Birds of Lundy - Updates to the species accounts

Last modified: 1 November 2007

Periodic updates to the species accounts will be posted when significant new information comes to light from the latest observations on the island, or from additional historical information that may come to light. Factual clarifications and corrections will also be posted here.

White-fronted Goose

(p.46) 1992

Update Tony Fox of the Greenland White-fronted Goose Study Group has kindly provided the following additional details concerning the colour-ringed bird seen on Lundy from 23 to 30 October (note that the Lundy individual was marked at Wexford Slobs, Ireland, in November 1991, with an orange neck-collar and a white darvic leg-ring, both bearing the letters OXK):

“0XK was an adult female caught with two other adult females, 0XH and 9XK, which stayed together in winter 1991/92 at Wexford after their capture with four unringed birds that they were clearly related to but which escaped capture. Interestingly, 9XK did not make it back to Wexford in winter 1992/93 (as 0XH did), but it was seen at Hvanneyri in west Iceland in October 1993 and appeared at Wexford in winters 1993/94 to 1995/96, moving to Loch Foyle in Northern Ireland in winter 1996/97, after which it was not seen again on the winter quarters. 9XK was seen at Hvanneyri in spring and autumn 1996, and was last seen in spring 1997 at Borgurtun on the south coast of Iceland in April 1997, before being found long dead at in Vestur Barðastrandar, in the north-west corner of Iceland, on 15 September 1997. 0XH was not seen 1993/94 but was seen on Islay in winters 1994/95 and 1995/96 and was back at Wexford in 1999/2000, not being seen after that. 0XK of course made it back to Wexford in winter 1992/93 but did not associate with 0XH that year (or subsequently), but it had got back together with 9XK when they returned in winter 1993/94 and again in 1994/95. 0XK continued to be seen every winter from then until 1999/2000, apparently returning with a single gosling and its unringed mate in 1997, the only time it was suspected of breeding. Strangely, it was not seen in 2000/2001, and the very last sight record was 31 March 2002 at Wexford before it was reported shot on 22 November 2003 at a farm called Vallnatun, Eyjafjoll in Rangarvallasysla, southern Iceland (63 degrees 33N, 19 degrees 48W) – a rather sad end to the story.”

Brent Goose

(p.48) 2007

Update 22 Oct – one, adult dark-bellied bird (Branta bernicla bernicla) in the Landing Bay was still present on 28th (at least), when it was seen in flight by Rat Island.

Manx Shearwater

(pp.62–65) 2007

Update In the first two weeks of September David Price, Adrian Plant and Tony Taylor caught and ringed 55 young and 15 adult Manx Shearwaters on the West Side, south of the Battery, marking the fourth consecutive year of breeding success for this species. There was a series of exceptionally late autumn records: one was heard calling near Hanmers (by Kate and Liza Cole) on the evening of 7 October; one was found on the ground near Brambles on the night of 9 October by Chris and Carol Baillie; four were seen passing offshore on 15 October; and Andy Jayne heard one calling on the West Side near Old Light on the evening of 31 October.

Balearic Shearwater

(p.65) 2007

Update 12 to 16 Oct – up to three were seen daily offshore from the south-east of the island. These records are subject to acceptance by DBRC.

Honey Buzzard

(pp.75) 2006

Clarification This record remains subject to acceptance by the DBRC.

Water Rail

(pp.88–89) 2007

Correction The chick found in August 2007 (see textbox on p.89) was picked up at – and returned to – Quarter Wall, not Millcombe as stated.
Update Another chick, approximately a week old, was seen, this time in Millcombe, on 15 & 17 October. The pattern of sightings during the year suggests that two pairs may have bred in Millcombe. Overall, at least two pairs bred on the island in 2007 in at least two different sites, i.e. Quarter Wall and Millcombe. While the wet late spring and summer may have helped, the eradication of rats is probably the most important factor enabling Water Rails to breed successfully.

Arctic Skua

(pp.115–116) 2007

Update 15 Oct – 11 individuals seen during a day of strong seabird passage was by far the highest total ever recorded from the island, the previous maximum count being just two birds (on four occasions, most recently on 5 October 1999).

Great Skua

(pp.116–117)2007

Update 15 Oct – six individuals seen during a day of strong seabird passage was the highest total ever recorded from the island, the previous maximum being three on 5 October 1999.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

(pp.152–153) 2007

Update 18 Oct – a male seen on the Terrace during the morning was relocated in the small copse below Hanmers late in the afternoon.

Woodlark

(p.155) 2007

Update 20 Oct – one was heard calling in flight over Castle Hill, during a morning of heavy southward finch passage.

