i Peter,
long time no see, I hope things are well and you will make it up to
Tory over the autumn, I am sure you are kept busy at home though!
I had a great start to the week on Tory but things quietened down and
the last few days were a real struggle to dig out anything new.
I arrived on the 30 Sept and there were a lot of birds about, easterly
winds over the preceding and coming days brought a lot of movement,
but by the 3 the winds had shifted and would remain un-productive.
Great northern diver 1 adult summer south over the island on 6 Oct.
Red-throated diver 3 adults south 7 Oct of west end.
Fulmar 30 plus on 7 Oct with one blue fulmar.
Sooty Shearwater 1 from ferry on 30 Sept and 1 7 Oct.
Manx Shearwater 3 from ferry on 30 and a few each day on sea watches.
Storm Petrel An adult was found on the road by locals
over night on 1-2 Oct and released the following night, seemed to be
in good condition.
Gannet Several feeding from the harbour and moving
south each day.
Cormorant less than 5 most days around the island, more off-shore
Shag usuall 4-5 in harbour with similar numbers
around the island.
Grey Heron 4- 2adults and 2 imms each day till 3rd, only
adults after that.
Mute Swan 2 adults and 2 juv west end, 2 adults east end
Pink-footed goose 5 flew west over west town late Oct 3, the same
flew east early Oct 4.
Barnacle goose c. 20 east end on Oct 4.
Brent goose 1 Juv on 3 in west town was found hanging
from wires the following morning near the lighthouse, died later.
Mallard Roughly 20 between the harbour and lakes.
Shoveller Female on the sea by east lake on 3 Oct.
Wigeon 3 east and west lakes, steadily grew to
double digits by end of stay.
Teal Roughly 15 between the lakes.
Tufted duck 1 female west lake throughout joined by a male
on the 8 Oct.
Buzzard 1 adult behind west town throughout.
Sparrowhawk atleast 3 during the week, 1 female flew to
mainland on Oct 3rd, new juv male Oct 5th. Seen everyday.
Kestrel 1 each day at east and west end, 3 on 8
Oct, all seemed to be juvs.
Peregrine 1 adult east end from 3 Oct.
Merlin 3, juv male, juv female and adult female,
atleast 2 seen each day.
Water rail heard east lake on 3 and 6 Oct.
Ringed plover 3 on 30 Sept, 1 on 2 Oct and 2 Oct 6.
Golden Plover 1 on 30 Sept, 1 on 2 Oct, 9 on 3 Oct, 12 4 Oct,
small flocks after that daily.
American golden plover 1 on 4 Oct, flew over west town early am
with 4 golden plover, not re-located.
Purple sandpiper 1 on 7 Oct
Turnstone Numbers grew from c. 12 to 50 from first day to last.
Dunlin 1 on 30 sept, 2 on 2 Oct.
Redshank Atleast 20, numbers seemed consistent daily.
Curlew Same as Redshank, about 20 mostly around
west town and lake.
Snipe flushed upto 10 most days, 1 taken by a
merlin on 8 Oct.
Jack snipe 1 on 30 Sept, 1 on 6 and 7 Oct.
Great Skua 1 on 5 Oct and 1 on 7 and 8 Oct.
Black-headed gull 1 first winter in harbour on 2 Oct.
Common gull Atleast 20 each day, consistent numbers.
Herring gull upto 75 some days around the harbour, numbers
fluctuated daily.
Lesser black backed gull 1 adult and 2 juv/1st winters most days.
Great black backed gull c. 10, numbers seemed consistent daily.
Kittiwake small numbers moving through daily.
Puffin 1 from ferry on 30 Sept, 1 west end on 5 Oct.
Black guillemot Several from ferry but only 3-4 east end most days.
Guillemot Passed in small numbers daily, no counts.
Razorbill Seemed to out number Guillemot, but no counts.
Feral Pigeon c 20 between both towns.
Skylark c 10 till 2 Oct, only 1 or 2 subsequently.
Swallow 1 west town 2-5 Oct and 1 on 7 Oct.
Richards pipit 1 west end on morning of 1 Oct, 2 dropped in
behind football pitch at 1pm and remained to Oct 8 atleast, joined
here by a third bird on 4 Oct. 2 adults and 1 juv. Hard to know if it
was 3 or 4 birds.
Rock pipit Outnumbered meadow, c. 50 around the island most days.
Meadow pipit large numbers on 1 Oct, other wise seemed out
numbered everywhere by rock.
Red-throated pipit 1 heard from Anton's on 30 Sept, later located on
the beach by east lake, only seen briefly on the ground, first winter.
White wagtail 2 on 30 Sept, 2-3 on 4 Oct.
Pied wagtail c. 15 most days.
Yellow wagtail 1 grey bird on 1 and 2 Oct.
Wren At least 20 birds most days.
Robin At least 3 birds each day.
Wheatear 5 on Sept 30, 2-3 each day from Oct 3, one taken
by merlin 4 Oct.
Song thrush minimum of 5, 2 fresh juvs. each day in West town.
Blackcap 12 on 1 Oct slowly fell throughout the remaining week.
Willow warbler 3-4 most days, seemed to be little movement.
Chiffchaff 5-9 most days, as with willow warbler, birds
were in similar spots each day.
Yellow-browed wabler 1 in Anton's 30 Sept west town. 1 flew into
Anton's east end from the east 3 Oct, heard once the following day.
Pied Flycatcher 1st winter male behind west town on 1 Oct.
Hooded crow c. 7 around the island.
Raven Atleast 1 pair, maybe 2.
Chough I think there are 5 birds, 1 lone bird around the
lighthouse, a pair at each town moving from cliffs to beach.
Starling c. 250, numbers seemed consistent each day.
Tree sparrow high count of 18 in east town, but many small
mobile flocks about.
Redpoll A small flock over the lighthouse on 1 Oct never landed.
Linnet 15 to 4 Oct and a lone bird 7-8 Oct.
Goldfinch 19 until 7 Oct but none seen after.
Siskin 1 fly over west on 2 Oct.
Greenfinch 1 flyover east on 3 Oct.
Reed bunting Adult male and 2 juvs behind the helipad daily, 1
Grace's 7 Oct.
Snow bunting A lone flyover a few times on 3 Oct and 5 Oct.
Surprisingly no redwing heard or seen and for the first time, not a
single eider around the island or mainland.
Fingers crossed I will get out again in a few weeks, and hopefully see
you out there sometime soon,
All the best,
Robert
Yellow wagtail, richards- juv and adult and juv female merlin with snipe.
