New record

22 to 28 Oct – An adult Dark-bellied Brent Goose (B. b. bernicla) in the Landing Bay remained until 28th when it was seen in flight by Rat Island (J. Allen, A. Jayne, R.J. Taylor et al.). This constitutes the 14th LFS record and the 9th in autumn.

New record

25 to 30 Oct – Two adult Dark-bellied Brent Geese (B. b. bernicla) first seen in flight over South West Field in the early afternoon of 25th landed in the Lighthouse Field and were later joined by a third adult (T.J. Davis et al.). Their arrival followed a period of strong north-easterly winds. The birds were clearly extremely hungry, feeding voraciously on grass and allowing people to approach to within a few metres and showing only mild concern. They remained until 30th and were also seen grazing on the Airfield and near Quarter Wall Pond. The 15th LFS record, ten of which have been in autumn.

New record

26 to 29 Oct – One Dark-bellied Brent Goose (B. b. bernicla) on the sea off the East Side below Quarter Wall on 26th (Martin Kerby, Tim Cleeves) was still present, off the Sugar Loaf, on 29th (Darren Dowding, Ryan Miller et al.). The 16th LFS record, 11 of which have been in autumn.

New records

29 Apr – An adult of the Dark-bellied race B. b. bernicla was in the Landing Bay during the late afternoon and evening (Chris Baillie, Tim Davis et al.).

14 Nov – A Dark-bellied bird was watched for about 10 minutes as it flew erratically over the island several times, in the vicinity of Gannets’ Combe (Robert & Helen Gooderham). It was later seen standing on the Landing Beach (Siân Scott).

These are the 17th & 18th LFS records, 12 of which have been in autumn.

New record

20 Nov – An adult of the Dark-bellied race B. b. bernicla was seen near Quarters – the 19th LFS record, 13 of which have ben in autumn.

New record

10 & 11 Sep – A Pale-bellied Brent Goose B. b. hrota was swimming in the Landing Bay during the late morning of 10th and remained until 11^th when it was seen in flight over Millcombe and the Village during the morning, but was back in the Landing Bay by midday (Dean Jones, Rebecca & Richard Taylor et al.).

8 Nov – Flocks of five and 12 Dark-bellied Brents B. b. bernicla were seen on 8 Nov, the smaller group heading south past South West Point in the morning, whilst the larger flock, seen from the Ugly, flew west past Rat Island and disappeared behind the south of the island (Martin Thorne).

These are the 20^th and 21^st Lundy records of Brent Goose overall and just the fifth occurrence for the Canadian Arctic-breeding pale-bellied race.

New record

29 Apr – One on Pondsbury (G. Sherman); the 15^th LFS record, 11 of which have been in Apr/May.

New record

28 Oct – One heard calling at dusk (Justin Zantboer); the 16^th LFS record.

New record

18 & 19 Mar – Two were in the Tent Field at c.17.30 hrs on 18th and at Quarters Pond at c.09.00 hrs the next morning (Zoë Barton & Dean Jones). Shortly afterwards on 19th they were heard over Quarters and seen in flight over the Lighthouse Field and later photographed on Pondsbury (Alan & Sandra Rowland). The 17th LFS record.

New records

9 Apr – Two in Barton Field (Stuart Cossey, Jamie Dunning).

12 Apr – Possibly the same pair as on 9th flew over MS Oldenburg as it departed (Tony Taylor, Sam Prettyman).

10 Jun – Two flew out to sea off the West Side (Stuart Cossey).

The 18^th to 20^th dated records.

New records

4 Apr – Three flew north along the West Side at about 07:30 hrs (Luke Marriner). Shortly after 08:00 they were seen heading south over Millcombe and appeared to leave towards the mainland (Chris Baillie) but returned and landed in Barton Field a short while later before departing south again (Stuart Cossey).

8 Apr – Three flew south over the Church and Castle Hill (Luke Marriner) – potentially the same wandering individuals as seen on 4th.

The 21^st and 22^nd island records.

New records

15 to 21 Apr – One alighted on the sea in the Landing Bay at about 16:10 hrs on 15th (Thomas Weston). By noon on 16th it had relocated to Pondsbury (Chris Dee) where it remained – at the time of writing – to 21^st.

The 23^rd Lundy record.

New record

5 Oct – A flock of 25 flew south past North End, low over the sea (Rosie Ellis & Hope Simpson).

7 to 11 Oct – Two adults (thought to be a pair) settled on and around Pondsbury, where they were often to be found either on one of the small islands or feeding on the nearby grassland (Shaun Barnes, Dean Jones et al.).

These are the first Lundy records of this Arctic-breeding goose since 2002. The flock on 5 Oct equalled the previous highest count of 25 on 3 Nov 1968.

New record

10 Apr – One flew in over Tent Field calling, before circling with Herring Gulls (Stuart Cossey). The 12th island record; there have now been occurrences in 11 years, of which four since 2000.

New record

8 to 14 Apr – One seen in the Tillage Field and at Pondsbury constitutes the 9th record for Lundy (J.W. Leonard, G. Sherman). Photographs by Grant Sherman are appended to the description in the 2008 LFS logbook.

New record

9 Nov – One on Pondsbury (J.W. Leonard); the 10th Lundy record.

New record

15 Dec – One photographed in Tillage Field (Matt Stritch). It remained into 2023, being seen frequently in various fields around the south of the island before settling in Barton Field. This is only the 11^th Lundy record.

New records

1 Jan to 5 Feb – The bird from December 2022 remained until 5 Feb at least. It was usually to be found in Barton Field, loosely associating with the farm geese though largely shunned by them, occasionally venturing to other fields (Stuart Cossey et al.)

27 Mar – One flew over Castle Hill and away from the island towards the south west at about 07:40 hrs (Tim Davis & Tim Jones). The 12^th Lundy record.

New records

19 Apr – One was on Pondsbury during the afternoon, joining the Canada Goose first seen there on 16 Apr. Although the Canada Goose was still present on 20th, there was no sign of the Greylag. This is only the 13^th Lundy record but the third in three years.

Photo: Pink-footed Geese, Tillage Field, 20 Oct 2006 © Richard Campey

New record

15 to 29 May – One on Pondsbury and in Brick and Tillage Fields (C. Baillie, J.W. Leonard, G. Sherman et al.). This is the first occurrence in spring and the 7th LFS record. Record accepted by the Devon Bird Recorder, who noted that a lone bird on this late date could have been an escaped or feral individual.

New record

19 to 24 Apr – An adult flushed from Quarter Wall Pond circled over the south of the island and settled on St Helen’s Field. Later the same day it was resighted at Quarter Wall Pond and on the Airfield (P. Clabburn, N. Dalby, D. Fox et al.). It remained on the island until 24th, when it flew north over Millcombe. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder. The 8th LFS record and the second in spring.

25 Oct – One flew south along the East Side and appeared to carry straight on without stopping (James Diamond). This coincided with a period of very strong north-easterly winds associated with the appearance of other scarce wildfowl on the island, including Brent Goose and Wigeon. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder. The 9th LFS record.

New record

19 Dec – One seen and photographed in the upper aero-generator field (G. Sherman, K. Welsh). Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder. The 10th LFS record, five of which have been since 2004.

New record

22 Oct – Four flew in from the south-south-east past the Castle at 08.00hrs. The observers, on Castle Hill, watched the geese flying north, just offshore, along the East Side, eventually being lost to view as they rounded Tibbetts Point (Tom Bedford, James Diamond, Tim Jones). Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder. This is only the 11th LFS record but the third consecutive year in which Pink-feet have been seen on (or from) the island.

New records

6 to 18 Mar – One that dropped in briefly to Lower Lighthouse Field on 6^th was relocated on 7^th on Ackland’s Moor where it was seen daily up to and including 18^th (Dean Jones, Matt Stritch et al.).

21 Dec – One, initially sighted along the main track north of Quarter Wall, remained until the end of the year, spending its time together with the European White-fronted Goose that arrived two days later, most often in the East Side fields (Stuart Cossey, Rosie Ellis).

Records accepted by Devon Bird Recorder; the 12^th & 13^th for the island. The March bird was only the third in spring.

New record (of a sort)

1 Jan – The bird from the end of Dec 2021 remained until New Year's Day (together with the White-fronted Goose), but couldn't be found on 2nd (Stuart Cossey).

Update

Tony Fox of the Greenland White-fronted Goose Study Group has kindly provided the following additional details concerning the colour-ringed bird seen on Lundy from 23 to 30 October (note that the Lundy individual was marked at Wexford Slobs, Ireland, in November 1991, with an orange neck-collar and a white darvic leg-ring, both bearing the letters OXK):

"0XK was an adult female caught with two other adult females, 0XH and 9XK, which stayed together in winter 1991/92 at Wexford after their capture with four unringed birds that they were clearly related to but which escaped capture. Interestingly, 9XK did not make it back to Wexford in winter 1992/93 (as 0XH did), but it was seen at Hvanneyri in west Iceland in October 1993 and appeared at Wexford in winters 1993/94 to 1995/96, moving to Loch Foyle in Northern Ireland in winter 1996/97, after which it was not seen again on the winter quarters. 9XK was seen at Hvanneyri in spring and autumn 1996, and was last seen in spring 1997 at Borgurtun on the south coast of Iceland in April 1997, before being found long dead at in Vestur Barðastrandar, in the north-west corner of Iceland, on 15 September 1997. 0XH was not seen 1993/94 but was seen on Islay in winters 1994/95 and 1995/96 and was back at Wexford in 1999/2000, not being seen after that. 0XK of course made it back to Wexford in winter 1992/93 but did not associate with 0XH that year (or subsequently), but it had got back together with 9XK when they returned in winter 1993/94 and again in 1994/95. 0XK continued to be seen every winter from then until 1999/2000, apparently returning with a single gosling and its unringed mate in 1997, the only time it was suspected of breeding. Strangely, it was not seen in 2000/2001, and the very last sight record was 31 March 2002 at Wexford before it was reported shot on 22 November 2003 at a farm called Vallnatun, Eyjafjoll in Rangarvallasysla, southern Iceland (63° 33′N, 19° 48′W) - a rather sad end to the story."

New record

3 Nov – A flock of between ten and 15 birds (not seen well-enough to identify to race) flew over the farmyard (G. Sherman et al.). The 20th LFS record and the first since Oct 2003. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

30 Oct – Five flying down the East Side turned and appeared to drop down over the Airfield. All were adults, but could not be assigned to race (Andy Jayne). Andy was leaving the island on a helicopter flight that morning and didn't have time to go up the island to try and locate the birds on the ground. This constitutes the 21st LFS record; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

27 Oct – Eight birds of the Greenland-breeding sub-species Anser albifrons flavirostris were present on 27 Oct. First seen grazing on the Airfield at about 09.00, they were in flight over the Village at 13.30, then landing briefly in Tent Field before heading north again (Dean Jones et al.). The 22nd LFS record; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

NB A distant flock of six unidentified grey geese, thought probably to be either Pink-footed or White-fronted, flew north off the East Side on 26 Oct (Andy Jayne), and a flock of 15 grey geese flew north at about 08.30 on 27 Oct (Paul Holt).

