more than the up to now ringed chook at 15.6g. It is obviously been feeding smartly since arriving (possibly) some of the massive UK inflow two weeks in the past, ahead of arriving in Millcombe.
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| Pink-eyed Vireo stuck and ringed in Millcombe © Angus Croudace |
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| Male Siskin stuck and ringed in Millcombe © Luke Marriner |
Unsurprisingly, the Pied Flycatcher stuck in Millcombe at the second with very low fats and muscle rankings caught round till the Sixth, settling on to feed up across the Oak underneath the Seashore Highway. Noticed Flycatchers too can nonetheless be observed feeding from the tops of the Sycamores in Millcombe day-to-day, with a max depend of 5 at the Ninth. A minimum of one Firecrest has picked up in Quarter Wall Copse and or Millcombe day-to-day, with a prime depend of seven at the seventh. A overdue Tree Pipit used to be heard calling from the Terrace because it moved south at the Sixth, and two Siskin had been picked up at the 4th and the Sixth. Because the winds modified later within the week Siskin numbers higher dramatically with a minimum of 60 every day Eighth-Tenth. Because the east coast of the United Kingdom witnessed an enormous autumn fall after beneficial robust easterly winds, thrushes started their migration and our first 5 Fieldfare, 3 Redwing and a Music Thrush arrived at the Ninth. A unmarried Greenfinch arrived into Millcombe at the Ninth too, and has remained provide at the Tenth.
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| Noticed Flycatcher, Millcombe © Angus Croudace |
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| Firecrest in decrease Millcombe © Angus Croudace |
Our first Merlin of the fall additionally after all arrived at the 4th October, a month later than final 12 months’s first at the fifth September. The 3rd first 12 months Osprey of the fall headed south at the seventh, observed alongside the east coast, and by chance flying immediately over the M.S. Oldenberg because it used to be boarding, permitting all of our guests very good perspectives too.
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| Merlin, 3-quarter Wall © Luke Marriner |
A 2nd Ortolan Bunting of the fall used to be picked up in Millcombe at the seventh behaving as though it had simply arrived, transferring concerning the valley so much and associating with more than a few different finches. It used to be discovered once more feeding with Meadow Pipits round Acklands Moor at the Eighth within the morning. It confirmed rather well on each events, and used to be calling steadily. A Snow Bunting used to be discovered across the west finish of 3-quarter Wall at the 4th, and introduced best two very temporary flight perspectives. Reed Bunting singles had been in Millcombe at the fifth and above Benjamin’s Chair at the Tenth. A ringed Wryneck used to be observed in Millcombe at the Eighth as smartly, the primary sighting because the twenty ninth.
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| Ortolan Bunting, © Angus Croudace |
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| Ringed Wryneck underneath Millcombe Area © Luke Marriner |
When it comes to different commonplace migrants, Water Rail proceed to name in Millcombe day-to-day, with 3 recorded at the Tenth. We are nonetheless choosing up just right numbers of Skylark with a prime depend of 54 at the Eighth. A few Chiffchaff had been picked up every day till the winds modified once they numbered round 15 every day from the Eighth. Goldcrest numbers have declined in two levels – the week began with an inflow of 41 and then we tended to file about 20, and completing with simply 4 at the Tenth. A few overdue Reed Warblers arrived on the finish of the week, with a prime depend of 3 on each the Eighth and Ninth, two of that have been stuck and ringed. Swallow counts are most often about 60 every day all week, with a couple of bunches of Area Martin, together with 44 at the Eighth. No Sand Martin since two at the 4th. Wheatear numbers are a lot diminished, with simply 4 at the Tenth.
There were small numbers of wagtails recorded, with a unmarried Gray Wagtail at the Eighth and Tenth. A few Pied Wagtail maximum days and a few small teams of Alba (Pied/White) Wagtails in flight, totalling 13 birds transferring at the Eighth. Chaffinch numbers stay underneath ten. Two Gray Heron and feminine Sparrowhawk are nonetheless provide, and one Teal has been observed on Pondsbury at the 4th and Ninth.
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| A misty west coast at the Ninth because the island seemed above the fog © Angus Croudace |