Welcome to the latest Manx BirdLife newsletter
Manx BirdLife hopes that you have been enjoying the Manx summer and been able to get out and see some of the great birds around the Isle of Man. Here is the latest news from Manx BirdLife.
Claire Barnett
Claire Barnett joined Manx BirdLife at the start of August on an 8 month secondment from RSPB Northern Ireland. Claire has been working with RSPB in Northern Ireland for over five years where she has been working as a Farmland Bird Project Officer. Conservation is as the very heart of Claire’s work ethic and she hopes that during her time at Manx BirdLife, she will be able to influence and assist with conservation matters on the Island. She believes that the Isle of Man is a very special place and its unique wildlife and landscape needs to be protected and enhanced. For more details of Claire’s background click here.
Volunteer Post
You may have seen the advertisement on the Manx BirdLife website seeking an office/admin volunteer to work in the Manx BirdLife office part-time (ideally for at least 2 half-days a week). Appropriate training will be provided and expenses will be re-imbursed where necessary. Your time and skills could make a real difference to the work of Manx BirdLife and it would be great if you could join us. A full description of the role can be downloaded from here. For more information, contact Claire Barnett at Manx BirdLife Telephone: 01624 861130, Mobile: 07702 237402. Email: claire@manxbirdlife.im.
Star bird of the summer – Long-tailed Duck
Long-tailed Duck - Peel outer harbour - 10 07 2011. Photo: Donald Brown
There have been many potential ‘star birds’ seen this summer. What makes Long-tailed Duck so special was the unexpected way it turned up and then stayed right in Peel Harbour and Bay – making it accessible for many Manx birdwatchers. Normally more of a winter visitor and perhaps more typically seen out on the open sea, this individual gave great views for those lucky enough to see it. A great find by Don Brown – it shows that it is worth keeping an eye open for the unexpected!
Things to look out for – on the coast and inland
On the coast, the autumn is a great time for migrant waders – some passing through heading south and others arriving on the Island to spend the winter. The best spots will be The Ayres and Langness/Derbyhaven/Strandhall. Numbers of many species are likely to increase considerably over forthcoming weeks. Look out for Black and Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel, Knot, Turnstone and many other species. Common Sandpipers – possibly also Green or Wood Sandpipers – may be found around the coast or on rivers around the island. Migrant land-birds are also likely to provide considerable interest. Blackcaps and other migrants will be taking advantage of ripe blackberries. If there are any strong winds, check coastal sites such as the plantation at Ballaghennie, the bushes at Port Mooar or below Madoc’s at Langness for feeding migrants. Whatever you see, please do continue to send in your records to Manx BirdLife via the usual form.
Website updates
Since the last newsletter, in addition to the regular weekly summaries of birds seen, there have been some additional items added:
- Know your Ringed Plovers – in early July, John Donnelly spotted Little Ringed Plovers at Langness. This short piece, with photos, is designed to help birdwatchers separate Ringed Plover from Little Ringed Plover.
- Blackcap or Garden Warbler – can you tell them apart? If you manage to see them, this is normally straight-forward. But it is not so easy if just song is heard. The article aimed to help birdwatchers separate the two.
- Site re-organisation – ‘Manx Birds’ – an alphabetical list of all the bird species recorded on the Isle of Man – has been moved to the header menu, just to the right of ‘Our Work’.
- A new page has been added to the site for ‘Other Manx Wildlife’ – a summary of some of the other wildlife found on the Isle of Man is given here, with links to relevant other websites. Many Manx birdwatchers are interested in other aspects of the Island’s flora and fauna – please do support the other organisations whose details we give here.
Next M.O.S. field meeting – the next event is a Walk on the Ayres. Meet at Rue Point (Grid Ref. 407033) at 2pm on Saturday 20th August. The leader is Erica Spencer. The Manx Ornithological Society welcomes birdwatchers of all ages to its meetings, so please come along. Details for M.O.S. trips and meetings are on the Manx Ornithological Society page on the Manx BirdLife website.
Manx BirdLife – contact details
Manx BirdLife
35 New Road
Laxey
Isle of Man
IM4 7BG
Tel: +44 (0)1624 861130
Email: enquiries@manxbirdlife.im
Website: http://manxbirdlife.im
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