All the latest bird news from Lundy, summarised by Eleanor Grover.
Another week of winter wind – switching to the southeast and bringing warmer temperatures but with it regular squalls, making for challenging birding conditions.
The rougher weather saw more attention directed at seabirds, with three Red-throated Divers flying past SW Point on 16th, and a 1st-winter Common Gull was with 131 Kittiwakes feeding off the Landing Bay on 17th. A seawatch on 21st was slow, with totals as follows: Kittiwake 284, Black-headed Gull 1 (adult, winter plumage), Common Gull 1 (adult), Razorbill 59, Razorbill/Guillemot 39, Guillemot 13, Fulmar 1, Shag 4 and Gannet 58. A final Red-throated Diver provided splendid views on 22nd when it was feeding close inshore off the Landing Bay.
Winter allows time to appreciate Lundy's hardy resident birds, including this ringed female Mallard
© Eleanor Grover
Gulls have started to increase in number, with 50 Herring Gulls and 30 Great Black-backed Gulls counted on 18th. Song Thrushes and Blackbirds, however, have dropped off since the start of the year. Small flocks of Redwing still make sporadic appearances, with singles on 17th & 19th and three on 18th. The 18th was a calm day and also saw flyovers of Linnet and Siskin.
With little movement occurring, more attention went to the resident species. Snipe sightings are dependent on them roosting near a path during the day, with only one bird flushed this week (on 19th). Raptor sightings are predominantly Sparrowhawk and Peregrines, Ravens have been seen carrying nesting material, and 33 Fulmar were arguing over ledges on Gannet’s Rock on 18th.
Smaller species such as Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Goldcrest and Pied Wagtail are irregularly recorded as they hunker down, their calls blown away on the wind. And whilst often dismissed as ‘ever present’, ring reading has revealed a Mallard ringed at Pondsbury in 2024, and many of the Starlings are also Lundy birds, with just under 20 colour-rings read so far.
Many of Lundy's resident breeding Starlings are colour-ringed; photographing them is
a great way to read individual rings © Eleanor Grover
Each blue ring has a unique three-character code in white, beginning with 'L' for Lundy.
Here, Starling 'LJ3' gives itself up (just!) © Eleanor Grover