New record

26 Jan to 8 Feb – Three adults of the Greenland-breeding sub-species Anser albifrons flavirostris were on the Airfield and adjacent parts of Ackland's Moor (Dean Jones et al.). The 23rd LFS record; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

23 to 31 Dec – An adult of the Russian-breeding nominate race A. a albifrons 'European White-fronted Goose' that arrived on 23^rd was seen amidst very murky conditions during the morning in company with the Pink-footed Goose in Tent Field, and in much better light in Brick Field later in the day. It was still present on 31^st and, like the Pink-footed Goose with which it continued to keep company, remained into 2022 (Stuart Cossey).

Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder; the 24th for Lundy.

New record (of a sort)

1 Jan – The bird from the end of Dec 2021 remained until New Year's Day (together with the Pink-footed Goose), but couldn't be found on 2nd (Stuart Cossey).

New record

18 Oct to 5 Nov – Eight adults arrived during the afternoon of 18 Oct, when they were seen flying along the East Side and later on Pondsbury (S. Barnes, A.M. Taylor, R.J. Taylor et al.). All eight remained until 23 Oct. Thereafter, six stayed from 24 Oct until they were last seen on 5 Nov. Most sightings were either at Pondsbury or of birds grazing on sheep pasture in the Brick, Tillage and Lighthouse Fields. This is the 14th Lundy record (the last being in May 2007) and the largest group ever seen on the island, following a flock of seven that arrived in Oct 2002. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

29 to 31 Oct – A first-winter bird flying north over the Lighthouse Field then resting in the Brick Field on 29th (R.J. Campey, T.J. Davis et al.) remained until 31st and was seen in the Lighthouse Field and close to Quarters Pond. There had been northerly gales prior to its arrival. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder. The 15th LFS record (the 2012 LFS Annual Report incorrectly states it to be the 14th record).

New records

An exceptional year, with three autumn and early-winter records:

12 Oct – A juvenile flew south-west over the Castle in the early morning of 12 Oct (Andy Jayne).

6 Nov – Two adults landed on Pondsbury at 12.50 hrs on 6 Nov (Alan & Sandra Rowland); at 14.00 they were in Lighthouse Field (Chris Dee & Sue Waterfield) and an hour later were seen flying when disturbed by a Coastguard helicopter (Alan & Sandra Rowland).

3 Dec – A flock of five adults flew along the East Side (Rosie Ellis).

These constitute the 16^th to 18^th LFS records. Records accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

29 Nov – An adult flew in over North End at around 10:00 hrs (Jamie Dunning). It was later seen at Pondsbury and then over the Village. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder; the 19^th LFS record.

New records

16 Apr – Nine were on the sea off the West Side in the bay between Battery Point and Dead Cow Point (F. Clark).

29 Apr – A pair on Pondsbury (G. Sherman).

These constitute the 20^th and 21^st LFS records for the island and the first since September 2005. The April dates are typical.

New record

23 Apr – Two at Rocket Pole Pond (Neil Trout); the 22^nd LFS record.

New record

15 Apr – A probable first-year male landed briefly on the sea off White Beach on 15 Apr. It flew off northeast after it was harassed by a Great Black-backed Gull but quickly disappeared into thick mist (Tim Jones). The 23^rd LFS record.

New record

3 May – Three were photographed at Pondsbury (L. & S. Hook, Warren Shipman). The 24^th LFS record.

New records

26 Apr – Two immatures were seen at Benjamin’s Chair before flying east (Stuart Cossey).

4 May –  An adult off Mouse Island (Jamie Dunning) was seen again in the afternoon circling the Landing Bay before heading off high to the south (Rob Duncan).

18 May – Two flying west high over South West Field (Stuart Cossey).

2 & 3 Jun – Four flew south out of the Landing Bay as MS Oldenburg arrived on 2nd and two were present again in the Landing Bay on 3^rd (Stuart Cossey).

The highest annual number of occurrences since 1985, constitutuing the 25^th to 29^th records for the island.

New records

22 Apr – Two (male & female) were photographed on Pondsbury (Stuart Cossey).

7 May – Two flew along the East Side (Staurt Cossey).

14 May – One was on Rat Island (Tony Taylor).

3 Nov – An adult female was on the area of floodwater next to the water tanks (Angus Croudace).

The 30^th to 32^nd dated records since organised bird recording began in 1947.

First for Lundy

22 May – A female on Christie’s Quay was photographed by members of Devon Birds as they arrived on a day trip. It was later seen and photographed on Rat Island (Stuart Cossey, Jamie Dunning, Paul Holt). Although this species has an increasing breeding population in Devon it still came as quite a surprise when one turned up on Lundy.

New record

3 Aug – A juvenile was on Pondsbury on 3 Aug (Stuart Cossey).

Only the ninth Lundy record and the first since a pair on Quarter Wall Pond in Apr 2007.

New record

17 May – One (no location given but presumably Pondsbury). This constitutes the 12th LFS record and the first since July 2000.

New record

2 Nov – A male was on Pondsbury late in the day (Tim Davis, James Diamond). The 13th LFS record.

New record

5 to 21 Mar – A female, first seen at Pondsbury on 5th (Stuart Cossey), was on Rocket Pole Pond on 6th, and on Quarters Pond on 7th & 13th. Either the same or (perhaps) another female was in flight over the Village on 21st.

7 May – A male was on Pondsbury at mid-day (Stuart Cossey).

The 14th & 15th occurrences since regular bird recording on the island commenced in 1947.

Notable winter count

27 Dec – A count of six, associated with the period of severe weather in Nov–Dec 2010, was one of the higher counts recorded on Lundy.

New record set for highest ever count on Lundy

Present on the unusually high number of 29 days during the year (in Jan, Feb, Apr, May & Oct–Dec), including record counts in Oct.

24 Sep – Six flew north off the East Side.

26 to 28 Oct – Twelve (four males, eight females) flew north-east off Shutter Point, with a single male on pools at the North End on the same date, which relocated to Pondsbury on 27th, where it was joined by eight additional birds (four males and four females) on 28th. The 13 birds on 26th was the highest total ever recorded for Lundy, while nine on Pondsbury on 28th was a record count for birds actually on (as opposed to flying past) the island.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 19 in Oct.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 26 in Sep.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 23 in Oct.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 26 in Oct.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 27 in Oct.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 27 in Oct.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 17 in Oct.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 20 in Oct.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 19 in Mar.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 14 in Oct.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 13 in Jan & Feb.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 12 in Oct, Nov & Dec.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 13 in Dec.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 20 in Sep.

Breeding confirmed; maximum count, excluding ducklings: 20 in Mar.

New record

20 & 28 Dec – A female was flushed from Rocket Pole Marsh (= Kistvaen Pond) on 20^th (Stuart Cossey). The close views allowed the distinctive features to be seen – the long narrow neck and white trailing edge to the primaries. The same or another female was photographed on Pondsbury a few days later, on 28^th (Stuart Cossey).

These are the first records in nearly 45 years, the most ‘recent’ being a female in Sep 1977.

New record

1 to 4 Sep – A female, initially seen in flight when it was flushed from Millcombe Pond, was present in the Landing Bay until 4th (Luke Marriner et al.).

A remarkable second record in the space of less than two years after a near half-century wait!

Notable winter count

30 Jan – A count of about 25 was one of the highest ever made on the island.

Circumstantial evidence of possible breeding attempt

Apr/May – Circumstantial and admittedly slightly flimsy evidence of a possible breeding attempt, with a pair seen regularly in late Apr and early May, then a single male on ten dates from mid-May until last seen on 29th. If the female ‘disappeared’ because she was sitting on a nest, it seems likely that the attempt failed. As far as is known, Teal have never bred on the island, so these records are rather intriguing.

Photo: Teal over Pondsbury, late December 2012 © Neil Thomas.

No evidence of breeding

In light of the speculation about a possible breeding attempt in 2013, followed by confirmation of breeding in 2015 & 2016, it is worth noting here that there were no reports of breeding behaviour in 2014. In fact there were no records at all after the second half of Apr until the end of Sep.

First confirmed breeding record for Lundy

Apr to Jul – A pair was seen on 4 & 16 Apr, but there were no records at all in May and so it came as a huge surprise when a female and four ducklings were found on Pondsbury on 7 Jun (Tim Jones et al.), the first ever confirmation of breeding on Lundy. All five birds were still present in mid Jul, by which time the young had acquired full juvenile plumage (Tony Taylor).

Confirmed breeding

Mar to Jul – Four males and four females were on Pondsbury on 25 Mar, followed by two males and three females on 12 Apr, and two pairs on 21 Apr – the precursors to successful breeding for a second consecutive year. Females with broods of two and five ducklings were on Pondsbury on 28 May. Adults and young were then recorded almost daily to 9 Jun, after which there were two females and two young on 18 Jun and two females and four immatures on 31 Jul. Given the annual toll of Mallard ducklings taken by gulls and Peregrines, it is remarkable that most of the Teal ducklings managed to survive to fledging in both 2015 and 2016.

Confirmed breeding

Mar to Jul – Two displaying males and four females were on Pondsbury on 24 Mar; a female and three young were seen there on 21 May, followed by two females and six ducklings the next day. A juv was at Quarter Wall Pond on 7 Jul, with two there on 24th.

Confirmed breeding

Breeding was confirmed for the fourth successive year; a female and three small young were on Pondsbury on 25 May, whilst two females were pressent on 30 May, one performing a 'broken wing' distraction display (Tony Taylor). A female and seven ducklings, thought to be a second family party, were on Pondsbury on 6 Jun, whilst on 24 Jul a female was attending three well-grown young.

Breeding season

Although display was seen in the late winter and early spring, there was no confirmation of breeding. There were no records in Jun or Jul.

Maximum autumn/winter count

The peak was 19 on 26 Dec – the highest since 25 in Jan 2013.

Confirmed breeding

A total of 21 (comprising 14 females & 7 males) were present on 22 Mar and display was seen during the spring but successful breeding was only confirmed late in the season, when a female with two ducklings, thought to be about a week old, were on Pondsbury on 8 Aug. This suggests that earlier nesting attemts probably failed.

Maximum autumn/winter counts

Apart from the 21 noted in late Mar (see above) the highest count during the first winter-period was 18 on 26 Jan, with a second winter-period peak of 14 on 22 Dec.

Confirmed breeding

Several drakes were displaying on Pondsbury on 18 Mar. Successful breeding was confirmed when three adults and three ducklings were seen there on 22 May. These were followed in Jun by two fully-grown birds and several very small young on 3rd, and a female plus three ducklings on 6th – again all on Pondsbury.

Maximum autumn/winter counts

The highest count during the first winter/early spring period was 26 on 10 Feb, whilst the second winter-period peak was just eight on 26 & 29 Dec.

Confirmed breeding

Two displaying males were present on Pondsbury in Mar and a male and up to three females were recorded in Apr. Eight ducklings were seen there on 28 May, two remaining on 15 Jun.

Maximum autumn/winter counts

The highest count during the first winter/early spring period was 13 on 16 Mar, whilst the second winter-period peak was nine on 16 Dec.

Confirmed breeding

Two broods were seen on Pondsbury in May, with females accompanying groups of three and four ducklings on 28th. This is the eighth year of confirmed breeding since the first occurrence in 2015 (breeding was unconfirmed in 2019).

New record – subject to acceptance by DBRC

28 Jan to 1 Apr – A male was found on Pondsbury by Observatory Warden Joe Parker on 28 Jan. It remained throughout Feb and Mar but was logged for the final time (at the time of writing) on 1 Apr, likely having migrated. This is only the second island record (subject to formal acceptance by DBRC) following a male nearly 18 years previously, in May 2006.

