This Little Bunting ringed this morning was just the 3rd island record. A locally scarce Great Egret, single Snow Bunting and 5 Black Redstarts were the other highlights. Photo today’s Little Bunting.
The most unusual sighting of the day however came from a very lucky and astonished local who whilst taking part in the island fishing competition watched a huge Leatherback Turtle drift slowly by very close in the shore.
French ecologist and ABO autumn migration assistant Arcadie Fihey has completed her first month helping with our bird survey and research work. She has kindly offered to give a presentation on her ornithological studies in Ireland which is likely to take place next month, details will appear here in due course.
Image : Arcadie at Rockabill seabirds colony Ireland.
A filthy morning here so an opportunity to catch up and share some recent sightings of interest.
We were delighted to see colour ringed Cormorant ‘MZ’ behind the lighthouse yesterday, this bird is one of the chicks we ringed this March. The survival rate and dispersal of individual Cormorants from our small marine Cormorant colony is of particular interest given the transition this species has made in recent decades to breed inland at man made lakes and reservoirs, very likely due to the introduction of vast numbers of dedicated fishing lakes where food for these birds is plentiful and easily accessible.
An excellent day, wonderful variety amongst the birds ringed and some unusual field sightings.
It’s that narrow window in the year when we host departing summer visitors and arriving winter visitors at the same time with Swallows and Redwings together in the mist nets.
Also ringed today, Yellow-browed Warbler, Stonechat, Meadow Pipits, 3 Firecrests and 2 Zitting Cisticola amongst other species.
The Red-rumped Swallow ( reported in an earlier post) was the stand out field sighting, also Woodlark and Merlin.
Approximately 120 Swallows, 6 Sand Martins and 4 House Martins moved through the island between 1030am and 1230pm.
Photo; this morning’s Zitting Cisticolas.