Bee-eater (Ventnor area)

My early morning local stroll today produced a vocal (heard only) Bee-eater at 06:58; after arriving at the top of the hill near Luccombe Down (very top fence line) I suddenly heard it (or perhaps them?) and the calls became progressively louder: so perhaps heading east? Despite a thorough scan to the south of me, over Leeson Road etc, I did not see it/them at all; with some mist over the downs presumably it was keeping lower down towards the clearer coast line. Nice to hear even if very brief. [Half-a-dozen to ten calls heard in total; sound recorded the last two]. 

Also: a vocal Cuckoo in Luccombe Copse; the third or fourth migrant bird to drop into the area this spring. [SSE light winds at the mo].

19/05: Haddon's Pits: Siskin. And Willow Warbler (vocal) Luccombe Village. First Glanville enroute. 

20/05: Reed Warbler x1 seen (Luccombe) and Tree Pipit (over) Luccombe Down, A.M

25/05: My first Hummingbird hawk-moth of the season, Leeson Road, Bonchurch. [Bird migration tailed off somewhat...]

My first Bee-eater since 2022 (Sept 15th) when one went over Luccumbe Down.

 

Extremely! brief recording of the calling Bee-eater.

Common Cuckoo (plus Blackcap & LT Tit etc) - Luccombe Copse - 17/05

Spot FC - 23/05

Orchids - Common spotted and Bee

After spending time in East Anglia earlier in the year, G625, the 2023 wild-fledged English White-tailed Eagle, has flown north to the Cairngorms.
Here's an update on his explorations by @timmackrill: https://t.co/7wn8DIU26j@SeaEagleEngland
Photo: Ben Brown pic.twitter.com/aq14sgkqVk

— Roy Dennis Foundation (@RoyDennisWF) May 23, 2024

Excellent views of the two Bee-eaters at ARC, Dungeness today pic.twitter.com/a16nzBNRZ6

— David Scott (@BirdingDave) May 31, 2024

After spending time in East Anglia earlier in the year, G625, the 2023 wild-fledged English White-tailed Eagle, has flown north to the Cairngorms.
Here's an update on his explorations by @timmackrill: https://t.co/7wn8DIU26j@SeaEagleEngland
Photo: Ben Brown pic.twitter.com/aq14sgkqVk

— Roy Dennis Foundation (@RoyDennisWF) May 23, 2024

Marsh/Blyth's? Reed (Luccombe) and Hoopoe

Yesterday, May 12th, weather-wise a beautiful warm day, I had some things of interest; even if species numbers were not exactly bountiful: in the morning walking to Luccombe Village I soon heard a singing Reed Warbler in the farm's fields: it's been a pretty good spring with the reasonable turnover of both reed and sedge in this area. I then heard (at about 07:40) another singing 'acro/reed type' in the next field along and where I'd had a gropper earlier in the season: however, this 'reed' warbler was doing plenty of mimicry and 'smacking' motifs; interesting?! My mind started to think Marsh/Blyth's and I set about recording it, albeit not very well; bird not seen; but hopefully its ID can be clinched at some point. 

Later on the same day, by somewhat happenstance, in the afternoon I was lucky enough to see (albeit briefly/mostly flight views) a Hoopoe at a private site (private garden) with a fellow birder (Mark B); having spoken to the owners, they preferred details of the specific location not to be given out. [Also a few Silver Y's seen at various spots enroute].

May 14th: Silver Y influx (min c20) + a Painted Lady, Luccombe area. 

A snippet of the mystery hidden acro? Luccombe Village 12/05/24

My first Painted Lady of the year and Silver Y - Luccombe Copse - 14/05

Another painted lady this morning  - small copper - and speckled wood - 15/05

What a historic moment, and perhaps the most significant update of the project to date. Although not pin-sharp we're sure this is 5H1, the first wild-fledged Osprey of the new south coast population to return. What a great moment! @CareysSecret @timmackrill @RoyDennisWF pic.twitter.com/bjORbr2PMO

— birdsofpooleharbour (@harbourbirds) May 14, 2024

Wood Warbler & Spotted Fly (Luccombe)

May began with more rain. Today (3rd), drier but overcast, with breezy westerlies: on my early morning walk from home to Luccombe/Haddon's Pits I came upon a singing Wood Warbler in Luccombe Copse, that sounded like it was gradually filtering northwards along the wooded part of the downs; a species that was very much on my radar and nice to hear; the island gets a few records annually (usually spring) but not many...Also, whilst making way back saw my first Spotted Flycatcher of the spring pretty much in same area, near Bonchurch Road/Lodge footpath. [Winds are about to go more south and SE this wknd]. 

Bank holiday weekend (Sun 5th), shortish (slow-going) Ventnor sea watch, light S/SE winds/showers, 16:10-18:00, heading East: 1 Arctic Skua, 6 Manxies (incl. a single west), 6 DB Brents, 33 Gannets. 

Tuesday, 07/05: roaming Red kites in numbers (double figures) got the local bird news network going; I managed to see a few over Ventnor Downs lunchtime; otherwise: Sedge Warbler (heard only/fairly low-key/A.M), Redstart (f), and Spot FC x2, of note, Luccombe area.

Sat, 11/05, Sunny, Easterlies, Luccombe area: one (poss two) Garden Warblers seen and heard; Swifts x2. 

Wood Warbler - fortunate to hear one these days - purely a passage migrant here, and in ever decreasing numbers it would seem....

Glanville Fritillary melitaea cinxia (caterpillar) 

And a Minotaur Beetle:

typhaeus typhoeus

Singing unseen acro - probably a Sedge Warbler (07/05/Luccombe Farm area)

Singing Whitethroat/early morning soundscape - Luccombe Farm - 09/05

White Wagtail - a smart example of an alba - Laundry Lane, Brading 10/05.

And a singing migrant Garden Warbler along Bonchurch Road:

Iceland or the Isle of Wight?🤔

Check out these amazing photos, taken by local photographer @islandvisions, of last night's #auroraborealis over the #IsleofWight.😍

📌 Gurnard, Bembridge Lifeboat Station & @ntisleofwight's Bembridge Windmill pic.twitter.com/JHSr8CxMkM

— Visit Isle Of Wight (@VisitIOW) May 11, 2024

Sound up for a lonely Wood Warbler. Relatively few females have arrived in the forest, and so this male does not have a mate. He is singing constantly, for much of the day, and flitting between the perches around his display arena, which is about 10 x 10 m. pic.twitter.com/JwsNxQbUpH

— Richard Broughton 🇺🇦 (@woodlandbirder) May 11, 2024