By Kirsty Cox
It started as a very wet day. After a lot of rain overnight, it continued into the morning. Obviously the rain is very welcome as water is definitely needed here to top up the dwindling supplies on the island. It did make for a very damp run for me first thing but it was incredibly refreshing and a real change after all the sunshine!
My morning was spent on the East Coast surveying the seals for the weekly population count. I have been off island for just over a week and since I came back I have been trying to get my head around the seal pup arrivals. It feels very inconsiderate that while I was away the pups kept arriving and the ones that were already here kept getting bigger so that now I am back I am having to slowly put together the jigsaw pieces to work out who is who! It’s like a crazy 3D puzzle taking into consideration probable age, size, markings, location, and Mum IDs! The first part of my survey took in the usual Pup Check beaches so I started with some more 3D puzzling before the sun came out and I carried onto the rest of the survey further up the East Coast. There were a total of 95 seals including several pups and most of the seals were congregated around the middle to north of the island where it is quieter for them, although rougher seas today meant there were less hauled out at the far north end than usual. 
Seal and Pup by Kirsty Cox
After completing the survey it was back to the office to upload all the photos and data to the spreadsheets for ID processing later, and then I headed down to the Landing Bay to take up position as ‘Pup Police’ in time for visitors leaving on the Oldenburg. We still have pups making use of the Landing Bay Beach so we need to ensure that there is as little disturbance as possible and it is also a great chance to chat to people about seals and the work that we do to support the population here on Lundy.
Once my patrolling was complete I headed back to the office for more 3D Pup Puzzling and ID work which carried on into the evening. Another long but productive day on Lundy!
Elsewhere on the island there were some great sightings. During the morning Greg saw a Ringed Plover, a Western Bonelli’s, a Juvenile Rosefinch and another Wryneck. 
Juvenile Rosefinch by Greg Lee
While Thomas and Eleanor spotted a Lapland Bunting and a Golden Plover. 
Lapland Bunting by Greg Lee
By Greg Lee
With clear skies overnight and a slackening of the breeze, it perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise that there was a good arrival of migrants. Perhaps it is a bit too early to call it an Indian summer, since summer itself only really just ended, but it was a gorgeous early September day with sunshine and plenty of heat. First thing, I joined Ian and Rosie (our Manx Shearwater ringing team) in heading to Millcombe to set the nets up. As we reached Secret Garden, there was a big flock of Blackcaps in the area, with birds seemingly everywhere in the bushes. What followed was a rather steady September ringing session, with a few Blackcaps moving though. Then, it was time for census, and the main Blackcap flock was relocated at the top of Millcombe, with some Whitethroats. I estimated at least 40 of the former although they seemed to be moving around in a very mobile group. A flyover Dunlin and Ringed Plover were nice, as was a small increase in Willow Warblers but there was little in the way of surprises. Although a loafing Sparrowhawk was doing its best to become a public menace to the Starling flock. At the Terrace, it was even busier with around 60 Blackcaps working their way southward along the Quarries. Having experienced falls like this at Sandwich Bay, often, although very magical, discerning other species is difficult amongst the mass of Blackcaps and it was no different here with few other migrants being picked out amongst the ample supply grey Sylvia warblers. A Clouded Yellow was my first for a couple of days, I’ve been reading recent reports elsewhere of counts of 1000+ of this wonderful butterfly species at some sites, surely this year must be approaching a record total for Lundy?
Willow Warbler at the Terrace by G.Lee
What followed was a rather busy day which saw me heading out on the Butterfly transect in the heat of the afternoon. Although butterflies were in good supply, the main sighting came on the Upper East Path when a large Dragonfly caught my eye. Particularly as this one had grabbed a hapless Red Admiral in flight. However, it then did something that so rarely the large dragonflies do here, and it perched. When it did, I realised it had an electric-blue saddle, apple-green eyes and a brown/violet thorax, it was a Lesser Emperor! The first Lundy record of what is an ever-increasing but impressive dragonfly species. Since my previous experience had resulted in some rather poor in-flight shots, I was thrilled to obtain a perched image of this smart insect. Elsewhere, our rather special visitor in the Glossy Ibis was also seen at times today, enjoying the vicinity of Barton Field to admiring viewers including other island staff!
Lesser Emperor by G.Lee
Wryneck by Greg Lee
Glossy Ibis by Thomas Weston
A pup on White Beach by Tara McEvoy-Wilding
Lundy map - click to enlarge