Bird Sightings

By Tara McEvoy-Wilding

Due to foggy weather on Friday, the helicopter day was moved to Saturday, which altered by plans for the day as I had to do ground crew!

Because of my tie to the helicopters wildlife encounters were few and far between... but I did keep a 'luggage list' (list of bird spotted whilst collecting and delivering luggage!).

• On the way to Old Light I saw 10 Mallards, many Herring Gulls and lots of Starlings attempting to steal the sheep's breakfast
• There was a Pied Wagtail by the shop 
• A Peregrine was sat on a Chimney at the Castle
• A Skylark and 2 Meadow Pipits were hanging out by Hamners

Meanwhile Simon conducted the weekly Butterfly transect, but sadly saw no butterflies. The Treecreeper remained in Millcombe throughout the day, and was spotted by Eleanor, Thomas and Greg at various times. Greg also spotted a Common Dolphin pod feeding behind Rat Island!

After the last helicopter (hopefully the last of the season!) had left and we had delivered all the luggage I did the 'Above and Below the Waves' talk in the wheelhouse, it had been very well advertised today so the room was full!

In the evening we all met up to see if we could catch and ring any Manx Shearwaters on the west coast. We walked carefully through the colony but unfortunately the moon was too bright so most of the Manxies were reluctant to come into land or to come out of their burrows due to the risk of predation. We did get a glimpse of a couple flying past us though! Because the visibilty was so good we could see all the way down to the rocks below and as the waves were breaking they were sparkling- it was the bioluminescence! This is caused by phytoplankton creating light through a chemical reaction in their tiny bodies, they typically use this for defence, so when they are spun around in a breaking wave they mistake it for something swimming along trying to eat them. Despite the lack of Manxies it was a good trip out and made a good practice run- now we just have to wait a couple of weeks for the new moon!

My only (not very good) photo from the day- the West Coast Slopes at Night! Red lights are used so we and the Manxies don't lose our night vision

By Thomas Weston

A very wet and windy start to the day with low cloud base and persistent rain from the West. A day where you could stay in bed all morning and wait for the fronts to pass. Though, not today, census called, and waterproofs were put on ready for the drenching. The visibility was less than 50m and was better than first thing this morning where staff members reported visibility down to 5m! Crazy.

Treecreeper in Millcombe. Photo by Thomas Weston

Millcombe involved walking through the cloud. The Ugly was not the best vantage point over the Landing Bay as I couldn’t see the Landing Bay from this spot. However, walking on round, Chaffinches, Dunnocks, and Wrens were singing from the brambles and in Smelly Gully. A look from the first bend on the Shore Road just below the Gas Store resulted in the Landing Bay becoming visible. The first Sandwich Tern of the year was feeding around Rat Island, the wintering Great Northern Diver was nearby, and a small flock of Shag fed in the Landing Bay near the Jetty. Walking towards Brambles accommodation, a small flock of Blackcap were in the trees above the Gas Store and our recently arrived Treecreeper was feeding with them which was a great little spot. A couple of Goldcrest were recorded before heading back into the cloud and onwards. Benjamins Chair, Rocket Pole Pond and the Airfield held 10 Meadow Pipits, 19 Carrion Crows, 8 Mallards, and 102 Herring Gulls plus a full drenching. The Village was not much busier so back into the office for some admin and waiting for the storm to pass.

By Eleanor Harris 

Today started with Greg conducting our daily census. The weather was mild and relatively calm, but with a slight chill in the air from the west so it will be interesting to see what today brings. On the route some of Greg’s highlights where a Firecrest, two Water Rails and a Siskin all present in Millcombe. 

Lighthouse View EH

Meanwhile, as it was our day off, me and Thomas completed some much needed housework ahead of meeting Greg to check the Manx Shearwater boxes. Walking to the West it was beautiful to be out in the calm, sunny weather, but it was certainly noticeable that the weather was slowly changing before the low fog and cloud predicted for tomorrow. Due to the predicted weather forecast, tomorrow’s helicopters have been postponed till Saturday as visibility will be rather poor so a real change from today. 

On our way to the colony we spotted several colour-ringed Wheatears, a rather out of place Woodpigeon on the Airfield, Merlin and Peregrine. On your next visit keep an eye out for colour-ringed birds, especially Wheatears, as data collected by you contributes to wider scientific study and understanding. It was great to show Greg the Manx Shearwater boxes with checks being successfully carried out and breeding signs evident in the colony. The boxes will be monitored throughout the season so we will keep you all posted on any updates. 