New record

9 to 14 May – A pair on Pondsbury.

New record

16 to 18 Jul – A pair, entering eclipse plumage, on Pondsbury.

These constitute the 18th and 19th LFS records for the island and the first since February 2004. The late-spring and midsummer timings are typical.

New record

9 to 11 Jul – Two males on Pondsbury (L. Jaggard, J.W. Leonard). The 20th Lundy record.

New record

24 Oct – A female in flight near Rocket Pole Pond (R.J. Campey). The 21st Lundy record.

New records

12 May – A male was on the pond outside Barton Cottages on 12 May (Roger Fursdon, Grant Sherman).

10 to 29 Oct – A female was on Pondsbury (Tony Taylor et al.).

These are the 22nd and 23rd LFS records.

New records

16 to 18 May – One (presumed male) on Pondsbury (LFS Working Party) was followed by a male and female on 18th and two males on 19th (Kevin Waterfall).

The 24th LFS record.

New record

15 Sep – Two females were roosting on an island in Pondsbury on 15 Sep (Jan Swan). The 25th LFS record.

New record – subject to acceptance by DBRC

27 Oct – A female or immature was found diving in the Landing Bay, close to the Jetty, during the late afternoon but flew off east past Rat Island after a short time, having been spooked by a Great Northern Diver (Andy Jayne). If accepted, this will be only the second record for the island, following one on 16 November 1956 (also a female/immature).

Notable autumn count

26 Oct – A total of 25, in three separate flocks, flew north-east off the South End.

Unusual summer record

25 Jul – A female was in the Landing Bay on the unusual date of 25 Jul (Steve McAusland/MARINElife).

Notable autumn count

27 Oct – A count of 14.

Highest count of recent years

15 & 16 Nov – About 40, in small groups of four to eight, passed off the Ugly in the space of five minutes mid-morning on 15th (Martin Thorne) and a flock of c.30 flew north along the East Side at 11.00 hrs the following day (Tony Taylor). The total logged on 15^th remains (as of the end of 2023) the highest day-count since publication of The Birds of Lundy.

First January record for Lundy

8 Jan – Six seen during a sewatch from the Ugly were the first ever for the month of January.

Unusual summer record

9 Aug – A male was close-in to the island at North Light.

Notable autumn count

8 & 10 Nov – Thirty were rafting off the Landing Bay (Martin Thorne).

New record

30 Jan – A female flew north  above the Lower East Side Path at Tibbetts Point (Tim Davis & Tim Jones).  This is only the 5th record for the island and the first since 2002.

New record

14 May – A male in breeding plumage on Pondsbury (Michael Maggs) was only the second for Lundy; the first, also a male, was seen in the Landing Bay by Felix Gade on 15 Sep 1933. The Lundy bird seems very likely to have been the same individual seen near Braunton on the North Devon mainland on 21 May. The curious date and unusual habitat give rise to thoughts of an escape from captivity, or a sick/injured wild bird, but this is entirely speculation. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

22 & 23 Nov – A female fishing for Mirror Carp on Rocket Pond on 22nd was still present on 23rd (Dean Woodfin Jones). This was only the second record for Lundy, the island's first Goosander having been seen 86 years previously by Felix Gade on 17 Dec 1934.

New records

30 Jun – One was seen on the boat crossing on 30 Jun by Staffordshire birder Rob Swift, who reported: “The sighting was of a single female, two thirds of the way to the island on the boat trip. I picked it up as I was binocular scanning for Manx Shearwaters. It 'skidded' to a halt on the sea in my field of view about 150 m away. As the boat got nearer, it took flight and flew across the 'front' of the boat at about 30 m distant, in a south-westerly direction, then lost to view.”

15 Oct – Three ‘redheads’ flew south past the Landing Bay (A.M. Taylor, R.J. Taylor).

These constitute only the 8th and 9th LFS records.

New record

27 Oct – An immature in the Landing Bay (Chris Dee et al.) was the 10th LFS record.

New record

30 Jun to 3 Jul – One calling frequently from the Tent Field between 30 Jun & 3 Jul (A.J. Cleave, C. Young et al.).

New record

11 Jun – One flushed near Tibbetts at 09.30hrs and just north of Threequarter Wall at 15.30hrs (Joey Eccles, Laura Hayes, Andy Redford et al.). These records came from separate groups of observers who had no idea of each other's sightings until much later on. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

19 Oct – One flushed along the Lower East Path above White Beach during the late morning (Tim Davis, James Diamond, Tim Jones) was only the second in autumn since LFS records began in 1947. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

24 Jun – One was flushed off the track in South West Field during low cloud and rain (Stuart Cossey). Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record – subject to acceptance by Devon Bird Recorder

7 Jun – One flushed at Dead Cow Point (Paul St Pierre).

New record

12 Feb – One flew in to feed south of Rat Island (Tony Taylor).

New record

14 Apr – A winter-plumaged bird in the Landing Bay (D. Miller).

New record

4 Mar – A single bird in the Landing Bay (Andy Jayne).

21 Apr – A single bird in the Landing Bay (Malcolm Shakespeare).

New record

23 Mar – One fishing near the outer mooring buoys in the Landing Bay, seen from the Jetty (Tony Taylor).

New record

24 to 27 Feb – Two were off Rat Island 24th to 26th, with one present on 27th (Martin Thorne).

11 Oct – One off the Castle (Chris Baillie).

New records

10 Jan to 25 Mar – The first winter and early spring period brought an unprecedented series of sightings, with records on at least 31 dates from 10 Jan (one) to 25 Mar (one), including maxima of eight on 11 Jan, six on 12, 16 & 17 Feb, twelve on 6 Mar and ten on 8 Mar. There were still four present on 16 Mar. Most were seen in the Landing Bay and around Rat Island, but others were seen from North End – max five on 23 Feb, South West Point – max four on 24 Feb, The Battery – two on 25 Feb, and off the East Side between the Terrace and Brazen Ward – singles on 21 & 25 Mar (Dean Jones, Martin Thorne et al.).

New records

3 Jan to 6 Mar – Recorded in the Landing Bay or elsewhere off the East Side between these dates, with 1–12 birds on most days, but maxima of 14 on 3 Feb, 15 on 2 Feb and 2 Mar, and 22 on 18 Feb, a all-time record count for the island (Dean Jones et al.). During the second winter period, two flew south along the East Side on 28 Nov, one was off the Landing Bay on 2 Dec, and two were off Rat Island on 29 Dec (Dean Jones).

New records

3 Jan to 1 Apr – Recorded on 33 dates. Both frequency and numbers peaked in Jan, with a max of 28 on 24th, and six other double-digit counts between 19th & 27th. The Feb & Mar maxima were seven and nine, respectively. There were no records during the autumn or second winter period.

New records

6 Jan to 4 Apr – During the first winter period and early spring, recorded on 36 dates from 6 Jan (one) to 4 Apr (two), with maxima of 10 on 7 Jan and nine on 22 Feb.

There had been no records in Nov/Dec 2020, so the early Jan 2021 records were the first of the winter. A similar pattern was evident in 2019/20 with just three scattered records in Nov/Dec followed by frequent records from Jan onwards.

New records

29 Jan to 22 Mar – The first of the year was one off Rat Island on 29 Jan. Further singles were logged in the Landing Bay/Rat Island area on five scattered dates to 12 Mar. There were two off North Light and one off Rat Island on 22 Mar.

New records

20 Jan to 23 Mar – The highest count was six on 20 Jan.

New records

13 Mar to 1 Apr – Not recorded during winter 2023/24 until 13 Mar (likely due to a combination of persistent poor weather and capacity limitations for the Observatory), when two were off the Landing Bay. Thereafter, ones and twos were in the vicinity of the Landing Bay on 12 further dates to 1 Apr. Additionally, one was off North Light on 17^th.

New record

4 Feb – One off the East Side, seen from the Terrace, during a period of extremely cold weather that lasted several days (T.J. Davis & T.A. Jones).

This constitutes the 11th LFS records for the island and the first since spring 2003.

New record

28 & 29 Nov – One in the Landing Bay (Philip & Helen Lymbery). This is the 12th LFS record and the first since Feb 2009; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

28 Jan – One off the East Side near the Landing Bay (Tim Davis & Chris Dee). The 13th LFS record; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

24 to 26 Jan – One was in the Landing Bay (Martin Thorne). The 14th LFS record; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New records

24 Jan – One feeding and preening just off North West Point (Dean Jones).

7 & 9 Mar – One in the Landing Bay (Dean Jones).

The 15th & 16th LFS records; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New records

17 & 18 Jan – One was in the Landing Bay in company with Red-throated Divers (Dean Jones).

The 17th LFS record; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

23 Jan – One in the Landing Bay (Dean Jones).

The 18th LFS record; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

High count for Lundy

28 Dec – A count of five, following a prolonged period of severe weather in Nov-Dec, was, at the time, the highest ever recorded for Lundy. However, a new record was set in Feb 2020 (see below)

Unusual late-spring/early summer record

30 Jun – Three were reported off the Landing Bay on the unusual date of 30 Jun (David Oddy).

Feeding behaviour

9 Dec – Writing in the LFS logbook, Lundy Warden Dean Jones reported: “Two feeding in close to Miller’s Cake at 13.30 hrs. One bird caught a definite monkfish and the other a rather large, pale-yellow flatfish.”

Unusual early-autumn record

24 Sep to 8 Oct – An adult still largely in breeding plumage was present in the Landing Bay almost daily (Chris Dee et al.). During the early morning of 27 Sep it flew high across the island, from west to east and dropped down into the Landing Bay. It had presumably been roosting and/or feeding off the West Side.

Unusual location

1 Jan – One was off North Light, an unusual location for this species, given that the vast majority of records are for the Landing Bay and the East Side as far north as the Terrace.

New record set for highest ever count for Lundy

17 Feb – A count of six, in ones and twos off the East Side between Quarry Beach and Rat Island (Martin Thorne) becomes the highest day-count ever logged for the island.

Unusual early-autumn record

25 Sep – An adult in breeding plumage flew north off the east coast.

Unproven report

17 Oct – A report of one off the Landing Bay was assessed by BBRC as 'not proven'. This was a potential first for Lundy and coincided with sightings of a wandering individual around the coastline of southern Britain.

Earliest and latest since 2006 (last year covered in full by The Birds of Lundy): Earliest 16 Apr 2008 (two); Latest 5 Oct 2014 (one).

Breeding season records

Jul/Aug – Stuart Brown ringed 29 at night, using a tape lure, on the Terrace between 25 & 28 Jul. None of these birds had brood patches. One found dead on the Landing Beach on 28 Jul showed signs of having a brood patch. A few individuals were seen on four nights between 1 & 8 Aug in the vicinity of the Manx Shearwater colony between Old Light and Battery Point (T. Guilford & R. Freeman). This is potentially significant in that these birds were visiting the island at night and had not been drawn in artificially through the use of tape-lures, which is generally the case for Storm Petrels ringed on Lundy.

Breeding season records

1 to 5 Jun – A survey of likely nesting sites by Helen Booker and Chris Townend found no evidence of breeding birds (see pages 81-84 of the 2010 LFS Annual Report for full details)

Breeding season records

25 Apr – One was tape-lured and ringed at Pilot’s Quay.

16 & 17 Jun – Ten reported on the first date and five the following day, but no details of location, circumstances or observer(s) provided, so impossible to assess the reliability of these reports.

