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Recent Sightings

September

In the following account, the numbers referred to are the numbers present and if any of the species mentioned were ringed their numbers are given afterwards in brackets, e.g. If "15 Goldcrests (6) arrived", 15 were seen or estimated to be present and 6 were ringed. If there were Robins (5), then all 5 new arrivals were actually ringed, as often happens for some species on Copeland.

• 1st: Just 1 each of Willow and Sedge Warbler. At sea from 1800hrs 5,000 Manx Shearwater north, and 400 Kittiwakes feeding in tidal rip, and 1 Arctic Skua.
• 2nd: Sedge Warbler (4), 120 Swallow (11), 2 Willow Warbler, 3 Whimbrel. From 1300 to 1800 hrs, 22,000 Manx Shearwater and 14,000 Kittiwakes south. Less than 10% of the Kittiwakes were juvenile. All day up to 250 Guillemots and 250 Razorbills were drifting about, mainly in the Back Sound, as was a Red-throated Diver. Calm seas.
• 3rd: After long period of great visibility, the visibility dropped to 10 miles and the wind went SE light to moderate. There were 500 Swallows (47), 200 House Martin (27), 2 Sedge Warbler (1), 3 Goldcrest (2), Robin (2), 2 Greenshank, high to south.
• 4th: 500 House Martin (59), 300 Swallow (6), Willow Warbler (3), Goldcrest (3), and Chiffchaff (1).
• 5th: an autumnal day. 20 Swallow (5), Sedge Warbler (1), Willow Warbler (1), Goldcrest (10, Reed Bunting (1).
• 6th: 12 Meadow Pipit, 25 Goldcrest (9), Robin (1), and Chiffchaff (1). Swallow (9), 1 Hen Harrier, 1 Greenshank, 1 Bonxie.
• 7th: 20 Meadow Pipit (8), 60 Swallow (7), 12 House Martin (2), 12 Robin (6), Chiffchaff (1),
• 8th: 12 Swallow, 1 Redstart.
• 9th: 15 Meadow Pipit, 12 Swallow, 2 Skylark (first), 1 Grey Wagtail, and 6 House Martin.
• 10th: no manning until late in day.
• 11th: Goldcrest (6), Robin (3), Willow Warbler (3), 2 House Martin. Amazing seawatch from 1845 – 1930 hrs produced 12 adult Pomarine Skuas and one juvenile, as well as 7 others which were very distant but looked the same – flight style and height, all at 200 – 300 feet high. In the same period, one Bonxie also flew south and an adult Arctic Skua flew low over the waves southwards. An exceptional sighting was of two Long-tailed Skuas flying along the same flightline as the Pomarines, and not too far out. The tails were easily visible. After 1705hrs, 300 Kittiwakes, 4 Sandwich Terns and 160 Manx Shearwaters flew south in the next 20 minutes. This amazing burst of sea movement happened just after an active cold front passed over, followed by a fresh NW wind.
• 12th: 50+ Meadow Pipits (28), rather late Sedge Warbler (1), Willow Warbler (1), Chiffchaff (1), Swallow (2), 6 Goldcrest (2), Sparrowhawk (1).
• For the period 13th to 19th, it is not yet possible to produce detailed listings of sightings, but here is a breakdown of numbers ringed:
• 13th –14th: Goldcrest (1), Chiffchaff (1), Wren (1), Meadow Pipit (6), Robin (2), Moorhen (2), and a one-year-old Sparrowhawk retrapped.
• From 15th –18th: Chiffchaff (4), Goldcrest (11), Swallow (1), Linnet (2), Reed Bunting (2), Meadow Pipit (1), Robin (6), Spotted Flycatcher (1).
• 20th: 100 House Martin (36), 100 Meadow Pipit (22), Goldcrest (10), Linnet (3), Swallow (3), Wren (1), Sedge Warbler (1!), Willow Warbler (1!), 20 Redpoll (3) – first of autumn, Greenland Wheatear, and at sea: 1 Little Gull, 3 Pomarine Skuas, 5 Bonxies, 3 Arctic Skuas, 10 Red-throated Divers. The first seal pup was born on Mew about 2 weeks earlier than the normal earliest. A Rusty Dot Pearl Moth was identified. A total of 84 birds was ringed on 20th.
• 21st: another 100 Meadow Pipits (15), Redpolls (2), extraordinarily late single Sedge (1) and \Willow Warbler (1), some more Robins and Goldcrests, Reed Bunting (1), and at sea 1 Golden Plover, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, and 40 Pink-footed Geese – an unusual record!
• 22nd: too stormy.
• 23rd Yet another late Willow Warbler (1), Meadow Pipit (25), Goldcrest (2), Robin (3).
• 24th Meadow Pipit (23), Robin (2), Goldcrest (8), Redpoll (5), Goldfinch (1) and a surprising Great Northern Diver flying south low over the buildings.