Swallow Pondsbury Thomas Weston

After checking the boxes we took Greg on a tour of the West showing him the Earthquake, Jenny’s Cove and Pondsbury. It was great to see 37 Swallows and 16 Sand Martins along our route being some of the highest numbers so far this year. Back into the village we checked Barton’s Field with 2 Pied Wagtails and 2 White Wagtails seen so a good walk overall. 

Treecreeper in Millcombe Thomas Weston

As it was such a beautiful day, me and Thomas headed to Millcombe to open a few nets and enjoy some Minstrels. Dropping down into Millcombe it was noticeable that the wind had dropped with the valley being a sheltered haven. Once down in the valley we bumped into the university students and lecturers who are currently staying on the island so offered to give them a ringing demonstration. Birds ringed were 6 Goldcrest plus a retrap, as well as a retrap Chiffchaff from Saturday’s session. Whilst down in Millcombe we spotted a Treecreeper which was a great find, and a Lundy rarity. Whilst we were down in Millcombe the weather started to turn with light rain showers so we decided to packed up and head back for dinner. No Minstrels were had as we got slightly distracted! 

Today has been a productive day in many ways with some lovely weather ahead of tomorrow’s wash out!

By Greg Lee

Hello everyone!

My name is Greg Lee and I’m very pleased to be joining the team as the Voluntary Bird Observatory Assistant for the season until early November. Previously, I’ve had several experiences at UK-based Bird Observatories including internships at Sandwich Bay and Spurn before becoming Assistant Warden at Sandwich Bay from 2022-24 and then spending last season as one of the Assistant Wardens at the brilliant Bird Observatory on Bardsey Island in North Wales. Having really enjoyed my season spent on Bardsey and on a remote island, I caught the island bug and jumped at the chance to apply to spend some time on Lundy this year. Until my arrival on Monday 23^rd, I had never set foot on Lundy, having a rather unfortunate experience of trying to visit on a day trip whilst on a holiday in North Devon in early July 2024 (looking at the Heddon Valley High Brown Fritillaries etc.). Typically, though, the winds became strong, the sea became choppy and our boat got cancelled. No bother, we booked for the next day, only to get cancelled again! So, I was very pleased to finally arrive on the island by helicopter, getting very unique views of up to four enormous Basking Sharks loafing in the waters off the south coast of the island, my first ever. Over the season, I’ll be assisting the team in conducting the censuses, ringing and various conservation projects as well as helping the island community with the upkeep of various tasks. I’m a very keen naturalist in several areas, so as well as the birds, I’ll also be keeping an eye out for Lepidoptera, Odonata and plants (including the Lundy Cabbage) so I’m excited to see what the island delivers this season. If you are visiting the island, you will see me doing the rounds in the morning or assisting with the ringing, or you may even see me brandishing my microphone doing some sound-recordings so please feel free to say hi!

Overnight was pretty noisy on the island, an F7 wind roared in swinging round to the north-west and bringing a healthy dosage of hail which hammered down on our windows in the small hours along with a fair bit of creaking in our various accommodation. However, it is not enough to dampen our spirits and first thing in the morning, I joined Thomas and Eleanor for only my second morning census. Even though the sea was very choppy, and we were being buffeted as we walked, the sun was shining and there were some birds to be had on our patrol. Down in Millcombe, a Blackcap, Firecrest, five Goldcrests and six Chiffchaffs were using the sheltered valley for respite (had they really moved in overnight?). At first the Landing Bay also seemed quite quiet, but patience paid off with the long-staying Red-necked Grebe and two Great Northern Divers sighted on the surface of the sea. It proved to be a bit of a raptor-fest as well, with the Sparrowhawk, Merlin and one of the Peregrines all zooming past on the high winds. Near Quarry Cottages, a bit of close-in Gannet activity offshore caught our eyes. In my experience, the Gannets are usually following something else and sure enough, a pod of at least 20 Common Dolphins were breaching the surface. 

After a bit of a thaw out in the office, I then turned my attention to some of the mandatory health and safety training, which gave time for the wind to die down a bit before Thomas and I headed out to check on the nets and ringing equipment in Millcombe Valley. On our way over, we detoured over to the Castle where we sighted a decent feeding frenzy of seabirds far offshore including Kittiwakes, Shags, Herring Gulls and Manx Shearwaters, though what they were following was never determined. In the Landing Bay, one of the Great Northern Divers was still lingering and a few Razorbills were close in.  A White Wagtail also flicked over whilst down on the cliffs a Wheatear was singing. The wind is due to die down tomorrow so what the birds will do in response, we shall see!