Rather windy and numerous rainfall during this era with only a few birds round or shifting on some days. A little of respite on thirtieth noticed a bit of extra passage ahead of a chain of storms blew in from the Atlantic, with named Typhoon Ciaran arriving within the night time of the first November.
After one earlier report on sixteenth November 1956, simply the second one Lundy report of Surf Scoter used to be discovered off of the east coast at the Twenty seventh. The feminine sort hen used to be to start with picked past Rat Island however obligingly moved nearer into the Touchdown Bay permitting higher commentary and affirmation of the ID. Sadly, a Nice Northern Diver resurfaced beside the scoter and spooked it. The Surf Scoter flew immediately again out to sea and used to be no longer noticed once more. An grownup feminine Shelduck used to be provide on census at the flooded flooring beside the water tanks at the third. 3 Teal have been noticed over the ocean from the east coast at the 1st and later sitting within the calm waters of the Touchdown Bay. By means of the 2d that they had joined our unmarried hen up at Pondsbury, and at the third any other two birds had joined the flock making a complete of six.
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| Document shot of feminine sort Surf Scoter in Touchdown Bay © Andy Jayne |
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| Grownup feminine Shelduck on the subject of the Water Tanks © Angus Croudace |
A take a look at of Brazen Ward at the twenty eighth discovered a flock of 32 Oystercatcher which is the perfect rely since spring. A unmarried Golden Plover overflew the airfield on thirtieth and used to be calling prime over Millcombe at the Thirty first, and heard once more over the water tanks at the third.
Nocturnal survey effort continues, made slightly more straightforward by way of the converting clocks. Any other 3 Woodcock have been ringed at the thirtieth with two different birds noticed and any other unmarried flushed in sunlight at the Decrease East Coast Trail. Sadly one carcass used to be present in SW box at the third; most probably a Peregrine Falcon kill. 3 Jack Snipe have been discovered at the thirtieth with one ringed, and any other used to be discovered close to Quarter Wall in sunlight hours at the Thirty first. The island is maintaining a considerable amount of floor water this present day with various superb spaces for snipe to roost or feed, so they are turning up in all places, no longer simply in a couple of key spaces that have been in most cases frequented previous within the autumn. Barton Box has contained a Jack Snipe on each survey since mid October, however now we are encountering them in puts such because the airfield too. Prime counts of six Not unusual Snipe have been recorded at the thirtieth and the 2d with two separate observations of a hen being pursued by way of a Peregrine Falcon at the twenty ninth and thirtieth.
The storms have noticed seabirds amassing to feed in climate home windows within the lee of the island against the top of this era, with 500 Kittiwake at the Thirty first and over 1500 at the 1st November. Over 100 Gannet and 80 auks among them. Our lengthy staying iciness plumage Nice Northern Diver used to be joined by way of any other which retained a lot of its superb summer season plumage at the twenty eighth. A 3rd hen used to be additionally noticed with them at the thirtieth. A minimum of one has been noticed day by day since. A unmarried Cormorant flew over the island at the twenty eighth, Thirty first and 1st. A Gray Heron remains to be picked up every so often and as much as 3 Water Rail can nonetheless be heard calling in Millcombe Valley.
We loved superb island protection in a lot of October, however with maximum visiting birders away, in addition to our Chook Obs Warden Joe, the north of the island has contributed a ways fewer information to the log ebook. Raptor information are considerably down after incredible numbers closing week. That is most probably partly because of lowered protection but additionally a consequence of a few raptors having moved on now that the majority of the migrant passerines and waders that they have been feeding on have handed via. Each a female and male Sparrowhawk are nonetheless noticed every so often, only one male Kestrel recorded on this length and as much as 4 Peregrine Falcon. A minimum of 3 Merlin have been nonetheless provide at the twenty eighth, however hereafter none have been recorded till a unmarried hen from Tibbet’s at the third. After a length of no sightings for the reason that twenty fifth, a Brief-eared Owl used to be once more noticed in Lighthouse Box at the Thirty first and watch flying on Fort Hill by way of two guests at the 1st. Significantly a past due Osprey flew south into robust winds an excellent distance off of the east coast at the 1st November. That is our fourth report of the fall and the newest for Lundy by way of 5 days, with one up to now on Twenty seventh October 2001, at a time when the species used to be no-where close to as neatly established as it’s nowadays. It is incredible to look them thriving in the United Kingdom once more, and our information this yr in all probability mirror this restoration, with up to now just one, every so often two birds recorded on passage within the autumn.
