Bird Sightings

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.

This week produced an increase of raptors across the Island, presumably following the passerine passage, with a high count of 22 small raptors on the 22nd. This included a record day high count of 7 Merlin, along with 8 Kestrel, 5 Peregrine and 2 Sparrowhawk. A juvenile Hobby was seen on the 19th and 20th on Ackland Moor and Pondsbury Heath. Single Marsh and Hen Harriers were spotted on the 18th and 19th respectively. A Short-eared Owl was present from 18th-21st, largely hunting around the Pondsbury area, but also noted to venture as far down the Island as Barton Field on the 21st. 

Thrush migration has been evident through the island all week, with maximum counts of 254 Redwing on the 23rd. Fieldfare numbers have gradually been decreasing throughout the week with a count of 51 on the 18th. Ring Ouzel were spotted on the 18th, 19th and 21st with a maximum count of 3. A single Mistle Thrush was observed on the 21st. Low numbers of Song Thrush have also been present most of the week. 

Chaffinch movement has been high this last week with 5064 on the 18th and hundreds logged moving through almost every day. A varied accompaniment of other Finch species were also observed through the week, with 5 Brambling on the 18th, 1 on the 21st, 4 on the 22nd and 3 on the 23rd. Redpoll were seen on the 18th, 19th and 25th, with a high count of 4 on the 25th. Siskin passage was evident throughout the week with 81 birds observed on the 18th and at least a few individuals every day except the 25th. Reed Bunting were seen on the 18th, 21st, 22nd and 25th, with the high count of 4 on the 22nd. A Lapland Bunting was seen passing overhead on the 22nd and Snow Bunting were present between the 20th-24th with up to 5 seen. 

Other passerine migrants this past week have included a Yellow-browed Warbler on the Terrace on the 21st, a Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat on the 20th and a Pied Flycatcher on the 21st. A Common Redstart was observed on the 21st on the Terrace and Black Redstart on the 18th-22nd with just one present every day except the 22nd which produced 2 records. At least 1 Treecreeper was on the Island all through the week with observations most days and a new individual noted on the 23rd. Wheatear sightings occurred between the 19th-22nd, White Wagtail were seen on the 20th and 21st and Grey Wagtail passage continued with low numbers seen most days. Hirundine movement continued this week, with Swallows present throughout the week. Numbers are significantly slowing now, however, with single figures since the 23rd. Likely the last sightings of the year for House and Sand Martin occurred with 3 on the 18th and 2 on the 21st respectively. 

A Glossy Ibis was spotted passing the Island far out to sea on the 18th. Up to 4 Water Rail have been encountered on a daily basis. Wader species present this week have included a Curlew passing on the 21st, Woodcock on the 19th-21st and 23rd, and Snipe every day, reaching a maximum count of 9 on the 23rd. Jack Snipe have also been seen, with 2 on the 19th although a marked reduction this week compared to the last. 

Seabird passage has been building all week with large feeding frenzies spotted regularly off the island. Kittiwake and Auk numbers have been rising through the week reaching highs of 641 on the 24th and 966 on the 25th respectively. Gannet numbers reached 96 on the 19th and while still present every day, have gradually decreased. Up to 23 Manx Shearwater have been seen most days also. Other seabirds have included Cormorant on the 20th and 22nd, Black-headed Gull on the 23rd and 24th and Common Gull on the 18th, 20th, 21st and 23rd with a high count of 8.