Bird Sightings

Eleanor Grover rounds up the latest bird news from a blustery island...

It was generally a windy week, making for difficult birding and most of the sightings came from the two calmer days.

The Slavonian Grebe was still present on 9^th, flying into Miller’s Cake to feed. Neither the Slavonian nor Red-necked Grebe were sighted during the rest of the week. A Lapwing was also present on 9^th, loitering around Quarry Cottages.

On 10^th, the calmer and sunnier weather allowed for full-island coverage. A flock of ten Oystercatchers roosted at Brazen Ward (sadly no Purple Sandpiper were present). The first records for the year for Guillemot and Razorbill were of birds diving off the North Lighthouse, whilst two Snow Bunting were noisily flitting about the track north of Three-quarter Wall. A small movement of thrushes also occurred, with five Song Thrush, six Redwing and 16 Blackbird along the East Side.

A wintry but calm Landing Bay – home to up to three Great Northern Divers this week ©Eleanor Grover

From 13^th to 14^th a small flock of Kittiwake was feeding off the East Side, with 74 and 224 counted (on the respective dates). Up to three Great Northern Divers were present in the Landing Bay, with one bullying (or clever?) individual preferring to steal fish from its compatriots rather than catch its own. A completely flat-calm day on 15^th started with a vocal Ringed Plover wheeling round above the Lambing Shed, before moving on to repeat its behaviour above Old Light. A Curlew was in Tillage Field, but the prize for 'bird of the day' went to a Pink-footed Goose heard flying past the south end of the island.

Most other birds were few and far between – hunkered down out of the wind no doubt. Small increases in numbers included 11 Mallard on Barton Pond, five Teal at Pondsbury, 19 Wren, 11 Redwing in Millcombe and five Rock Pipit.

Some species, however, already have breeding on their minds. Water Rail are holding territories, and a Raven pair was acting very defensively along the East Coast. Even a Stonechat attempted a few snatches of subsong in Southwest Field. Spring will be upon us before we know it!

Here goes with a round-up of Lundy bird news from the festive period and the first full week of 2026 as the island goes into 'shutdown' to prepare for the season ahead...

The mild, damp and often gloomy conditions that held sway for much of December gave way to colder weather before Christmas, with a biting easterly but some beautifully sunny skies. The chilly airflow was doubtless responsible for the arrival of two Barnacle Geese, first seen in Brick Field by Myra Allen on Boxing Day and remaining around the south of the island until the morning of 2nd January. This is just the 16^th Lundy record but there have now been sightings in three of the last four years.

Barnacle Geese, Brick Field, 26 December 2025 © Myra Allen

Barnacle Geese, Lower Lighthouse Field, 26 December 2025 © Myra Allen

Also gracing the island – and typical indicators of wintry conditions affecting the mainland – were Lapwing, with one in South West Field on 26th & 27th, relocating to Tillage Field on 28th and being joined there by a second bird on 29th & 30th.

More surprising for the time of year was a Little Egret, seen at Pondsbury on New Year's Eve by Bronwen Evans and Martyn Smith.

New Year's Day brought a flurry of coverage, with Luke Marriner making a top effort to get to Brazen Ward, where he was rewarded with five Purple Sandpipers, the first record since October. Elsewhere, a New Year bird count of Millcombe and the Beach Road by Bronwen & Martyn yielded 18 species, among them a male Blackcap.

Former Voluntary Assistant Warden Eleanor Grover is back on the island for a few weeks, supporting the Conservation Team. The day after her arrival, on 3^rd January, she had tantalising glimpses of a grebe in the Landing Bay but it did a disappearing act, not only for the rest of that day but for the next several days. Happily, Eleanor relocated it on 7^th and was able to confirm her initial impression of Red-necked Grebe. Remarkably, this was joined in the Landing Bay on 8th by a Slavonian Grebe – making not only 'double grebe', itself a vanishingly rare event for Lundy – but also repeating exactly the same combination of species as occurred in January 2025!