Richard’s Pipit

(pp.162–165) 2007

Update 13 to 19 Oct – at least three different individuals were seen at various locations between Halfway Wall and Castle Hill, including two together on Castle Hill on 17th. These records are subject to acceptance by DBRC.

Wheatear

(pp.183–184)

Update Tony Taylor has recently reviewed ringing information and comments that: “40 of the birds ringed between 1972 and 1999 were noted as Greenland Wheatears O. o. leucorhoa and there are others that were not recorded as such but which had wing-lengths well beyond the nominate range. There has been less chance of catching Greenland Wheatears in more recent years, with little ringing activity at the best times for them and Quarter Wall Trap out of action.” (Received from Tony Taylor 31 October 2007)

Swainson’s Thrush

(pp.184–185) 1986

Correction The 27 Oct record should be deleted. The final two paragraphs of the Grey-cheeked Thrush species account (p.185) confirm that while the corpse was initially identified as that of Swainson’s Thrush, it was later found to be almost certainly a Grey-cheeked Thrush.

This means that there are only two accepted records of Swainson’s Thrush for Lundy.

Fieldfare

(pp.189–190) 2007

Update 19 Oct – a strong southward diurnal passage involved at least 1,180 birds; the second highest count ever recorded on the island (the highest being 1,500 on 4 November 1981).

Grasshopper Warbler

(p.195) 2007

Update 23 Oct – one trapped was the latest ever recorded on the island (the previous latest being one on 20 October 1969). The bird’s measurements and plumage tones suggested that it might belong to the eastern race Locustella naevia straminea (Tony Taylor, personal communication).

Blackcap

(pp.201–204)

Correction p.203 table (a): the 1st-year bird ringed on Lundy on 20 October 1988 and found in Switzerland in May 1990 was a female, not a male as stated. The original BTO recovery form showed male, but a correction was issued subsequently (Tony Taylor, personal communication).

Barred Warbler

(pp.204–205)

Clarification At least 25 different individuals occurred during the period 1947 to 2006 (first record in this period 1949, last in 2005).

2007

Update 12 Sep – a first-winter bird trapped in St John’s Valley was the eleventh Barred Warbler to be ringed on the island. This record is subject to acceptance by DBRC.

Yellow-browed Warbler

(p.210–211)

Correction p. 210, third paragraph, fifth line: 2006 is quoted as one of the years in which Yellow-browed Warbler was recorded on 16 September. Owing to the lack of an adequate supporting description, the logbook entry for one seen on 16 September 2006 was not accepted by LFS/DBRC. It was therefore excluded from the listing on p. 211 and the reference on p.210 should also have been deleted.

2007

Update 8 to 19 Oct – recorded daily with a record maximum count of at least eight different individuals present on 13th. All were seen in Millcombe, St Helen’s Copse, Quarter Wall Copse and the small quarry between VC Quarry and the Terrace Trap. These records are subject to acceptance by DBRC.

Goldcrest

(pp.219–220)

Update p.220 table (b): the 2nd-year bird ringed in Cornwall on 27 Mar 1996 was a male.

Red-breasted Flycatcher

(p.223) 2007

Update 8 & 10 Oct – a first-winter bird was seen in Millcombe on both dates; two individuals may have been involved. This record is subject to acceptance by DBRC.

Jackdaw

(p.235) 2007

Update 18 Oct – a notable influx of 31 birds (the fourth highest total ever recorded) occurred, together with 18 Rooks. The mixed flock arrived during the morning, from the north and circled high over the South End. Most birds landed in the Tillage Field, but all had left by early afternoon.

Rook

(pp.236–237) 2007

Update 18 Oct – a notable influx of 18 occurred, together with 31 Jackdaws. The mixed flock arrived during the morning, from the north and circled high over the South End. Most birds landed in the Tillage Field, but all had left by early afternoon.

Rose-coloured Starling

(pp.242–243) 2007

Update 12 Sep – a juvenile was seen around the village. This record is subject to acceptance by DBRC.

22 Oct – one was seen in Millcombe, unusually associating with Fieldfares rather than Starlings. This record is subject to acceptance by DBRC.

Goldfinch

(pp.254–255)

Clarification p. 255, first paragraph, third to fifth lines: the bird found at Lee Mill Plymouth on 8 June 1994 had been shot and likely to have been reasonably fresh for the finder to know this. It is therefore most likely that this bird was in its breeding area when killed.

Lapland Bunting

(pp.265–266) 2007

Update 18 Oct – at least seven were seen, including three together on the Airfield, constituting the highest daily count since six were recorded on 22 October 1994. This record is subject to acceptance by DBRC.

Corn Bunting

(p.273) 2007