All through the period above, there have been regular sightings of various birds of prey. The most numerous sightings have been for Hen Harrier.

August

The second half of August can be a quiet time for migration on CBO, not helped by the priority we must give to the ringing of the young Manx Shearwaters as they leave the colony. However there has been a fairly steady trickle of migrants, and although no rarities have been ringed, there have been some good sightings. The increasing use of telescopes by more observers has paid dividends!

In the following account, the numbers referred to are the numbers present and if any of the species mentioned were ringed their numbers are given afterwards in brackets, e.g. If “15 Goldcrests (6) arrived”, 15 were seen or estimated to be present and 6 were ringed. If there were Robins (5), then all 5 new arrivals were actually ringed, as often happens for some species on Copeland.

• 21st: 4 Sedge Warblers and 1 Willow Warbler. Rainy, mod SW wind.
• 22nd: 50 Swallows, 1 Willow Warbler.
• 23rd: 20 Willow Warblers (9), Chiffchaff (2), Goldcrest (1), Robin (5), Sedge Warbler (4), 100 Swallows, and at night 10 Storm Petrels were ringed and 1 control bird was caught.
• 24th: 6 Robin (4), 8 Sedge Warbler (5), 8 Willow Warbler, 1 Whimbrel.
• 25th: 10 Willow Warbler (2), 8 Goldcrest (1), 8 Sedge Warbler (4) 40 Swallow, 1 Goshawk, 100+ Gannets south.
• 26th 10 Willow Warbler (1), 8 Goldcrest (2), Treecreeper (1), 5 Robin (2), 10 Sedge Warbler (1), 30 Swallows, 1 Whimbrel, 135 Gannets in stiff East winds.
• 27th: 2 Robins (2), 6 Sedge Warblers (2), 10 Goldcrest (6), Grasshopper Warbler (1), Willow Warbler (1) and 3 Ravens.
• 28th: Sedge Warbler (4), 3 Goldcrests (2), 50 Swallows (3), and 10 House Martins south. First Heron of autumn.
• 29th: NNE 5 gusty, no netting or ringing. 350 Gannets feeding. 1 Mute Swan out at sea swimming and preening.
• 30th: NW 2-3. 6 Willow Warbler (1), Blackcap (1), 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Sand Martin, 40 House Martin, 8 Goldcrest, 4 Robin, 6 Reed Bunting, 2 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 40 Curlew, 2 Bonxie, 2 Arctic Skua, 1 Red-throated Diver. 2300hrs BST 1 Wood Sandpiper calling as it flew south towards east side of Big Copeland.
• 31st: NE stiff winds, no ringing. 39 Swallow, 30 Meadow Pipit, 1 Cory's Shearwater seen off N end of island. This will be the first definite record if accepted by NIBA. Large numbers of feeding and passing seabirds: 500 Gannets, 350 Manx Shearwaters, 5 Common Terns, 2 Arctic Terns, 1 Arctic and 1 Great Skua, 2 Red-throated Diver, and at 1500hrs, an adult Little Gull was seen feeding among hundreds of Kittiwakes feeding out to the NE of Mew Island.