As much as seven Chiffchaff are recorded day by day, even though in most cases simply 3 in Millcombe and a pair alongside the east coast. The lengthy staying Yellow-browed Warbler confirmed very properly at Quarter Wall at the Twenty seventh however has no longer been noticed since. Slightly extra motion at the thirtieth with 18 Blackcap new in after a few clean days within the log ebook. In a similar way for Goldcrest with 9 at the thirtieth and 12 at the Thirty first. An excessively showy Firecrest used to be simply noticed and heard from the seaside highway at Windy Nook at the twenty ninth and thirtieth, ahead of two have been then trapped and ringed at the Thirty first
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| Firecrest, Seaside Highway © Angus Croudace |
Any other inflow of no less than 100 Starling joined our longer staying birds at the thirtieth, however had moved on once more by way of the following day. A Ring Ouzel has been recorded on a regular basis except for for the Twenty seventh, with two men losing in beneath the Timekeeper’s Hut at the thirtieth among a small flock of Fieldfare. Fieldfare remained in unmarried figures till the thirtieth when 70 have been recorded in a few higher flocks. Round 20-30 have caught round since, with some birds frequenting the Water Tanks and any other flock across the most sensible of Millcombe. We had the second one perfect rely of Redwing for the fall at the thirtieth at 110 (after 700 on their large arrival day at the twelfth October). Part of those birds erupted out of the beer lawn shrubbery and left the island in a while after daybreak. After a few clean days initially of this era, we are recording between 5 to 10 Track Thrush day by day for the reason that thirtieth A flock of ten Blackbird used to be noticed alongside Prime Side road at the 2d. A Mistle Thrush used to be damn concerning the village at the thirtieth and Thirty first. A unmarried Woodpigeon has been noticed in Millcombe at the Thirty first and third, the primary report for the reason that twenty third.
Excitingly, an grownup male Waxwing used to be picked up on census at the twenty eighth and remains to be provide, favouring the decrease gardens in Millcombe, even though it used to be additionally photographed by way of the Timekeeper’s Hut above the Terrace. It kept away from the mist nets at our first check out, however any other cross at the Thirty first in calmer climate used to be a success, making this hen the primary Waxwing ever to be ringed on Lundy! It is only the 6th report of this species for Lundy. They’re an annual customer to the United Kingdom in iciness, however some years an ‘irruption’ sees an enormous inflow when meals is scarce or the elements is surprisingly harsh of their most well-liked wintering grounds. It is having a look like a Waxwing iciness this yr, with large numbers already noticed around the east coast of the United Kingdom, with a couple of bizarre information of smaller numbers or people making it as a ways west as Lundy or Eire.
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| Waxwing a few of the restricted number of berries these days on be offering in Millcombe © Joe Parker |
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| Waxwing in Sycamores above the Battlements © Angus Croudace |
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| Waxwing within the hand © Luke Marriner |
A few past due Swallow with six at the Thirty first, a few of which roosted in a single day with 3 picked up once more at the 1st. A unmarried hen used to be recorded suffering within the gale drive winds over the Airfield at the 2d, and we have been happy to look that it had survived via into the third, flying across the village. The most important motion of Skylark used to be a flock of 9 at the thirtieth with a few singles in a different way. A large distinction to Skokholm a bit of additional north who reported a number of hundred shifting via at the Thirty first! A Woodlark used to be discovered sheltering from the 60mph gusts within the heather round Rocket Pole within the morning of the 2d.
Stonechat numbers were significantly low this week, steadily within the low unmarried figures. A past due Northern Wheatear used to be in Brick Box at the thirtieth. 3 days on this length have recorded no wagtails of any species, in a different way only some unmarried Alba/Pied Wagtails recorded with one Gray Wagtail at the Twenty seventh.
Chaffinch numbers were round 225 during Twenty seventh-Thirty first except for for the twenty ninth with 401. This used to be additionally most probably an undercount as birds have been shifting in modest numbers however we lacked the protection to watch the total extent. Within reach, at Bull Level in far more than 5000 have been recorded at the identical morning, even though we suspect that some showers out to sea to the north of Lundy supposed that the birds moved up the Bristol Channel ahead of making the crossing, therefore decrease numbers over us regardless of beneficial winds. Passage had stopped by way of the first, with only a ranking or so discovered feeding at the tracks or in Millcombe. Simply 4 information of Brambling this week, together with a feminine ringed in Millcombe. We famous about 80 Siskin day by day till Typhoon Ciaran and then simply unmarried figures have been to be discovered. A small flock of 8 Linnet has been feeding in St Johns Valley this week, with a few singles picked up in different places. Two Lesser Redpoll at the Twenty seventh are these days the closing report within the log ebook, and at the identical day 3 Snow Bunting have been noticed at the wall round Tibbet’s, even though unfortunately have no longer been resighted.
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| Male Brambling in Sycamores above Millcombe Pines © Angus Croudace |
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| Feminine Brambling ringed in Millcombe © Luke Marriner |
And after all for this week, a wee video from Typhoon Ciaran, taken in an overly windy SW box.