Monday 6th June to Sunday 12th June 2016
Bird recorders: Anton Meenan, Grace Meenan, Chris Ingram, Niall T. Keogh, Ralph Sheppard, Liz Sheppard, Bryan Pinchen et al.
Total of 68 species of bird recorded during the week as follows:
Mute Swan: pair at the east lake throughout the week.
Whooper Swan: adult at the north lake from 9th-12th June.
Greylag Goose: pair at the north lake from 9th-12th June.
Shelduck: pair at the east lake and harbour from 9th-12th June.
Mallard: females with chicks seen at east lake, harbour and north lake from 9th-12th June.
Tufted Duck: female with 10 chicks plus another pair at the north lake with a further 6 males and 1 female at the south lake from 9th-12th June.
Pheasant: female at east end on 8th June.
Great Northern Diver: breeding plumaged adult off the harbour on 9th June and a 2nd calendar-year type off the south side of the island on 12th June.
Fulmar: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Manx Shearwater: notable westward movement of small flocks off the south side of the island on 12th June.
Gannet: present offshore throughout the week.
Cormorant: single figure counts of non-breeding birds along the south side of the island from 9th-12th June.
Shag: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Grey Heron: two around south lake area from 10th-12th June.
White-tailed Eagle: wing-tagged 2nd calendar-year seen at the south east end on 6th and 7th June (Anton Meenan, Grace Meenan et al.). This bird is from the Mountshannon nest at Lough Derg, Co. Clare, born in 2015 (per Allan Mee).
Buzzard: one around West Town and north cliffs on 11th June.
Corncrake: 5 calling males plus one silent bird seen at West Town and a further three calling males at East Town from 10th-12th June. A high count of 10 calling males (5 at West Town and 5 at East Town) recorded in recent weeks (per Anton Meenan).
Oystercatcher: confirmed breeding recorded across the island (incubating birds seen).
Golden Plover: singles on 9th and 11th June.
Ringed Plover: confirmed breeding recorded across the island (small chicks seen).
Lapwing: confirmed breeding recorded across the island (fledged young seen).
Whimbrel: three along the south shore near south lake from 10th-12th June.
Turnstone: one on 9th June and two on 12th June at the east end beach.
Knot: three 2nd calendar-year birds at south lake on 12th June.
Sanderling: one with Dunlin along the south shore near south lake on 10th and 11th June.
Dunlin: up to 10 birds along the south shore near south lake on 10th June. Single birds seen on breeding habitat at two locations also.
Redshank: confirmed breeding recorded across the island (fledged young seen).
Snipe: probable breeding recorded across the island (multiple males ‘drumming’ over suitable breeding habitat).
Great Skua: high count of three birds in flight over the island on 11th June. No indication of breeding taking place.
Puffin: 100’s of birds present offshore from the north cliffs from 9th-12th June.
Black Guillemot: small numbers seen offshore from south and east parts of the island from 9th-12th June. Birds seen in suitable breeding habitat also.
Razorbill: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Guillemot: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Sandwich Tern: three off the south shore near south lake on 10th June.
Common Tern: one adult with Arctic Terns at the west end on 12th June.
Arctic Tern: total of 110 birds at the west end with up to 30 nesting pairs recorded from 10th-12th June. Three 2nd calendar-year birds present among the flock on 11th June.
Kittiwake: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Black-headed Gull: total of 16 pairs breeding at north lake on 10th June (small chicks seen).
Common Gull: total of 103 pairs breeding between north lake, west end and south lake on 10th June.
confirmed breeding recorded across the island (small chicks seen).
Lapwing: confirmed breeding recorded across the island (fledged young seen).
Whimbrel: three along the south shore near south lake from 10th-12th June.
Turnstone: one on 9th June and two on 12th June at the east end beach.
Knot: three 2nd calendar-year birds at south lake on 12th June.
Sanderling: one with Dunlin along the south shore near south lake on 10th and 11th June.
Dunlin: up to 10 birds along the south shore near south lake on 10th June.
Redshank: confirmed breeding recorded across the island (fledged young seen).
Snipe: probable breeding recorded across the island (multiple males ‘drumming’ over suitable breeding habitat).