Breeding season records

May/Jun – On the nights of 24/25 & 25/26 May two different birds were trapped and ringed at the shearwater colonies north of the Old Light and at Pilot’s Quay, respectively. Both birds had well-developed brood patches (which occur in both male and female Storm Petrels); the first was retrapped in the same area on 28/29 May (A.M. Taylor, R.J. Taylor). In addition, one was seen during the boat crossing on 22 May, with 21 on 26th and two on 29th. Nine reported on 9 Jun also seem likely to have been a crossing record, but this is not made clear in the logbook.

Breeding season records

7 Jun – One was trapped at night, without the use of a tape-lure, in the Manx Shearwater colony north of Old Light.

31 Jul – Twelve reported off North Light, but no supporting information provided.

First record of confirmed breeding on Lundy

5 Oct – An evening visit by Tony John, Luke Philips and Tony Taylor to the Old Light Manx Shearwater colony, with the aim of ringing late shearwater chicks, revealed something altogether more unexpected, though much anticipated – a Storm Petrel chick! In a text message sent at the time, Tony reported: “Luke noticed the stormy a few m from cliff edge. Ringed and photos. Full grown but some down on belly. On release shuffled down small burrow.” This was the first ever proof of breeding by Storm Petrels on Lundy, though it had long been suspected that Stormies might be nesting (or at least attempting to do so). There must be a strong chance that this development, like the resurgence of shearwaters and Puffins and the island's seemingly burgeoning Wheatear population, is linked to the eradication of rats under the Seabird Recovery Project. A red letter day that will go down in the annals of Lundy ornithology and conservation (a full account is contained in the 2014 LFS Annual Report).

Probable breeding

Jul to Sep – At least one was singing for long periods between 23.00 hrs and 00.30 hrs on the night of 15/16 Jul in the main breeding colony of Manx Shearwaters between Old Light and Battery Point, close to where a well-grown chick was found in Oct 2014 (Beccy MacDonald, Tony Taylor). An adult was tape-lured and ringed in the same area on 9 Sep (Jeremy Barker).

Probable breeding

Jun to Sep – One trapped at the Old Light colony on the night of 26/27 Jun was found to have a brood patch and presumed to be breeding (David Price et al.). At least three were seen at the Manx Shearwater colony adjacent to North Light between midnight and 01.00hrs on 26 Jun (Marco Thoma, Sarah Althaus, Judith Hüppi and Dominic Martin). Two were flying below the North Light railway at 23.00hrs on 2 Sep (Richard Taylor & C. Young).

Confirmed breeding at North End

Recorded between 1 Jun and 24 Aug, with evidence of breeding at North Light and probable breeding around Old Light shearwater colony. At least two were flying around the top of the gully at Old Light shearwater colony at 23.30 hrs on 1 Jun (Richard Taylor & Tony Taylor). Playback of Storm Petrel calls at North End on 9 Jul produced two responses from burrows (Dean Jones). A single bird was heading west close in to Shutter Rock on 28 Jul (Dean Jones). One was heading west off South West Point on 3 Aug (Dean Jones). At least five were seen coming into burrows at North End after 23.00 hrs on the night of 5 Aug (Dean Jones). Singles mist-netted (not tape-lured) at night at the Old Light shearwater colony on 21 & 22 Aug had large brood patches (Rebecca & Richard Taylor, Tony Taylor et al.). Eighteen were mist-netted at North End on 24 Aug, including at least six caught without the use of a tape lure (Rosie Hall, Dean Jones, Rebecca & Richard Taylor). One bird on the latter date had been ringed previously at The Lizard, Cornwall in Jul 2016 (see below for details).

Breeding-season records

At least 20 sightings were made at North End on the night of 6/7 Jul. A call playback and response survey in this area yielded an estimate of 9 to 16 apparently occupied burrows (Helen Booker, Dean Jones et al.). Nine trapped at North End on the night of 27/28 Aug included six ‘new’ birds, one retrap that had been ringed on Lundy in 2017, one that had been ringed elsewhere in Britain, and one wearing a French ring (Rebecca & Richard Taylor). Birds were seen at night at Brazen Ward during Aug and early Sep (Josh Harris). In Sep, six were ringed at North Light on 2nd (Tony Taylor et al.), one flew past the Landing Bay on 3rd (Denise Wawman), two were seen in flight at Pilot’s Quay during nighttime shearwater ringing on 9th (Nik Ward et al.) and one was off North End during blustery conditions on 19th (Dean Jones).

Breeding-season records

One was seen at dusk on 26 May flying over the Old Light Manx Shearwater colony (Tony Taylor et al.). On 14 Jun one was flushed from short heather at the North End and watched flying out to sea over North East Point in strengthening wind (Tom Dickens). On the night of 23/24 Aug, 37 birds were trapped near North Light – 28 ‘new’ birds, seven Lundy-ringed retraps from 2017 and 2018, and two birds ringed elsewhere. On 27^th/28^th, at the same site, 24 more new birds were caught along with a further eight Lundy-ringed retraps and five more ringed elsewhere. Several birds on both nights had very full crops of food, suggesting they were feeding young.

Breeding-season records

During the night of 16/17 Jul, 35 individuals were mist-netted near North Light. These included 31 new birds, three Lundy-ringed retraps, and one bird that had been ringed in North Wales in 2012 (Dean Jones & Jamie Dunning). Singles were over the tide race south of Rat Island on 25 Jul (Jamie Dunning) & 5 Aug (Dean Jones). At least six were calling from crevices in and immediately above the wall of Brazen Ward on the night of 3/4 Aug (Eleanor & Josh Harris). During the night of 7/8 Aug, ones and twos were seen at Jenny’s Cove, the west end of Quarter Wall, between The Battery and Old Light, and at Pilot’s Quay (Josh Harris). Another ringing session at North Light on the night of 10/11 Aug, led by Chris Dee, resulted in the trapping of 23 individuals, of which 18 were new, four had been ringed on Lundy in 2018 (two individuals), 2019 (one) and earlier in 2020 (one), whilst one had been ringed on Skokholm only a couple of weeks earlier, on 13 Jul. A number of the birds caught (all without the use of tape-luring) showed evidently full crops and were almost certainly feeding chicks in the vicinity. Finally, a further 50 birds were trapped at North Light on the night of 26/27 Aug (Tim Frayling, Dean Jones et al.). Among these were 30 new birds, 17 Lundy-ringed retraps, two individuals ringed on Skokholm in 2019 and 2020 (the latter the bird captured on Lundy on 10/11 Aug) and one ringed at Annagh Head, Co. Mayo, Ireland in 2014.

Tony Taylor adds: “In the three ringing sessions near North Light in Jul & Aug, a record 79 Storm Petrels
were newly ringed and 29 other birds were recaptured. Four of these had been ringed elsewhere. While
large numbers of non-breeding birds wander between colonies, there was plenty of evidence among
the recaptures that a significant proportion of them are faithful to the catching area. Some were
recaptured on more than one of the 2020 visits, and 16 had also been captured several times over the
previous three years. The evidence all points towards a growing breeding population on Lundy.”

Breeding-season records

 Three together flew past Rat Island during the late afternoon of 21 May after two days of very wet and windy conditions, westerly gusts reaching 60 mph. Surveys located 16 birds on 2 Jul and a further 17 on 14 Jul (see below). One was ringed on the West Side during the night of 5/6 Sep and six were trapped at North End on 8 Sep (Dean Jones).

The Conservation Team visited North End on 2 Jul to look for occupied nest sites by playing recordings of Storm Petrel calls down suitable-looking entrance holes and crevices. A total of 13 birds responded, though more were present, evidenced by many distinctively smelly burrows! Excitingly, some of the responses came from areas where birds have not been found previously, including some of the old walls built by Trinity House over a century ago. As not all breeding ‘stormies’ respond to call playback, a statistical correction factor (calculated from research conducted at colonies elsewhere) has to be applied to derive a more accurate population estimate. Taking this adjustment into account, the last survey at North End, conducted by the RSPB in 2018, yielded an estimate of 11 apparently occupied sites (AOS). Applying the same methodology to this year’s survey produced an estimate of 31 AOS – nearly three times the 2018 figure. Also on 2 Jul, Chris Baillie made another exciting discovery whilst exploring boulder scree below the Battery at dusk. Here Chris saw a number of adults – six estimated, but possibly up to eight – in an area often considered as providing good potential nesting habitat. Occupancy was confirmed shortly afterwards by 17 responses to call playback on 14 Jul. Taking into account the discovery in early Jun (by the RSPB seabird survey team) of a further new breeding site along the East Side, Lundy is now known to hold at least 50 breeding pairs of Storm Petrels – a superb result in a relatively short period of time following the eradication of rats. Extensive surveys conducted in 2010 failed to find any birds at all.

Storm Petrel ringing in 2021 (contributed by Tony Taylor):

After the successes of 2020, it was only possible to target Storm Petrels at the colony near North Light on two nights. These were in early Jul and Sep, either side of the dates that have been most productive in recent past years.

In Jul, five new birds were ringed and four others recaptured. Two had originally been ringed on Lundy, in 2019 and 2020. The others had both been ringed near Land’s End, Cornwall, in Aug 2018. In Sep, the North Light site produced another four new birds, one Lundy-ringed bird from 2019 and one ringed on Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, in late Jul 2021. One further bird was caught and ringed in early Sep, while Manx Shearwaters were being targeted with a mist-net at their main colony north of the Old Light.

While the totals were low compared with 2020, these results add to our knowledge of the petrels visiting Lundy. Some are long-term regulars, probably breeding there, while others are wanderers from elsewhere, perhaps younger birds prospecting for future breeding sites.

Breeding season summary

The first records involved calls heard at a known breeding colony along the East Side on 15 & 16 May. At least five were counted at known colonies during the evenings of 9 &13 Jun. At least two were seen at night at a colony on the West Side on 23 Aug. Due to biosecurity measures to minimize potential risks from avian influenza, only one mist-netting trip was made, on 31 Jul, when 20 birds were trapped (without sound lures) near North Light, including three that had already been ringed away from Lundy.

New record all-island population estimate

The RSPB-led survey of breeding seabirds during the late spring and early summer resulted in an estimate of 161 apparently occupied sites (burrows), a proxy for the number of breeding pairs, and equivalent to a population of well over 300 individuals.

Record annual ringing total – surpassing combined total for all previous years

Jul to Sep – Reflecting the island's rapidly expanding breeding population, but also a particularly intensive effort by the Bird Observatory team and visiting ringers, an astonishing 551 Storm Petrels were ringed during the period 9 Jul to 15 Sep. These included 401 between 9 & 26 Jul and 79 on the night of 16-17 Aug. The overall ringing total for all previous years combined (1947 to 2022) was 491!

