Skomer Wildlife Report 2016
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Skomer Island Wildlife Report 2016 Page 1 Published by: The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales The Nature Centre Fountain Road Tondu Bridgend CF32 0EH 01656 724100 [email protected] www.welshwildlife.org For any enquiries please contact: Skomer Island c/o Lockley Lodge Martins Haven Marloes Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire SA62 3BJ 07971 114302 [email protected] Skomer Island National Nature Reserve is owned by Natural Resources Wales and managed by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. More details on visiting Skomer are available at www.welshwildlife.org. Seabird monitoring on Skomer Island NNR is supported by JNCC. Page 3 Table of Contents Skomer Island Bird Report 2016 ............................................................................................................... 2 Island rarities summary 2016 .......................................................................................................................... 2 Skomer Island seabird population summary 2016 .......................................................................................... 3 Skomer Island breeding landbirds population summary 2016 ....................................................................... 4 Systematic list of birds ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Rarity Report ................................................................................................................................................. 85 Systematic checklist of the birds of Skomer Island ....................................................................................... 88 Skomer Island Moth Report 2016 ........................................................................................................... 93 Annual summaries ......................................................................................................................................... 94 Systematic checklist of the moths of Skomer Island ................................................................................... 119 Skomer Island Butterfly Report 2016 .................................................................................................... 129 Systematic list of Butterflies ........................................................................................................................ 129 Skomer Island Cetacean Report 2016 .................................................................................................... 137 Systematic List of Cetaceans ....................................................................................................................... 138 Skomer Island Reptiles and Amphibians 2016 ....................................................................................... 142 Systematic list of Reptiles and Amphibians ................................................................................................. 143 Page 1 Skomer Island Bird Report 2016 Jason Moss Assistant Warden The island was manned between 28th February and 28th November. During this time, a total of 165 bird species were recorded, the highest year total of the last nine years at least, improving on the 159 seen in 2015 and the 164 in 2014. A total of five additional subspecies were confirmed during the year. Island rarities summary 2016 Species Island status Last recorded Gull-billed Tern 1st island record NA Great Egret 2nd island record 2015 Long-tailed Duck 3rd island record 1998 Pallas’s Warbler 4th and 5th island records 2011 Sabine’s Gull 4th island record 2015 Serin 6th island record 2009 Little Ringed Plover 7th island record 2011 Dotterel 7th island record 2008 Greylag Goose 7th and 8th island records 2009 Blue-headed Wagtail 8th island record 2015 Black-headed Bunting 9th island record 2015 Common Nightingale 9th island record 2015 Nightjar 13th island record 2012 Woodchat Shrike 13th and 14th island records 2004 Melodious Warbler 15th island record 2014 In addition to these island rarities, a host of scarce species were recorded, including Greater White-fronted Goose (6), Barnacle Goose (4), Garganey, Sooty Shearwater (8), Balearic Shearwater (11), Osprey (1), Little Stint (3), Black Tern (19), Little Gull, Wryneck (6), Great Spotted Woodpecker, Hobby, Red-backed Shrike, Firecrest (4), Yellow-browed Warbler (10), Icterine Warbler (2), Bullfinch, Snow Bunting, Lapland Bunting (13) and Ortolan Bunting. Page 2 Skomer Island seabird population summary 2016 Twelve species of seabird regularly breed on Skomer. In terms of numbers, 2016 was a good year for Fulmars and Puffins but not so good for the remainder of species. Guillemots were not counted (whole-island) in 2016, however