Omitted from the above was a long list of island residents ringed, including 2 Water Rail, and 13 Wren.

May 2003

This month included one of the best spring days in years for rarities with a Common Rosefinch, two Little Egrets and an adult Sabine's Gull all seen on the 17th.

• 1st - 9 Willow Warblers, 3 Swallows, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Greenland Wheatears, 40 Swallows and 8 Goldfinches. Seven hundred Guillemots flew southeast between 18:00 and 19:00.
• 2nd - 4 Willow Warblers, 4 Sedge Warblers, 4 Meadow Pipits, 1 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 15 Goldfinches, 1 Redpoll, 1 Whinchat, 1 Wheatear and 1 Puffin.
• 3rd - 1 Whitethroat and 2 Yellow Wagtails.
• 4th - 1 Redwing, 1 Songthrush, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, a female Blackcap, 2 Wheatears, 1 Whitethroat and a male Cuckoo.
• 5th - 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Greenfinches and a Buzzard.
• 10th - 1 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Sedge Warbler and 1 Willow Warbler.
• 11th - 6 Wheatears, 1 Redwing, 2 Whinchats and a Common Sandpiper.
• 16th - 4 Spotted Flycatchers, 1 White Wagtail, 1 Woodpigeon and 2 Willow Warblers present on arrival (evening).
• 17th - Spotted Flycatchers still present, 3 Goldfinches, a Lapwing displaying south of the Gully area, a Common Rosefinch (briefly at 09:00), a Cuckoo, a White Wagtail and 2 Greenland Wheatears. At sea there were 4 Red-throated Divers (flying NE off the west side at 5:50) and during seawatches, 2,000 auks flew north and 200 south. Fifty Gannets were feeding off Mew. There was an adult Sabine's Gull to the northwest at noon and 2 Little Egrets were seen briefly off the North Hide at 3:00 pm. Great and Arctic Skua were also seen. Up to 4 Puffins were seen in the Sound.
• 18th - There was a Swift at 06:00, 2 Rooks and a Peregrine at 06:30 and a dark-phase Arctic Skua off the west side at 07:00. New arrivals on the Island included at least 4 Spotted Flycatchers, 6 Willow Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler and a male Chaffinch.

April 2003

Lack of Duty Officers meant that the season proper did not begin until the evening of the 18th April. The following records are taken from the daily Migration Log and are generally of bird movements rather than all sightings recorded in the Systematic List.

• 18th - three Sandwich Terns, 2 Swallows, 1 Willow Warbler and 8 Turnstone were present on arrival.
• 19th - one female Hen Harrier, 1 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Willow Warblers, 4 Swallows and 3 Goldfinch.
• 21st - one Wheatear.
• 22nd - 25 Willow Warblers, 1 Blackcap, 3 Chaffinches, 1 Buzzard, 1 Heron, 3 Snipe, 10 Redshank, 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, 19 Shelduck, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 15 Hooded Crows, 2 Wheatears, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Goldfinches, 1 Whimbrel and 8 Curlew.
• 23rd - 6 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Songthrush, 2 Wheatears, 3 Lapwings, 14 Meadow Pipits, 6 Goldfinches, 20 Linnets, 1 female Sparrowhawk and 4 more Songthrushes.
• 24th - 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap and 1 female Peregrine.
• 27th - 1 Linnet, 1 Redstart and 1 female Hen Harrier.
• 28th - 4 Whimbrel, 35 Razorbill, 54 Kittiwake and 170 Guillemots passed in 20 minutes seawatch. There were 140 Manx Shearwaters in two rafts. 20 Meadow Pipits were seen.
• 29th - 4 Willow Warblers, 2 Sedge Warblers, 1 Robin, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Redpoll, 1 House Martin and 1 Sparrowhawk.
• 30th - 5 Willow Warblers, 20 Swallows, 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Fieldfare and 1 Wheatear.