Ringing control: The LFS received late notification of a Storm Petrel ringed as an adult on Lundy on 29 Jun 1999 (ring no. 2580614) and controlled on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd on 22 Aug 1999 (54 days; 177 km; N 358°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult on 16 Jul 2008 (ring no. 2424876) at Basset’s Cove, Cornwall, was controlled (tape lured) on Lundy, on 26 Jul 2009 (375 days; 112 km; NNE 25º).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult on Lundy on 25 Jul 2009 (ring no. 2580637) was controlled at Burhou, Alderney, Channel Islands, on 19 Jul 2014 (1,820 days; 235 km; SE 134°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult at Hot Point, The Lizard, Cornwall on 06 Jul 2016 (ring no. 2726021) was controlled on Lundy on 24 Aug 2017 (414 days; 139 km; NNE 16°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as a full-grown bird at Wooltack Point, Marloes, Pembrokeshire on 01 Jul 2014 (ring no. 2637071) was controlled on Lundy on 01 Sep 2018 (1,523 days; 72 km; SSE 147°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as a full-grown bird on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 19 Jul 2018 (ring no. 2740238) was controlled on Lundy on 01 Sep 2018 (44 days; 70 km; SE 144°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as a full-grown bird on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 19 Jul 2018 (ring no. 2740263) was controlled on Lundy on 01 Sep 2018 (414 days; 70 km; SE 144°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as a pullus on Lundy on 05 Oct 2014 (ring no. 2580670) was controlled on Burhou Island, Alderney, Channel Islands on 27 Jul 2019 (1,756 days; 235 km; SE 134°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult at Hot Point, The Lizard, Cornwall on 22 Jun 2017 (ring no. 2714564) was controlled on Lundy on 23 Aug 2019 (792 days; 142 km; NNE 15°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult at Wooltack Point, Marloes, Pembrokeshire on 16 Jul 2019 (ring no. 2742211) was controlled on Lundy on 23 Aug 2019 (38 days; 72 km; SE 147°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 02 Aug 2019 (ring no. 2746457) was controlled on Lundy on 26 Aug 2019 (24 days; 72 km; SE 144°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult at Hartland Point, Devon on 03 Aug 2019 (ring no. 2473747) was controlled on Lundy on 27 Aug 2019 (24 days; 26 km; NNW 333°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult at Old Head of Kinsale, Cork, Ireland on 22 Jul 2018 (ring no. 2735527) was controlled on Lundy, 27 Aug 2019 (401 days; 273 km; ESE 101°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult on Cape Clear Island, Cork, Ireland on 17 Aug 2019 (ring no. 2745285) was controlled on Lundy, 27 Aug 2019 (10 days; 337 km; E 95°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 30 Jul 2014 (ring no. 2685874) was controlled on Lundy on 28 Aug 2019 (1,855 days; 70 km; SE 144°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult at Porth Iago, Llyn Peninsula, Gwynedd, on 28 Jul 2012 (ring no. 2602962) was controlled on Lundy on 17 Jul 2020 (2,911 days; 184 km; S, 179°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire, on 13 Jul 2020 (ring no. 2746790) was controlled on Lundy on 11 Aug 2020 and 27 Aug 2020 (29 and 45 days; 70 km; SE, 144°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire, on 17 Jul 2019 (ring no. 2746154) was controlled on Lundy on 26 Aug 2020 (406 days; 70 km; SE, 144°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult at Annagh Head, Mayo, Ireland, on 16 Aug 2014 (ring no. 2702714) was controlled on Lundy on 27 Aug 2020 (2,203 days; 498 km; SE, 133°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult on Skomer, Pembrokeshire on 20 Jul 2021 (ring no. 2724001) was controlled on Lundy on 08 Sep 2021 (50 days; 74 km; SE 145°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult at Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra, Cornwall on 14 Aug 2018 (ring no. 2754512) was controlled on Lundy on 07 Jul 2021 (1,058 days; 148 km; NNE 29°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult at Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra, Cornwall on 21 Aug 2018 (ring no. 2754518) was controlled on Lundy on 07 Jul 2021 (1,051 days; 148 km; NNE 29°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult at Porth Ysgaden, Gwynedd, on 10 Jul 2017 (ring no. 2569909 was controlled on Lundy on 31 Jul 2022 (1,847 days; 191 km; S, 181°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult at Hot Point, The Lizard, Cornwall, on 05 Jun 2016 (ring no. 2714440) was controlled on Lundy on 31 Jul 2022 (2,247 days; 141 km; NNE, 16°).

Ringing control: A Storm Petrel ringed as an adult on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire, on 11 Jul 2020 (ring no. 2746631) was controlled on Lundy on 31 Jul 2022 (750 days; 72 km; SE 144°).

Notable winter counts

30 Jan & 19 Feb – Daily totals of 87 and 90, respectively, were both high counts for outside the breeding season, though few representative counts are made at this time of year.

Breeding census

The census of breeding seabirds, coordinated by the RSPB and Natural England, revealed a total of 170 apparently occupied nest sites, suggesting a small decline from 178 in 2004, but a 12% decline since the population peaked at 203 apparently occupied nest sites in 1996

Occupancy of ledges in late summer

6 Aug – Several well-grown chicks and attendant adults still on breeding ledges at Jenny’s Cove.

Breeding success

Productivity at Gannets’ Rock colony was 0.47 chicks fledged per breeding attempts (N. Saunders & S. Wheatley).

Notable winter counts

2 & 21 Dec – High totals of 115 and 135.

Notable winter count

15 Jan – A high count of 140.

Breeding census

The RSPB seabird census recorded a total of 209 apparently occupied nest sites, showing a considerable increase since the 2008 census when 170 nest sites were recorded. The Gannets’ Rock colony, the original stronghold for this species on Lundy, held fewer than 40 pairs, whereas sites along the West Side have shown a considerable increase, in particular the section from Jenny’s Cove south to Battery Point which now holds over half the population.

Notable winter counts

The two counts detailed below are among the higher totals for recent years outside the breeding season.

25 Jan – A count of 152.

11 Dec – A count of 137.

Notable spring count

31 Mar – A count of 153 was the highest total early in the year.

Breeding census

The all-island RSPB-led seabird survey produced a total of 227 apparently occupied nests, a figure 9% higher than the 209 nests counted in 2013 and in fact the highest total since the current periodic all-island surveys began in 1981.

Notable winter count

30 Jan – A total of 279 birds counted during a walk of the entire island perimeter, mostly on ledges on north face of Gannets' Rock, Long Roost, Jenny's Cove (115), and gullies between The Battery and Dead Cow Point (Tim Davis & Tim Jones).

Notable winter count

3 Feb – 227 were on and around breeding ledges (the highest count of the year).

Reoccupation of breeding ledges

12 Nov – a count of 100 marked the first mass reoccupation of breeding ledges.

Notable winter count

30 Jan – An exceptionally high count of 465 was made during a walk of the whole island perimeter. These included about 120 at Jenny's Cove and 147 on the north side of Gannets' Rock (Tim Davis & Tim Jones).

Breeding census – new record population estimate

The RSPB-led census of the island's breeding seabirds in late spring and early summer resulted in an estimate of 243 apparently occupied sites, a proxy for the number of breeding pairs. This is a further increase (by some 7%) on the last population estimate in 2017 and again sets a new record for the island.

First for Lundy

18 Aug – One off the West Side during a round-the-island trip on M.V. Balmoral (B. Hill). Record accepted by DBRC. The first record for Lundy waters and a long-awaited addition to the island list; two previous records in 1992 and 2002 were of sightings during the boat crossing.

New record – subject to acceptance by Devon Bird Recorder/DBRC

31 Jul – One was seen flying north off Dead Cow Point at 20:34 hrs (Luke Marriner) following a period of stormy weather and in a year when exceptional numbers of both Cory's and Great Shearwaters were present in the South West approaches during late-Jul and throughout Aug.

New record

5 Oct – One, mixed in with a flock of Manx Shearwaters, seen at rest on the water and in flight off the Castle (Tim Jones). The fourth Lundy record.

New record

22 Oct – One seen from the Castle (Chris Baillie). Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder. The fifth Lundy record.

New record

6 Aug – One was off North End (Dean Jones). Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder. The 6th LFS record.

New record

30 Aug – One flew past Rat Island with Manx Shearwaters during a morning seawatch from The Ugly (Dean Jones). Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder. The 7th LFS record.

New record

5 Aug – One drifted north past Old Light at 13:48 hrs (Luke Marriner) in association with the passage of Storm Antoni. The 8th island record.

Clarification p.64 second paragraph, eleventh line: the 1987 study site was an area 50m x 50m, i.e. 2,500m².

Earliest and latest since 2006 (last year covered in full by The Birds of Lundy): Earliest 13 Jan 2021 (one); Latest 20 Dec 2020 (four)). There were reports of small numbers offshore in Dec 2008 (one) and 19-25 Jan (up to six), but in the absence of substantiating details, notably elimination of possible confusion with other species, we consider these unreliable.

Breeding season summary

From burrows in the colony on the sidelands between the Old Light and Battery Point there were 64 responses to taped calls played in June. During the first two weeks of September David Price, Adrian Plant and Tony Taylor caught and ringed 55 young and 15 adult Manx Shearwaters in the same area, marking the fourth consecutive year of breeding success for this species. There was no monitoring of burrows elsewhere on the island during the 2007 breeding season. There was a series of exceptionally late autumn records: one was heard calling (by Kate and Liza Cole) near Hanmers on the evening of 7 October; one was found on the ground near Brambles on the night of 9 October by Chris and Carol Baillie; four were seen passing offshore on 15 October; and Andy Jayne heard one calling on the West Side near Old Light on the evening of 31 October. Finally, James Leonard saw one off Rat Island on 13 November - the latest Lundy record to date for a Manx Shearwater. The previous record late date (26 October) was set just a year earlier, in 2006, perhaps indicating that more birds are remaining in the vicinity of the breeding grounds much longer into the autumn.

Breeding season summary

Breeding census – A survey in late May - based on the responses of chicks in burrows to recordings of adult shearwater calls - resulted in an estimate of around 1,000 apparently occupied burrows, corresponding to a population of about 1,000 pairs (Helen Booker, RSPB, pers. comm.). This compares with an estimated 166 pairs using similar survey methods in 2001 and is the strongest evidence yet of the positive impact that rat eradication has had for breeding shearwaters.

Breeding season summary

Tim Guilford and Robin Freeman of the Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, spent the first 12 nights of August carrying out fieldwork at the breeding colony between Old Light and Battery Point. During the first five nights, a total of 15 Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices were attached to assumed breeding adult shearwaters to track in detail the birds' movements during feeding trips out at sea. In addition, geolocator devices were attached to 19 birds to record their migration to and from wintering grounds off the coast of South America (for further details of the methods used and results obtained, see the paper on pp. 74–75 of the 2009 LFS Annual Report). During daylight hours, Tim and Robin recorded by far the highest count of shearwaters for the year; some 10,000 seen rafting between two and five km off the west coast on 3 Aug.

Between 27 Aug and 12 Sep, 145 chicks were ringed – twice the number found in 2008. Tony Taylor commented: "Not only a big increase in the main Old Light colony but shearwater nestlings also found on seven other slopes ranging from Puffin Slope to west of Benjamin's Chair."

Breeding season summary

GPS tracking studies were conducted between 10 & 24 Jul. Breeding birds were tracked foraging as far north as the Isle of Man and as far as Dartmouth to the south. Most rafting birds were to the south-west of Lundy. Data-loggers were fitted to some birds and should reveal information about migration routes and wintering areas – if the loggers can be retrieved in 2011 (see page 76 of 2010 LFS Annual Report).

High counts involved a large raft estimated at 7,000 birds off South West Point on 8 Aug and 10,000+ mainly north-northwest of the island on 30 Aug.

David & Elisabeth Price, Peter Slader and Richard & Tony Taylor ringed 169 young and 17 adults between 26 Aug and 11 Sep. Many were captured in the colony between Old Light and Battery Point, but others were found along the sidings north of Pyramid Rock, at Puffin Slope, on Castle Hill and at various sites between Benjamin’s Chair and Old Light.