the standard population plot counts were done and all other species were counted (whole- island). Most, however, had reasonable breeding success, with a combination of very few severe weather events during the breeding season and good local feeding contributing to good productivity for most species. Species and count units Totals for 2016 Totals for 2015 % change from 5 year % 2015 change Fulmar (AOS) 675 584 +15.58 +49.01 Cormorant (AON 4 7 -42.86 Shag (AON) 6 4 +50 +20 Lesser Black-backed Gull (AON) 6836 7630 -9.1 -19.75 Herring Gull (AON) 321 377 -14.85 -19.95 Great Black-backed Gull (AON) 108 123 -13.8 +12.5 Black-legged Kittiwake (AON) 1477 1546 -4.46 -7.34 Guillemot (IND)* - 23746 - - Razorbill (IND) 7250 7489 -3.19 +45.85 Puffin (IND) 22539 21349 +5.57 +96.04 Data on the seabirds breeding season has been compiled from the Skomer Seabird Report 2016. *Not Censused in 2016 Page 3 Skomer Island breeding landbirds population summary 2016 The below data was collected by island staff during the breeding season, mostly through the annual Breeding Bird Survey, mapping territories along set transects across all parts of the island at least three times between mid-April and mid-June. In addition, many breeding territories are noted during the daily patrol and wardening of the nature reserve. A total of 34 species of ‘landbird’ bred on Skomer this year. Goldfinch bred on the island for the first time. This is the most recent new addition to an ever-growing list of breeding bird species on the island, most recently following the addition of Water Rail in 2013, Chiffchaff in 2012, Tufted Duck in 2005 and Barn Owl in 2004. Species Total for 2016 Total for 2015 5 year % change Canada Goose (AON) 21 29 -7.9 Shelduck (AOT) 3 1 +200 Mallard (AOT) 3 3 -31.8* Shoveler (AOT) 2 2 +11.8 Pheasant (AOT/IND) 14 8 - Common Buzzard (AON) 3 5 -31.8 Peregrine (AOT) 3 3 0 Common Moorhen (AOT) 5 5 -13.8 Oystercatcher (AOT) 66 73 +13.4 Eurasian Curlew (AOT) 3 3 -16.7 Woodpigeon (AON) 2 4 -47.4 Short-eared Owl (AON) 2 2 -23.1 Little Owl (AON) 1 1 0 Skylark (AOT) 7 6 -5.4 Barn Swallow (AON) 7 10 -5.4 Meadow Pipit (AOT) 115 107 +45.2 Rock Pipit (AOT) 19 14 -15.6* Pied Wagtail (AON) 3 3 -31.8 Dunnock (AOT) 19 16 +28.8 * European Stonechat (AOT) 3 2 +275 Northern Wheatear (AOT) 27 18 +73.1 Blackbird (AOT) 2 2 -60 Common Whitethroat (AOT) 14 22 -27.1 Sedge Warbler (AOT) 40 40 +7.5 Common Chiffchaff (AOT) 0 1 -100 Page 4 Wren (AOT) 71 52 +21.6 Magpie (AOT) 5 6 -25.9* Red-billed Chough (AOT) 4 3 +17.6 Western Jackdaw (AOT/IND) 28 53 - Carrion Crow (AON) 11 11 +31 Common Raven (AON) 8 8 +81.8 Common Linnet (AOT) 6 1 +2900 European Goldfinch (AOT) 1 0 - Reed Bunting (AOT) 4 5 -4.8 * - Figure obtained from past four years of data, due to census not being performed in 2011 Page 5 Systematic list of birds Jason Moss & Edward Stubbings Status categories Vagrant – one to 10 records Rare – 11 to 40 records Scarce – one to five records per year Uncommon – six to 50 records per year Fairly common – 51 to 250 records per year Common – 251 to 1000 records per year Abundant – 1001 to 2500 records per year Very abundant – more than 2500 records per year Note: Status’ are given in an island context, not a national context. Breeding categories Very rare breeder – one to 10 breeding records Rare breeder – 11 to 40 breeding records Scarce breeder – one to five breeding records per year Uncommon breeder – six to 50 breeding records per year Fairly common breeder – 51 to 250 breeding records per year Common breeder – 251 to 1000 breeding records per year Abundant breeder – 1001 to 2500 breeding records per year Very abundant breeder – more than 2500 breeding records per year Count units and terminology used in this report AOS – Apparently Occupied Site AON – Apparently Occupied Nest AOT – Apparently Occupied Territory IND – Individual BBRC – British Birds Rarities Committee WRP – Welsh Records Panel NRW – Natural Resources Wales List of contributors mentioned within the report Name Initials Name Initials Name Initials Eddie Stubbings EMS Dave Boyle DB David Astins DA Jason Moss JWM Ted Wallen TW Bee Bueche BIB Elisa Miquel Riera EMR Mike Wallen MW Leighton Newman LN Ollie Padget OP Sula Riedlinger SR Notes The species order for this systematic list is taken from ‘The British List’ published by the BOU in Jan 2013. Cover photo – © Page 6 Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Rare. Twenty-one previous records, involving at least 147 individuals. Of those identified to race, all bar one have been Greenland White-fronted Geese A. a. flavirostris. One European White-fronted Goose A. a. albifrons was recoded in May 2015. Six White-fronted Geese were noted flying east over North Valley in the morning on 4th November (EMS). Though views weren’t quite good enough to clinch them