Saturday, 17 July 2010

Birds list June to early July

Hi everyone,
Plenty of wildlife out and about on the reserve this month.

Skomer Wildlife Highlights June to July 2010

Up to 95 Canada geese seen on North Pond and plenty of goslings

A brood of 9 shelduck chicks on North Pond at the start of June, and in North Haven later on

Shoveler chicks seen on North Pond

Teal ducklings seen on the 15th June

Pheasant present on the island and chicks seen from the 22nd June

Fulmar chicks seen on the cliffs from the 1st July

Manx shearwater chicks hatching, large rafts of birds seen in St Brides Bay in the early evening

Storm petrels present on the island

Gannets diving for fish on windy days

Juvenile cormorants seen on The Amos

Shag seen regularly around the coast with juveniles on the Garland Stone

5 little egret at Moory Mere on the 8th June

2 grey heron flying over on the 8th June and 4 seen over North Haven on the 5th July, mobbed by gulls

Buzzard commonly seen around island, mobbed by jackdaw at Bull Hole

Peregrine juveniles at High Cliff throughout June and early July

Moorhen with chicks at Moory Mere

Oystercatcher breeding, lots of large chicks at the end of June and early July

Curlew with chicks at the start of June

Lesser black-back, greater black-back and herring gull chicks seen all over the island

Kittiwake with large chicks seen at the Wick, Bull Hole and High Cliff

Guillemot and razorbill chicks on cliff ledges. Starting to fledge from mid June

Puffins bringing fish in for chicks, large chicks exercising at burrow entrances

Several racing pigeons seen at the Old Farm. Please do not feed the pigeons!

Wood pigeon and collared dove seen all over the island

Little owl with large chicks seen on rocks on the way to the farm from North Haven

Short eared owl juveniles seen amongst bracken near Captain Kites rock, seen less

commonly

towards July

One swift at the Wick on 1st June

Skylark singing all over the island

Swallow breeding in the Old Farm, juveniles flying from start of July

House martin at the start of June

Meadow and rock pipits seen regularly

Pied wagtail breeding at the Old Farm, juveniles seen in the courtyard

Wren and dunnock heard singing regularly

A black redstart on the 2nd June

Wheatear breeding around the coast, juveniles seen from early July

Blackbirds seen around island, juveniles at Old Farm

Sedgewarbler and whitethroat singing in elder and bramble

Family groups of chough seen around Wick and Mew Stone

Groups of raven at The Amos and Bull Hole

Juvenile magpie at the start of July

Up to 70 jackdaw at North Pond in elder

Carrion crow seen regularly

Occasional chaffinch around Old Farm

Small flocks of goldfinch juveniles at thistles behind farm in early July

Linnet around Old Farm at the end of June

Pairs of reed bunting around the island

Invertebrates

Dark green fritillary, red admiral, small copper, large white, painted lady, small tortoiseshell, ringlet, greyling and meadow brown butterfly on sunny days

Cinnabar, burnet and hummingbird hawk moth seen during the day

Fox moth caterpillars

Glow worms at night amongst the bracken

Marine life

Seals seen at the Garland Stone, Pig Stone Bay and North Haven

Jellyfish seen from the landing at North Haven

Porpoise seen at the entrance to North Haven and one calf on the 14th June

What to look out for in July

Waders sightings increase as birds begin return passage, look out for dunlin, whimbrel, curlew, green sandpiper, common sandpiper, purple sandpiper, greenshank, turnstone and lapwing.

Most razorbill, guillemot and puffin will have left by the end of the month, the odd few hanging around on cliffs or on the water.

Fulmar chicks seen more often as they grow bigger and parents cease brooding them. Kittiwake chicks ready to fledge by the middle/end of the month. Willow warbler and chiffchaff start passing through in small numbers.

As well as the usual butterflies look out for - wall brown, gatekeeper, grayling and humming-bird hawk-moths.

Seal numbers increase at haul out sites by the end of the month. More sightings of common dolphin and chance of seeing sunfish.






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