Breeding season summary

Four shearwater corpses presumed taken and stripped by Peregrines – with one young Peregrine still feeding on remains – were found at Jenny’s Cove on 21 Jun (S. Barnes).

David & Elisabeth Price, Peter Slader and Tony and Richard Taylor ringed totals of 167 young and 89 adult shearwaters in late Aug and early Sep. On 22 Aug, Tony Taylor wrote: “Manx Shearwaters very active, with much calling last two nights, particularly 20th. Six chicks found so far at Old Light colony. One adult, ringed on Lundy as a chick in 2008, was first known returning Lundy-bred bird since the rat eradication.” (A second such bird was trapped later during Tony and Richard’s visit). On 6 Sep David Price noted: “Our perception was that there were more young birds around than last year, and that there are still plenty more to emerge from their burrows. The last three days (4-6 Sep) were problematic due to rain and strong winds. When the conditions were too difficult on the west coast we tried the colony below Tibbett’s on the East Side, but thanks to head-high bracken were unable to locate any birds”.

Breeding season summary

David & Elisabeth Price, Nik Ward and Peter Slader made the following logbook entry for 28 Aug to 6 Sep: “Spent the last 10 days (or more specifically the nights!) out on the sidings catching and ringing Manx Shearwaters. Our target was to ring young shearwaters that have recently emerged from their holes and which will spend several nights out on the slopes losing weight, shedding their fluffy down and exercising their wings before flying out to sea. We managed to ring 106 young birds in total – most of them at the colony between Old Light and Battery, but also north of Dead Cow Point, the sidings north of the Pyramid, and Puffin Slope. The bright full moon hampered our catching somewhat as birds are less likely to emerge on bright nights. This was probably the reason we saw few adults as they are even more reluctant to come in to the sidings unless it is really dark. We saw some evidence of predated juvenile birds, one such looking like a Peregrine kill (prompting the question as to whether Peregrines regularly hunt at night). We caught more birds than in the same period last year, so potentially the population has increased, and we were encouraged to find the Dead Cow Point colony had expanded considerably since our last visit.” Tony Taylor took over the story, adding: “Richard Taylor and I (with help from Derren Fox and Don Malone on a couple of nights) ringed shearwaters on the nights of 6-12 Sep, alternating between the main colony north of Old Light and other sites (from Pilots Quay to the Old Light wall; west of Benjamin's Chair and Castle Hill; Dead Cow Point to Needle Rock). Mainly strong winds, but little rain. Some clear nights, but moonlight was not reaching the western slopes for several hours after nightfall. As David Price wrote, the general impression was of another increase in chick numbers, but compared to the previous few years there was little calling and adults were scarce. We did find one feeding its chick on 8th. Our totals: 145 chicks, and five adults ringed. For the main colony only, between us we ringed 170 chicks (including 1 later by Chris Dee), compared with 118 in 2011.”

For the year as a whole, 252 chicks and 53 adults were ringed.

The Manx Shearwater colony north of Old Light was searched at night on 16/17 Oct; none was seen or heard (Tony Taylor). The last record for the year of birds passing offshore was of four on 28 Oct, while Andrew Cleave reported birds calling over Millcombe during the nights of 5 & 8 Nov.

For a fourth successive year the Oxford University EGI team returned to continue its shearwater tracking project at the breeding colony between Old Light and Battery Point. From 12 to 25 August the team fitted 27 GPS devices to individual birds. A full report on their findings is given on pp. 101–107 of the 2012 LFS Annual Report.

Breeding season summary

18 Apr – Some 5,000 passed off the West Side during strong westerlies (Tony Taylor).

Breeding census – The breeding survey coordinated by the RSPB in May/Jun involved checking over 9,000 holes using recorded calls of adult birds. A total of 1,617 birds responded, which (with adjustments for coverage and response rates) translated into a population estimate of 3,451 breeding pairs. This represents a staggering tenfold increase in numbers since the 2001 survey and is considered almost entirely attributable to the rat eradication completed in the winter of 2003/04. because Manx Shearwaters do not breed until they are around five years old, there was a lag between the first successful rearing of young shearwaters post-rat eradication and the return of those birds as nesting adults. The significant increase in breeding numbers already recorded by the last census in 2008 was therefore considered to be due to immigration from other colonies (e.g. of ‘surplus’ birds from the Pembrokeshire islands). Since 2008, growing numbers of breeding-age, Lundy-reared shearwaters have returned, steepening the rate of increase in the colony, such that Lundy now holds almost 1% of the global population. With over 3,000 holes apparently occupied out of the total of over 9,000 checked, this means that every third hole on Lundy now contains a nesting shearwater!

In late Aug and early Sep, Tony Taylor and Richard Taylor, followed by David & Elisabeth Price, Peter Slader and Nik Ward, spent two weeks catching and ringing young Manx Shearwaters as part of the Seabird Recovery Project. Altogether they ringed 337 juveniles outside burrows, a significant increase on the 251 ringed in 2012. Over 1,000 Lundy-hatched shearwaters have now been ringed since rats were eradicated. David Price comments that this year’s high ringing total “reflected the greater abundance of young birds at all sites. Fifty-nine adults were also ringed and 31 were recaptured from previous years. Four of these recaptured adults were birds originally ringed as juveniles on Lundy, reflecting an increasing number of returning ‘home grown’ birds”.

Warden Beccy MacDonald heard shearwaters calling at night over Millcombe on 12 Nov and was able to pick out six individuals. birds were heard again (but not seen) on 13 & 27 Nov (Beccy MacDonald, Michael Williams). Small numbers of calling shearwaters are regularly heard on the Welsh breeding islands in Nov (per Greg Morgan, Ramsey Island RSPB Warden) and are assumed to be late-departing non-breeders or perhaps passage migrants from further north.

The Oxford University EGI research team returned to Lundy during the summer to continue satellite-tracking studies, but a report on that work has not yet been prepared.

Breeding season summary

The first of the year were six on 12 Apr. On four nights between 25 May and 2 Jun, Richard Taylor and Tony Taylor caught 159 adult shearwaters, 46 of which had been ringed on Lundy during previous trips, with the remainder being newly ringed birds. Tony commented: “On the two darkest nights, the noise and activity were particularly impressive; the increase in numbers is clearly continuing.” Writing in the log on 23 Aug, Martin Thorne noted: “Manx Shearwaters in epic numbers off North Light. At one point in the afternoon maybe up to 3 or 4 thousand birds”.

During the period 19 Aug to 4 Sep, David Price, Peter Slader, Richard Taylor, Tony Taylor and Nik Ward visited shearwater colonies nightly, weather permitting, to ring both adults and young, to assess the emergence of young from burrows and, especially, to monitor the return as adults of birds originally ringed on Lundy as chicks. Altogether they captured 286 shearwaters, of which 211 were ‘new’ (98 chicks and 113 adults), while 75 were recaptures of birds ringed in previous years. They noted that the breeding season in 2014 appeared to be late in comparison with other years, with very few emerging chicks in evidence until Sep. Nik Ward and Beccy MacDonald undertook further colony visits on the nights of 9 & 10 Sep, ringing a further 24 birds (23 chicks and one adult).

Small numbers continued to be seen offshore well into autumn, including ten on 23 Oct.

Breeding season summary

The first record was of birds calling in the Landing Bay on 7 Apr. At least 350 were counted on 3 May (Ian Searle). At the Old Light breeding colony during the night of 22/23 May, 33 new birds were ringed and eight birds from previous years were retrapped. Two of the latter had been ringed as chicks on Lundy, in 2008 and 2013 respectively (Tony Taylor). An estimated 20 per minute were passing north along the East Side during the evening of 29 May (Tony Taylor). During MarineLIFE/RSPB survey work aimed at recording Balearic Shearwaters and Bottlenosed Dolphins on 18 Aug, dense rafts totalling up to an estimated 20,000 birds were off the East Side (Tim Davis & Tim Jones). The last of the year was one on 31 Oct.

Teams of ringers led by David Price and Tony Taylor were again present to ring shearwaters in Sep, with 255 chicks and 126 adults ringed. Three of the chicks ringed were subsequently found dead, among hundreds of unringed birds, in southern Brazil as a result of severe weather (see below for details).

Breeding season summary

The first record of the year was of 40 birds feeding in the tide race off South West Point on 23 Mar.* Several were heard calling off the South End on the night of 3 Apr. Tony Taylor reports that during the last week of May and first two weeks of Jun, ringers visited the Old Light colony six times. They ringed 98 new birds and caught one control (later established as having been ringed on the Welsh coast near Aberystwyth in 2013). Forty-one individuals ringed on Lundy in previous years were retrapped, 11 of which had originally been ringed as chicks, in 2007 (1), 2010 (1), 2012 (3) and 2013 (6). The remaining 30 retraps were all ringed as adults from 2009 onwards, with several of them having been recorded in most of the intervening years. Overall, numbers seemed high at the colony, and birds were very noisy over St John’s Valley at night. So there were no immediate signs that adverse weather conditions associated with the strong El Niño of 2015 – including storms off the coast of southern Brazil & Uruguay that ‘wrecked’ many young, inexperienced Manx Shearwaters in Oct/Nov 2015, including at least three Lundy-ringed birds (see pages 58 & 59 of the 2015 LFS Annual Report) – had affected the population as a whole. However, the weights of birds with downy brood patches, which were assumed to be of pre-breeding age, were lower than on previous May/Jun visits, so they may have been in poorer condition than usual. It will be interesting to monitor the return rate of chicks hatched in 2015, which are due to come back to Lundy in the next two to three breeding seasons, having spent their early years at sea. There was no reduction in the weights of breeding shearwaters; some of them were very heavy (up to 500g) and were presumably well prepared for a long spell of incubation. A further ringing visit on the night of 26/27 Jun brought nine new birds and seven retraps from previous years, two of which had been ringed as chicks on Lundy in 2012 and 2014 (David Price et al.).As usual, the peak offshore count occurred in Aug when an estimated 10,000 were feeding in the tide race off North Light on 29th (Martin Thorne). From 30 Aug to 9 Sep, 246 chicks and 19 adults were ringed, with a further 20 adults retrapped. Four fledglings were found in the Village, presumably attracted to lights at night. One of these had been ringed near Benjamin’s Chair a few nights previously (Tony Taylor, Richard & Rebecca Taylor et al.). The last record of the year was of six on 28 Oct, when Chris & Carol Baillie reported calls off the East Side at 20.30hrs, followed by calling birds over the Old Light colony between 21.00hrs and 21.45hrs.

*The table on p.34 of the 2016 LFS Annual Report incorrectly shows these as occurring in Feb.

Breeding season summary

Recorded between 25 Mar (birds present in the Old Light colony – see below) and the unusually late date of 2 Nov (off the East Side – Dean Jones). The only counts of more than 300 were during the period 3–9 Aug when there were 538 on 3rd, a “highly conservative” 10,000+ passing off North End between 16.30 hrs and dusk on 5th (Dean Jones & Zoë Barton), 1,121 on 6th and 639 on 9th. There were only six daytime counts reported for Sep/Oct, with four of these in single digits.

