finchesforsale

On discovering that the Radio Room was available for a week following a cancellation, Martin Thorne grabbed the opportunity for a pre-Christmas break on the island. Here’s his summary, including an encounter with not one but three Great White Egrets – a new species for Lundy’s burgeoning bird list!

“My week started with a skua harassing Kittiwakes off the Landing Bay on 7th. It looked very much like a juvenile Herring Gull but had the distinctive raised wings of a skua but with no noticeable wing barring – a shame I didn't have my 25x100 binoculars handy as I feel certain it was a Pomarine (certainly the most likely skua species to occur in SW waters this late in the year – eds). The following day a Mediterranean Gull off the Jetty was showing an interest in a Grey Mullet dying of a severe infestation of gill parasites (see photo). Later on I saw a Yellow-browed Warbler feeding around the gateway opposite the Shop. On Wednesday a white-winged gull flew over the Airfield, possibly a Glaucous though it looked rather small. Looking through the gulls again on Thursday, I picked out one or more adult Yellow-legged Gulls. On Saturday there were two immature Glaucous Gulls, one white, one very brown (see photo). I would say from the markings on its head the latter was the same bird that turned up on Monkstone Beach, Pembrokeshire, due north of Lundy, on 14th Dec (see https://pembsbirds.blogspot.com/). The same day I made it up to the North End. It was very quiet bird-wise, with six Snipe around Pondsbury and just three Gannets off North End. On Sunday I noted well in excess of 450 gulls, split into roughly four flocks.

 

 

On most days there were two or more Black Redstarts, four Stonechats and a Chiffchaff in Millcombe, a single Great Northern Diver off the East Side, and a Woodcock in and around St John's Valley at dusk. Standing outside the Radio Room at one point, a stone bounced off the roof and hit the ground hard. On closer inspection I realised it was a gastrolith, or gizzard stone, consisting of a piece of tarmac – no doubt purged by some high flying gull. 

Chiffchaff, Millcombe © Martin Thorne

 

Undoubtedly the high point of my stay came on 8th when, from below the South Light, I saw what I first thought were three Cattle Egrets approaching from the west. As they loomed into view I became aware of their much larger size, brilliant white plumage, dark legs, yellow bill and rather heron-like cranked neck posture – three Great White Egrets (which I later learned from the two Tims were new for Lundy!). Without stopping, they headed away east toward the mainland. Oh, and I mustn’t forget also two speedy Teal at dusk!

 

 

Non-avian sightings included a superb stag Sika Deer in Middle Park, and a Grey Seal emerging from kelp and various bits of 'human' waste along the East Side."