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The island has change into a frenzy of searching raptors this week with Merlin a relentless presence. As much as 5 people counted, in addition to an autumn excessive rely of 5 Kestrel. As much as eight Peregrine Falcon had been recorded this week, and a male Sparrowhawk has joined the lengthy staying feminine with the 2 birds often seen searching alongside the east coast. A ringtail Hen Harrier was current on the Nineteenth and as much as two Quick-eared Owl have been picked up Twenty first-Twenty fifth. Our spotlight of this week was undoubtedly a shocking juvenile Pallid Harrier on the Nineteenth, the primary file for Lundy. It was seen by many at areas 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.
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| Juvenile Pallid Harrier © Eden Davies |
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| Preliminary Views of juvenile Pallid Harrier over Quarries © Tim Jones |
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| Juvenile Pallid Harrier © Eden Davies |
A single first-winter male Wigeon was current on Barton Discipline on the Nineteenth after which Pondsbury 20-Twenty first. Just a few Teal arrived on the 18th with a excessive rely of 4. A feminine kind Frequent Scoter was seen off of Benjamin’s Chair on the 18th after which North Gentle on the Nineteenth. As much as 5 Water Rail have been heard calling this week, all in Millcombe/St John’s apart from a hen under St Helen’s Copse. Woodpigeon numbers have dropped from eight to zero, 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 Discipline © Tim Jones |
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| Frequent Scoter off of North Gentle on the Nineteenth © Tim Jones |
A single Lapwing was seen on the Twenty third with one other single hen seen on the Twenty fifth across the Airfield. The final date Golden Plover had 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 hen flushed from Quarry Pond on the Twenty sixth. Jack Snipe have change into pretty repeatedly recorded, with 5 ringed previously week and a excessive rely of seven on the Twentieth. Information of Frequent Snipe have decreased after the big inflow in the course of the month, with sometimes round eight birds recorded day by 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 for the reason that 18th although and so is now discovering extra appropriate locations to feed than cattle grids and car tracks!
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| Jack Snipe Barton Discipline © Luke Marriner |
A few Frequent Gull had been sighted across the shoreline with three under Quarry Seaside on the Twenty first. A flock of 25 Herring Gull with a single Frequent Gull had been loafing within the Touchdown Bay on the Twenty fifth, later seen flying in smaller events across the north finish. A superb 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 obtained a belated report of a unbelievable 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 day by day for the reason that Twenty first, feeding off of the Touchdown Bay. Usually round 40 Gannet are recorded off of the shoreline day by 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 varied small freshwater our bodies throughout the island, typically showing to battle to search 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 least two Yellow-browed Warbler had been discovered alongside the east coast on the afternoon of the Twentieth, with one hen 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.
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| Yellow-Browed Warbler Quarter Wall Copse © Angus Croudace |
We have seen fairly a number of late information of some species passing by means of, probably because of the very gentle autumn. It began to really feel like September once more when one other Frequent Whitethroat, a putting male Frequent Redstart and a male Pied Flycatcher had been picked up on the Twenty second! A late Eurasian Reed Warbler was seen repeatedly 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 Fort.
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| A surprising male Frequent Redstart at Stoneycroft © Angus Croudace |
Usually round 100 Meadow Pipit had been recorded day by day at the beginning 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 lately 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 a number of late hirundines transferring by means of with 230 Swallow and 16 Home Martin. As much as 30 Swallow are recorded on most different days though a whole absence on the Nineteenth and Twenty sixth are a sign that their passage is really fizzling out.
About 18 Chiffchaff day by day Nineteenth-Twenty second, dropping to five by the Twenty sixth. A small arrival of twenty-two Blackcap on the Twenty second though these shortly moved by means of with simply half a dozen remaining on the Twenty sixth. Firecrest proceed to be seen virtually day by 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 giant inflow of Goldcrest on the Twenty second, with 112 recorded and 74 ringed in Millcombe within the morning. The second Treecreeper of the 12 months was heard calling within the backside of Millcombe on the Twenty first.
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| 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 had been discovered on the west coast on the Twenty third with one hen working its approach from Outdated Gentle to the Lodge on the Twenty fifth. After a small hiatus in information a number of Wheatear had been sighted on the finish of this era, with two day by day for the reason that Twenty first, and a excessive rely of 5 on the Twenty fifth. Single Gray Wagtail over day by day for the reason that Twenty second with three on the Twenty third. Three sightings of White Wagtail on the Nineteenth, Twenty first and Twenty second.
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| Feminine kind 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 continually 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 had been recorded day by 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 no less than 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 no less than one rattling across the high of Millcombe on the Twenty fifth.
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| 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 had been recorded day by day Seventeenth-Twenty first earlier than 550 moved by means of on the Twenty second, 4031 on Twenty third and 3114 on twenty fourth! The most important push coincided with the south-easterlies, which is typical for Lundy. Chaffinch appear to desire flying into a lightweight to reasonable headwind. Precious ringing information have confirmed that some – maybe most – birds passing by means of 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 by means of Denmark, Germany and the low international locations (instead of 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 lately had been maybe readjusting their course to a extra south-westerly course, having been pushed additional north and west than supposed by sturdy easterly/south-easterly winds.
Siskin scaled up proportionally, with round 100 day by 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 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 a very good 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 day by day, with related numbers of Goldfinch. These are sometimes in very small flocks with not one of the giant 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 Lifeless 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 day by day, often as singles calling overhead or dropping into favoured areas such because the willows under Authorities, and Pondsbury/Ackland’s Moor/Quarter Wall.
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| Ringing station in Millcombe with (L-R) Luke Marriner, Joe Parker and Paul Morton © Tim Jones |
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