Ringing studies continued, with most work carried out at the main breeding colony north of Old Light. Several calling birds were heard there on the night of 25/26 Mar; some from burrows underground, others in flight; two birds ringed on Lundy in previous years (2009 & 2014) were retrapped (Dean Jones, Tim Jones, Tony Taylor). Unfavourable weather conditions and moon phases in Sep restricted the number of chicks ringed to 119 (plus two recently fledged birds), but 242 adults were newly ringed and therewere 157 recaptures of birds ringed in previous years. Among these were 16 birds originally ringed as chicks, the oldest being from 2005. Even older was a bird ringed as an adult in 2004. All the retrap data contributes to understanding of the breeding population’s age structure, productivity and recruitment. Since shearwaters usually spend at least two years prospecting for a nest site and pairing up before they lay, it was a delightful surprise to find a female incubating and egg in May 2017, in one of the nestboxes installed in Mar 2016. This enabled her, and later her partner, to be ringed as confirmed breeding adults. They reared a chick that was a healthy 100g heavier than its parents when it was ringed in mid-Aug.

New record set for earliest date in spring for Lundy

5 Mar – The first of the year were two flying SW past Rat Island in the early morning.

Breeding season summary and new all-island breeding population estimate

Writing in the LFS Logbook on 26 Mar, Tony Taylor reported: “Lots of evidence of activity in main colony on W Side: newly excavated burrows, droppings at burrow entrances, new nest material in one of the nestboxes and three piles of shearwater feathers from predated birds.” Ringers visiting the main colony north of Old Light on the night of 20/21 May reported birds calling in the air and from underground. Twenty-one were trapped, including eight ringed in previous years, two as chicks in 2014. The nestboxes in the same colony were checked on 23 May when it was found that one of 2017’s successful pair was incubating an egg in the same box. The presence of the second adult from the 2017 pair was confirmed on 30 May. Overall during the year, a record 361 shearwater chicks were ringed, as well as 180 full-grown birds. One hundred previously ringed adult shearwaters were recaptured, providing a wealth of valuable information on their life histories.

In Jun a team of surveyors from Natural England and RSPB returned to the island to complete the census of shearwater burrows begun in 2017. The team’s painstaking efforts were rewarded when subsequent data analysis yielded an estimated breeding population of 5,504 pairs, representing an increase of some 55% since the 2013 survey and showing ongoing expansion of the Lundy colony to a new record level.

Breeding season summary

Tony Taylor reports that: “Breeding colonies visited at night were as busy and noisy as ever, but ringing totals were lower than in the previous eight years because of reduced coverage. Ninety-three adults were ringed in late May, early June and early September, and 141 chicks were also ringed. Another 62 previously ringed adults were recaptured. Breeding or pre-breeding adults were found occupying five nest-boxes in early June. Three of these pairs had laid eggs and two reared chicks successfully."

Unusually late autumn/early winter records

5 to 31 Dec – One was off the Landing Bay on 5 Dec: “Very surprised to see this bird so late in the year. Watched for some three minutes as it flew north along the east coast in typical shearwater fashion … showing all black above and a very clean white underside (ruling out Balearic Shearwater)” (Dean Jones). There were three even later records: one on 21 Dec at the North End, “watched for around two minutes as it foraged close in to the North Light” (Dean Jones); one on 29 Dec, “watched in great detail for around an hour and a half, initially flying between gull flocks … landing and then diving for a meal” (Dean Jones); and finally two sightings of a single bird on 31 Dec, off Rat Island in the morning and around the East Side in the early afternoon. It is interesting to speculate whether these exceptionally late records might have involved the same bird, perhaps one not in sufficient condition to make the long flight to winter in South American waters.

Breeding season summary

Many were heard coming into the island on the evening of 24 Mar and 82 were counted passing Rat Island in 30 minutes at 07:00 hrs on 5 Apr. Adults were incubating eggs in several of the LFS-installed nestboxes in the Old Light colony on 14 May. These included bird EA10081, which has been using the same box since 2017. Checks on 11 Jul showed that of seven breeding attempts in the boxes, all were still active, with each box holding either a young chick or an adult continuing to incubate (Dean Jones). By far the highest counts of the year were 4,000 on 7 Jul, followed by 2,677 on 5 Aug and 2,542 on 20 Aug. There were no other four-digit counts. Following the departure of most breeding birds in Sep, a calling bird was recorded at night on 16/17 Oct.

Unusually late November/December records

There were several unusually late records, including four on 8 Nov and one on 15th, then two on 11 & 16 Dec, followed by four on 20th.

Exceptional January record

One was watched offshore from the Landing Bay, foraging among Kittiwakes, for about 15 minutes on the highly unusual date of 13 Jan (Dean Jones).

Breeding season summary

The first arrivals of spring were in early Mar, with one off The Battery on 6^th, followed by low single-digit counts until 15^th, then 160 on 20^th and 222 flying past Rat Island in 30 minutes during stormy weather on the morning of 26^th. Birds were heard calling over the island during the evening of 30 Mar and an adult was calling repeatedly from its burrow along the western edge of South West Field during the afternoon of 14 Apr. Peak daytime counts later in the season included a raft of 500 off the West Side during the evening of 27 May. Adults were incubating eggs in six of the nestboxes at the Old Light colony on 1 Jun. The first chick was recorded on 16 Jun (estimated to be about a week old) and all six boxes held healthy chicks, of which five were still at the ‘fluffy grey down’ stage when checked again on 4 Aug. The year’s highest number counted offshore in daylight hours was a modest 800 on 13 Aug but does not reflect the true size of the island’s breeding population. One was off the Ugly on 18 Oct, followed by three on 21^st and the last of the year, two on 8 Nov, were calling at night and coming close inshore just north of the western end of Quarter Wall (Eleanor Grover).

Manx Shearwater ringing in 2021 (contributed by Tony Taylor)

With shearwater chicks being targeted for just one week in early September, the number ringed was 107, along with another four young birds that had made their first flight but not yet left the island. This is the lowest chick total since 2007, but reflects the relatively few nights spent in the colonies, and the fact that many had already fledged by that stage of the season.

In contrast, the total of 186 adults ringed in the year was impressive, largely thanks to several nights spent searching for them in June, when weather conditions were ideal for catching breeding adults as well as pre-breeders prospecting for nest sites. In addition, 76 birds that had been ringed on Lundy in previous years were recaptured. They included 47 originally ringed as adults, and 19 of these have now continued returning to Lundy for five years or more. The remaining 29 provided particularly valuable data as they had been ringed as chicks and so were of known age. The oldest of these hatched in 2013 but over half of them were from 2018 alone, reflecting the fact that most young shearwaters start looking for burrows and partners at three years of age.

Seven of the shearwater nestboxes were occupied. Six were used by the same pairs as in previous years, with all of these successfully rearing chicks. The seventh contained one of its previous occupants, with a new partner. Typically, a pair takes time to establish a strong bond before attempting breeding; these two birds did not lay but there is a strong likelihood they will do so in 2022. Though the sample size provided by the boxes is still small, the results so far suggest that adult survival rates and breeding success on Lundy are both very high.

Breeding season summary

The first was recorded on land on 19 Mar when one was calling from a burrow near Old Light. The highest counts included 600 on 19 Apr, 1,200 on 17 May, 700 on 13 Jun and 2,000 on 1 Jul. The last three of the year flew past Rat Island on 10 Nov. Only 161 Manx Shearwaters were ringed this year due to biosecurity measures to minimize potential risks from avian influenza during the main Aug/Sep shearwater chick ringing season. The artificial nestboxes were well used, with eight out of 11 pairs successfully raising and fledging chicks.

Exceptional January record

26 Jan – One was off the West Side on this exceptionally early date (Stuart Cossey).

New record population estimate

The RSPB-led survey of nesting burrows conducted in Jun resulted in an estimate of 12,638 apparently occupied sites, a proxy for the number pairs and equivalent to a breeding population of more than 25,000 individuals. This set a new record for the island and more than doubled the previous estimate in 2018, showing that the population continues to expand rapidly, nearly two decades on from Lundy being declared 'rat free'.

Ringing

520 Manx Shearwaters, including 169 chicks were ringed during the year.

Ringing

By the end of 2023, some 6,381 Manx Shearwaters had been ringed on Lundy, largely since the island was declared 'rat free' in early 2006. In addition to providing valuable information about the spectacular recovery of Lundy's breeding shearwater population over the last decade or so (as summarised in the annual updates above), the long-term ringing effort continues to add to our knowledge of the birds' movements.

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult (ring no. FC27294) on Lundy on 22 Jul 2004, was found dead on Lundy on 28 May 2007 – a period of 1,040 days (2 years 10 months) between ringing and recovery.

Ringing recovery: The ring only of a Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on Lundy on 29 April 1957 (ring no. AT14936) was found by use of a metal detector at Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales on 29 April 2009, nearly 52 years later! (18,993 days; 59 km; NNW 343°). While shearwaters are long-lived, there must be a suspicion that the bird itself was long dead when the ring was discovered.

Ringing control: A Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on 31 Jul 2005 (ring no. EL68296) on Copeland Island, County Down, Northern Ireland, was controlled on Lundy on 29 Aug 2010 (1,855 days; 395 km; S 172°).

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on Lundy on 07 May 1992 (ring no. FC37697) was retrapped on Lundy on 08 May 1996 and found dead (leg and ring only) on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 23 Jun 2011 (6,986 days; 74 km; NW 325°).

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on Lundy on 07 Jun 2013 (ring no. EX74477) was found dead (not fresh) on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd on 31 Aug 2013 (85 days; 177 km; N 358°).

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on Lundy on 03 Jun 2013 (ring no. EX74414) was found freshly dead at Freshwater East, Pembrokeshire on 09 Jun 2014 (371 days; 54 km; NNW 346°).

Ringing control: A Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd on 18 May 2012 (ring no. FB35848) was controlled on Lundy on 31 Aug 2014 (835 days; 177 km; S 178°).

Ringing recovery (on-island): A Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on Lundy on 02 May 1996 (ring no. FC37753) was found dead on Lundy on 18 Sep 2014 – some 6,713 days (over 18 years 4 months) later.

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as a pullus (chick) on Lundy on 04 Sep 2015 (ring no. EY74131) was found freshly dead, after days of storms, at Mongagua, São Paulo, Brazil, on 30 Oct 2015 (56 days; 9,338 km; SSW 207°).

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as a pullus (chick) on Lundy on 09 Sep 2015 (ring no. EZ06320) was found freshly dead, after days of storms, at Praia do Cassino, Rio Grande so Sul, Brazil, on 06 Nov 2015 (58 days; 10,493 km; SSW 207°).

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as a pullus (chick) on Lundy on 06 Sep 2015 (ring no. EY74178) was found  dead at Parque Nacional da Lagoa do Peixe, Rio Grande so Sul, Brazil, on 06 Nov 2015 (61 days; 10,228 km; SSW 207°).

Ringing control: A Manx Shearwater ringed as a full-grown bird at Rhoscellan, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion on 19 Jul 2013 (ring no. FC94387) was controlled on Lundy on both 26 May 2016 and 09 Jun 2016 (1,042 & 1,056 days; 149 km; SSW 196°).

Ringing control: A Manx Shearwater ringed as a pullus (chick) on Lundy on 07 Sep 2007 (ring no. EF98315) was controlled on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 18 Aug 2016 (3,268 days; 74 km; NW 325°).

Ringing recovery (on-island): A Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on Lundy on 29 Aug 2011 (ring no. EX74128) was found freshly dead (predated by Peregrine) on Lundy on 12 Jul 2017 – some 2,145 days (over 5 years 10 months) later.

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on Lundy on 27 Jun 1996 (ring no. FC93323) was found dead  (ring and leg only) on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 16 Apr 2017 (7,598 days; 74 km; NW 325°).

