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 16th 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 3rd 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 7th 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 29th December.
Here's hoping for an exciting year ahead for Lundy, the Observatory and all visiting birdwatchers and ringers!