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The wind was calm to begin the week however picked up on Friday reaching as much as 45mph. It was clear and heat as much as the twenty second when it turned overcast with frequent showers.
Mallards are nonetheless having younger on the island with a brand new brood of 9 ducklings seen by the Church Area ditch. Swifts had been widespread this week with a excessive depend of 29 seen screaming above the Village on the twenty third. An sudden chook was seen on the twenty fourth, a Quail was flushed by the trail in South West Area. This small gamebird is barely a bit larger than a Skylark however spend the winter in Africa.
There was a noticeable motion of Gray Heron on the twenty first. 4 had been seen flying west over Ilfracombe because the boat was boarded within the morning. In the meantime three flew over the island and one other two had been seen flying over within the night. Two Collared Dove had been seen on the twenty second and the variety of misplaced Racing Pigeons by Paradise Row elevated from seven to 11 on the twenty fifth.
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| Racing Pigeons, Paradise Row © Stuart Cossey |
Many of the Swallows seen this week had been the resident birds with the pair within the Church Porch now with small chicks. A single Sand Martin was seen on the twenty third. There may be nonetheless no confirmed breeding from our Blackcap or Chiffchaff pairs, nevertheless there have been not less than two juvenile Whitethroat nonetheless by the Ugly on the twenty third.
A Rosy Starling was seen briefly by the Pig Sty on the twenty first however didn’t grasp round not like the chook earlier within the month. One other island rarity on the Pig Sty was a male Yellowhammer on the twenty third. Some small finch passage was apparent on this week with a male Siskin current on the twenty third to the twenty fifth. 5 Goldfinches have been frequently seen feeding on the Thistles by the Water Tanks each morning along with the three households in Millcombe.
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| Goldfinch, Ackland’s Moor © Stuart Cossey |
Away from the birds, a big inflow of Hummingbird Hawk-moths was seen on the twenty second with not less than six seen throughout the island. At one level there have been 4 directly on the Valerian in Millcombe. A Minke Whale was seen throughout the crossing on the twenty third and quite a few Widespread Dolphins had been recorded throughout the outward crossing on the twenty first. In sadder information a 4m lengthy lifeless Risso’s Dolphin was washed up by the Jetty on the twenty third a lot to the curiosity of the guests coming off the MS Oldenburg.
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| Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Millcombe © Stuart Cossey |
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| Risso’s Dolphin, Touchdown Bay © Stuart Cossey |
Contributors: S Cossey, R Ellis, Z Wait
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