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The settled climate has continued this week, winds remaining as gentle easterlies other than a a lot gustier morning on the Fifth. The Fifth was very quiet, however the week received rather more thrilling on the Sixth-Eighth, with 4 Wryneck on the island for 2 days in addition to a first-year Woodchat Shrike on the Sixth.
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| First 12 months Woodchat Shrike Barton’s Area © Angus Croudace |
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| First 12 months Woodchat Shrike on Sycamore above Millcombe Pines © Angus Croudace |
Now that we’re into the swing of autumn numbers of Sylvia warblers are beginning to rise, with a couple of dozen Blackcap and Whitethroat usually pushing up Millcombe. Counts of 41, 65 and 40 Willow Warblers on the 6-Eighth, with a noticeable change to juvenile birds slightly than the adults that dominated the sooner counts within the season. A few Reed Warblers, Chiffchaff and Widespread Redstart seen every day, and one Sedge Warbler on the Sixth (Pondsbury) and Eighth (Millcombe pines). There was a small push of Firecrest, with 5 on the Sixth. Final 12 months the very best Firecrest depend was three on the ninth September, with different counts of three later in October. The push this week is prone to signify native mainland breeders, with Scandinavian birds forming the majority of our passage in October.
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| Firecrest, Millcombe © Angus Croudace |
Flycatchers have been a jov to look at, with the east facet positively buzzing with them. Max counts of twenty-two and 45 Noticed Flycatcher on the Sixth and seventh and 18 and 24 Pied Flycatcher on the identical dates. For comparability, final 12 months peak counts of Pied Flycatcher had been 6 in early September, and max depend of Noticed Flycatcher was 20. It is a nice comparability which exhibits the affect of the sustained easterly winds that we’ve got been experiencing. Seven Whinchat on the seventh and 11 on the Eighth are nice indicators of extra autumn migrants shifting by means of, as are Tree Pipit (two over Millcombe on the seventh, and a minimum of 4 over the island on the Eighth). One or two Siskin have additionally been heard flying over Millcombe two for the reason that Sixth.
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| Noticed Flycatcher above Millcombe © Angus Croudace |
One Swift and one Sand Martin over on the Sixth together with a small push of 250 Swallows. 5 Home Martin on the seventh had been accompanied by a trickle of 60 Swallow. A Collared Dove was seen over Millcombe and on the roof of the barn on the Sixth. The autumn has been gradual on the raptor entrance, with just one feminine Sparrowhawk seen on the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth.
Two Golden Plover over Millcombe on the seventh, with 5 Ringed Plover additionally recorded north of Quarter Wall. One Widespread Snipe at Pondsbury on the Fifth and Sixth and three on the Eighth. An east coast seal survey additionally turned up a Widespread Sandpiper at Brazen Ward and two Turnstone at North Mild, in addition to a depend of 26 Oystercatcher. Wader passage is vastly under-recorded on the island and alternatives corresponding to accompanying the marine staff on seal surveys is a good excuse to select up a few of these birds. One other Widespread Sandpiper was heard from Millcombe within the night on the Eighth. A Gray Heron has nonetheless been noticed most days.
The primary-year Rose-coloured Starling continued to seventh, seen with the opposite starlings as typically as it’s alone across the village and Millcombe. The Pintail has been current till the seventh, spending extra time round Pondsbury than Millcombe.
When it comes to ringing effort, the sunshine winds for the reason that Sixth have meant that the mist nets in Millcombe have been open every day with highlights of three Wryneck ringed (one was caught within the Heligoland entice on the Terrace). A few nice night classes on the seventh and Eighth picked up a dozen flycatchers. Our visiting ringers proceed to ring about 20 Manx Shearwater over on the west coast, with a few Storm Petrels picked up too.
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| Wryneck, Millcombe © Angus Croudace |
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