Among more expected species, there have been up to 10 Mallard and 2 Teal, whilst raptors during the reporting period have been represented by single Sparrowhawk, Kestrel & Merlin and two Peregrines. Waders have comprised up to 14 Oystercatchers, a Curlew, and, on 1st, 2 Jack Snipe and 11 Common Snipe, while seabirds logged so far in 2026 include Kittiwake, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Fulmar, Gannet, Shag and distant passing auk species (i.e. Guillemots or Razorbills).

Apart from the resident House Sparrows and Starlings (the latter comprising around 120 at present), small landbirds can be quite thin on the ground in winter. The highest counts during the period have included 1 Skylark, 2 Goldcrest, 13 Wren, 5 Song Thrush, 6 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare, 16 Robin, 1 Stonechat, 7 Dunnock, 4 Rock Pipit, 3 Pied Wagtail, 5 Chaffinch, 1 Goldfinch and 2 Reed Bunting. However, the pick of the bunch has to be the female Black Redstart watched along the fenceline that runs down from the shop gate towards upper Millcombe on 29^th December.

Here's hoping for an exciting year ahead for Lundy, the Observatory and all visiting birdwatchers and ringers!

This weeks highlight came in the form of a Pallas’s Warbler which turned up in Millcombe on the 6th. It was first spotted around the pond and Smelly Gully before heading into one of the nets. 

Pallas's Warbler - Only the ninth record of this species on the Island. (Bird ringed under licence)

Chiffchaff and Blackcap are still moving through the island in small numbers with a peak of 18 Blackcap on the 6th. A single late Willow Warbler was also ringed this week on the 8th. This is the latest recorded sighting of Willow Warbler in any year, with most of the autumn passage for this species taking place in July and a few records going into August. Some crest movement is still ongoing with up to 10 Goldcrest spotted each day and 3 Firecrest recorded for the week between the 6th and 8th.

Low numbers of Finch are still trickling though Millcombe with triple figures of Chaffinch every day from the 5th-7th and a maximum count of 260 on the 5th. Up to 3 Brambling and 15 Siskin have been seen in Millcombe every day between the 5th and 9th, as well as a single Redpoll on the 6th. Redwing numbers were up to 120 on the 6th and Blackbird numbers peaked at 13 in Millcombe on the 6th. The Treecreeper is still present with sightings on the 5th, 6th and 9th in Millcombe woods. A Black Redstart was seen near to the Old Lighthouse on the 8th and 3 Swallows were reported on the same day around the South end. 

The Greenland White-fronted Goose was last seen on the 3rd when it presumably departed. Waders this week have included 2 Lapwing and 2 Snipe on the 8th, and 3 Woodcock sightings between the 7th and 8th. A single Merlin is still present with sightings recorded most days. High counts of Gannet and Kittiwake were also noted on the 8th, with 40 and 450 respectively observed out from the Landing Bay. 

A change in the weather, including some storm days have caused a short lull in bird passage, although some notable species have still been recorded. The highlight species being a Greenland White-fronted Goose, arriving into bartons on the 26th and still present on the 2nd. Notably, this is the first White-fronted Goose recorded on the Island in almost four years. 

Up to 4 Water Rail are still calling in Millcombe. Wading species have included 3 Purple Sandpiper at Brazen Ward on the 26th, a Turnstone on Rat Island on the 31st, and 3 Jack Snipe and 9 Snipe on the 29th. Other non-passerine sightings include a Black-headed Gull on the 26th, 2 Cormorant passing on the 26th, 1-2 Merlin most days and a month record passage of Auk on the 26th estimated at 2090 individuals.

Low numbers of Swallow are still lingering, with a single bird still present on the 2nd. A Firecrest was seen on the 26th and 29th and a Treecreeper was spotted on the 1st. The Pondsbury Reed Bunting was still present on the 26th and a Black Redstart was recorded around the Village on the 2nd. Other passerines have moved through the Island this week including a Mistle Thrush on the 26th, a White Wagtail on the 26th and single Greenfinch on the 26th and 29th.