Great Skua: high count of three birds in flight over the island on 11th June. No indication of breeding taking place.
Puffin: 100’s of birds present offshore from the north cliffs from 9th-12th June.
Black Guillemot: small numbers seen offshore from south and east parts of the island from 9th-12th June. Birds seen in suitable breeding habitat also.
Razorbill: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Guillemot: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Sandwich Tern: three off the south shore near south lake on 10th June.
Common Tern: one adult with Arctic Terns at the west end on 12th June.
Arctic Tern: total of 110 birds at the west end with up to 30 nesting pairs recorded from 10th-12th June. Three 2nd calendar-year birds present among the flock on 11th June.
Kittiwake: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Black-headed Gull: total of 16 pairs breeding at north lake on 10th June (small chicks seen).
Common Gull: total of 103 pairs breeding between north lake, west end and south lake on 10th June confirmed breeding recorded across the island (small chicks seen).
Great Skua: high count of three birds in flight over the island on 11th June. No indication of breeding taking place.
Puffin: 100’s of birds present offshore from the north cliffs from 9th-12th June.
Black Guillemot: small numbers seen offshore from south and east parts of the island from 9th-12th June. Birds seen in suitable breeding habitat also.
Razorbill: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Guillemot: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Lesser Black-backed Gull: one pair breeding on north lake on 10th June (incubating bird) plus several non-breeding birds around the island.
Herring Gull: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Iceland Gull: a 2nd calendar-year at east lake on 12th June (Ralph Sheppard & Anton Meenan).
Great Black-backed Gull: confirmed breeding recorded at cliff-nesting seabird colony sites.
Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon: present across the island throughout the week.
Collared Dove: high count of six at West Town on 10th June.
Merlin: one female/immature type seen around the harbour on 12th June.
Chough: a total of seven birds recorded from 9th-12th June. One pair of adults at the east end and a pair along the north cliffs with three fledged juveniles.
Hooded Crow: 10+ recorded across the island from 9th-12th June.
Raven: one pair with three fledged juveniles present from 9th-12th June.
Skylark: confirmed breeding recorded across the island (carrying food for young).
Swallow: small numbers of birds recorded around West Town, seen visiting probable nest sites.
House Martin: two around West Town on 10th and 11th June.
Chiffchaff: one in Anton’s garden, West Town on 9th June.
Blackcap: male in the magic bush, West Town on 10th and 11th June. Female in Anton’s garden, East Town on 12th June.
Sedge Warbler: total of three males singing/displaying in the reedbeds around West Town on 10th June.
Wren: confirmed breeding recorded at West Town (carrying food for young).
Starling: confirmed breeding recorded across the island (fledged juveniles and adults seen visiting nest sites with food for young). Roost flock/murmuration of 100+ birds at West Town on 11th June.
Song Thrush: pair nest building at West Town on 11th June (second breeding record for the island?).
Mistle Thrush: one around East Town on 9th June.
Spotted Flycatcher: one seen on the roof of the school, West Town on 10th June.
Wheatear: confirmed breeding recorded across the island (fledged young see
Tree Sparrow: at least 15 birds present between West Town and East Town including two broods of fledged juveniles in Anton’s garden, West Town on 11th June.
Pied Wagtail: two pairs confirmed breeding at West Town and one pair confirmed breeding at East Town from 10th-12th June (carrying food for young).
[White Wagtail: one around the harbour on 9th June.]
Meadow Pipit: confirmed breeding recorded across the island (carrying food for young).
Rock Pipit: confirmed breeding recorded across the island (carrying food for young).
Reed Bunting: pair near south lake on 10th June and a male near West Town on 11th June.
A total of 710 species of flora and fauna was recorded on the island during the course of the BioBlitz week. Other wildlife and plant highlights included Minke Whale, Bottlenose Dolphin, Harbour Porpoise, Grey Seal, Common Seal, Otter, Rabbit, Wood Mouse, Pygmy Shrew, Basking Shark, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Common Blue, Green-veined White, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Moss Carder Bee, Six-spot Burnet, Elephant Hawk-moth, Angle Shades, Silver Y, Netted Pug (scarce moth last recorded on the island in the 1950’s), Moonwort and Adder’s Tongue.
