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Tuesday 14 November 2017

Tue 14 Nov – Olive-backed Pipit and Brambling influx

Tony reports "a very interesting day", ending with an Olive-backed Pipit in St John's Valley; the second confirmed sighting of the autumn, following one on 13 Oct, but there have been tantalizing 'possibles' in recent weeks (see posts for 28/29 Oct and 3 Nov). Bramblings were "amazing: 37 birds, feeding in lots of unexpected places". This is by some margin the highest one-day total since 'The Birds of Lundy' was published in 2007, but still a long way off the all-time record of 510 on 25 Oct 1973! Also of note today were a Great Skua heading south off the East Side, 3 Woodcocks, a Coal Tit in Quarter Wall Copse, a Firecrest in Millcombe, one Blackcap, three Chiffchaffs, 115 Redwings, 16 Fieldfares, a Ring Ouzel in Millcombe, 47 Siskins, 90 Chaffinches and a Reed Bunting. So just as it seemed that migration might be starting to tail off, another wave of new arrivals keeps up the excitement!

Incidentally, there was a notable passage of Bramblings, Chaffinches and thrushes over the North Devon coast near Ilfracombe this morning, in drizzly, murky conditions; clearly part of the same influx noted on Lundy.

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