Ringing recovery: The ring only of a Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on Lundy on 20 May 1987 (ring no. FR86417) was found dead  (ring only) on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 21 Jun 2017 (10,990 days – but potentially long dead; 74 km; NW 325°).

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on Lundy on 27 Apr 2011 (ring no. EX17685) was found freshly dead  (predated by Great Black-backed Gull) on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 12 Aug 2017 (2,299 days; 74 km; NW 325°).

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as a pullus (chick) on Lundy on 04 Sep 2016 (ring no. EZ36409) was found  dead at Trapiche, Penha, Santa Catarina, Brazil on 30 Aug 2017 (360 days; 9,688 km; SSW 207°).

Ringing control: A Manx Shearwater ringed as a pullus (chick) on Lundy on 07 Sep 2007 (ring no. EF98315) was controlled on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 10 Apr 2018 (3,268 days; 74 km; NW 325°). Note: This bird was previously controlled on Skokhom in 2016 (see above).

Ringing control: A Manx Shearwater ringed as a full-grown bird on Lundy on 06 Jun 2013 (ring no. EX74428) was controlled on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 19 May 2018 (1,808 days; 74 km; NW 325°) and found dead (killed by predatory bird) there on 28 May 2020 (2,548 days).

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as a pullus (chick) on Lundy on 06 Sep 2015 (ring no. EY74178) was found  dead at Praia Caminho das Conchas, São João da Barra, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 27 Oct 2018 (44 days; 8,851 km; SSW 204°). This is one of seven Lundy-ringed Manx Shearwater to be found dead along the Brazilian coastline during their first autumn migration. This unfortunate individual shows the fastest movement south of the three first-year birds; a little over six weeks after ringing.

Ringing control: A Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult on Lundy on 06 Jun 2013 (ring no. EX74442) was controlled on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd on 19 Jun 2020 and 14 Aug 2020 (2,570 & 2,626 days; 178 km; N 358°).

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as a pullus (chick) on Lundy on 24 Aug 2020 (ring no. EA41446) was found  dead (not fresh) at Praia de Ipanema, Pontal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil on 9 Oct 2020 (46 days; 9,567 km; SSW 207°).

Ringing recovery: A Manx Shearwater ringed as a pullus (chick) on Lundy on 26 Aug 2019 (ring no. EA41405) was found  dead (not fresh) at Praia de Ipanema, Pontal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil on 17 Oct 2020 (418 days; 9,567 km; SSW 207°).

First for Lundy

4 to 24 Jun – An apparently territorial male heard calling from the sidings from 4 Jun to at least 24 Jun. First located by Chris Townend and Helen Booker (see p 83 of the 2010 LFS Annual Report for their note on its finding). A recording of the bird’s calls was made by Carl Pimlott on the night of 6/7 Jun. Record accepted by BBRC; the first for Lundy. Barolo Shearwater breeds on the North Atlantic islands of Madeira, Cape Verde and the Canaries. It is a vagrant in Britain, with 60 records between 1950 and 2011.

New record

21 Apr to 4 May – The individual heard calling at night in Jun 2010 was heard again in the same area of the Landing Bay on 21 Apr (Chris & Mandy Dee) and nightly from 25 to 28 Apr and again on the nights of 2/3 May and 4/5 May (Richard Campey et al.), but not subsequently, though it is unclear whether efforts were made to hear the bird later in May or in Jun. Record accepted by BBRC.

2023

New record – subject to acceptance by BBRC

8 to 13 Jun – One heard calling from within a breeding colony of Manx Shearwaters along the island's west coast on the night of 9-10 Jun, was trapped and ringed on the night of 12-13 Jun (Luke Marriner, Joe Parker et al.). AudioMoth recorders deployed from 7 June to study Manx Shearwater vocalisations later revealed the Barolo's presence from the night of 8-9 June (Corey Lui). This is the third record for Lundy (subject to acceptance by BBRC), following the occurrences in 2010 and 2011 detailed above.

Earliest and latest since 2006 (last year covered in full by The Birds of Lundy): Earliest 26 Jul (one); Latest 31 Oct 2011 (three) & 2014 (fourteen).

New records

12 to 16 Oct – Up to three were seen daily offshore from the south-east of the island: two on 12th & 13th, one on 14th, three on 15th and one on 16th (R.J. Campey, A.L. Cooper, S.L. Cooper, J. Diamond, T. Jones, J.W. Leonard, R.M. Patient et al.). These constitute the 8th to 12th Lundy records.

Records accepted by the Devon Bird Recorder.

New records

15 to 23 Oct – At least three and possibly up to five off the East Side on 15 Oct (S.L. Cooper, R.M. Patient); up to six on 20 Oct, with three singles passing South End seen from The Ugly (I. Lakin, K. Rylands) and three singles past North Light (T. Bedford, J.R. Diamond, T.A. Jones); three flew WSW off The Castle on 23 Oct (T. Bedford, J.R. Diamond, T.A. Jones).

Records accepted by the Devon Bird Recorder. These constitute the 13th, 14th and 15th Lundy records.

New record

24 & 25 Oct – One seen off the East Side from The Ugly on 24 Oct (A. Jayne), with the same or another individual in the same area on 25 Oct (C. Baillie).

Record acccepted by the Devon Bird Recorder; the 16th Lundy record.

New records

3 to 8 Oct – Tom Bedford, Richard Campey, Tim Davis, James Diamond and Tim Jones recorded unprecedented numbers (for Lundy) during the first week of Oct: at least five passing west with a light passage of Manx Shearwaters off the Castle on both 3 & 4 Oct; at least 10 during seawatches from the Castle, Shutter Point and North End on 5 Oct; a record total of 13 during a day of significant seabird movements (involving 600+ Manx Shearwaters and 500+ Kittiwakes) on 6 Oct; one off the East Side on 7 Oct; and five off the East Side on 8 Oct, again feeding with Manx Shearwaters and Kittiwakes.

Records accepted by Devon Bird Recorder; the 17th to 21st records for Lundy.

In addition, two were seen on the crossing on 2 October (observers as above).

New records

2 to 31 Oct – One off the East Side on 2 Oct (J.R. Diamond, T.A. Jones); two off South West Point on 3 Oct (J.R. Diamond); and seven off North End on 7 Oct (T. Bedford, T.J. Davis, J.R. Diamond, T.A. Jones). One off East Side on 26 Oct (J. Allen). One off Rat Island on 29 Oct, two south in same area on 30th, and three on 31st (A. Jayne).

Records accepted by Devon Bird Recorder; the 22nd to 28th records for Lundy.

New records

28 Oct – One off Rat Island, seen from the Castle, flew south-west (T.A. Jones et al.). Record accepted by the Devon Bird Recorder; the 29th record for Lundy.

New records

21 to 27 Oct – A new record count for Lundy was established when at least 26 were seen from North Light on 21 Oct, including a feeding flock of six that gathered with Kittiwakes, Black-headed Gulls, Gannets and Razorbills off the Hen & Chickens towards low tide. One was seen flying past Rat Island on the same date, making a total of 27 (T.J. Davis, T.A. Jones, A.M. Taylor). Two were off Jenny’s Cove on 22 Oct (C. Baillie). On 23 Oct, one was off Lametry, four off North End and one off the East Side (C. Baillie, A.M. Taylor). Finally, nine were seen south-east of Rat Island on 26 Oct (A.M. Taylor), with two in the same general area on 27th.

Records accepted by Devon Bird Recorder; there have now been over 30 records for the island and a specific tally will no longer be shown.

New records

17 Sep – Six were off South End (Andy Jayne).

18 to 31 Oct – As has become the norm in recent years, intensive seawatching in October revealed small numbers passing the island but also feeding off the East Side. One flew past North End on 18 Oct; one was off the Castle on 20th; and three off North End again on 21st. From 22nd to 28th, between seven and ten were recorded daily, feeding actively with Kittiwakes and auks off the East Side, while four were off the South End on 26th (Chris Baillie, Tom Bedford, James Diamond, Tim Jones et al.). Finally, 14 were feeding off the East Side on 31 Oct (Rob Duncan et al.).

Records accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New records

15 Sep – One flying west-southwest past the South End (Tim Jones) was the only record for 2015 ; a poor showing in comparison with recent autumns.

Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New records

24 Sep – Two during seawatch from the Castle (Andy Jayne).

19 Oct – 11 off East Side feeding with other seabirds (Mark Darlaston).

28 & 30 Oct – Two during seawatch from the Castle on 28th and one on 30th (Chris Baillie).

Records accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New records

11 Oct – Two off the North End (James Diamond, Tim Jones) was the only record in an unusually poor year for this species. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New records

26 Jul – One off North Light (Dean Jones) – the earliest 'autumn' record for Lundy of recent years, with only the first occurrence for the island, on 16 Jul 1959 being earlier.

19 Sep – One off North End, just west of the Hen & Chickens (Dean Jones).

Records accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

11 Oct – Four during a morning seawatch from The Ugly (Andy Jayne, Dean Jones); the only sighting of the year. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

20 Aug – Two flew west past Rat Island during an early morning seawatch from The Ugly (Dean Jones); the only sighting of the year, but the second earliest on record (after one on 26 Jul 2018).

From 2020 onwards, Devon Birds no longer considers Balearic Shearwater to be a Devon rarity. This remains a scarce, albeit annual, species in Lundy waters and reported sightings will therefore continue to be assessed by the Bird Observatory.

New records

7 Aug – Two, viewed from the Ugly, flew west past Rat Island, approximately five minutes apart, alongside numerous Manx Shearwaters, at around 07:30 hrs on 7 Aug, a day of strong westerly winds and heavy rain (Dean Jones).

11 Sep – Four were off North Light (Martin Thorne).

New records

24 Jul – One flew past the Castle with Manx Shearwaters (Stuart Cossey).

10 Nov – One flew past Rat Island, also with Manx Shearwaters (Stuart Cossey).

New records

27 Sep – One flew south off the Castle during Storm Agnes (Tim Jones).

New record

30 Jul – A summer-plumaged adult was seen and photographed in the Landing Bay as the Holt family made their way down to the jetty (Paul Holt, Dean Jones). This is only the fifth-ever record for Lundy, the most recent previous occurrence being one on the remarkably similar date of 26 Jul 2000.

New record (overwintering 2016/2017)

18 Dec – One was photographed in the Landing Bay (Philip & Helen Lymbery). An anonymous entry in the LFS logbook stated that the bird was still present on 23 Dec and further records from Feb to May 2017 (see below) almost certainly referred to one overwintering bird.

Red-necked Grebe, Landing Bay, 18 Dec 2016
© Philip Lymbery

Red-necked Grebe, Landing Bay, 18 Dec 2016
© Philip Lymbery

New record (overwintering 2016/2017)

13 Feb to 2 May – Records of a single bird in the Landing Bay on 13 & 28 Feb, regularly from 15 to 30 Mar, and again from 9 Apr to 2 May (Dean Jones et al.) are considered to relate to an overwintering individual that had been present in the same area since December 2016 (see above). The periodic gaps between sightings were due to a combination of low observer coverage (especially Jan to mid-Feb) and spells of rough weather. By mid-Mar the grebe was already showing clear signs of breeding plumage, which had developed quite extensively by the time of its departure in early May. The 2016/2017 bird was only the 6th for the island, the first since Feb/Mar 1996, and by far the longest-staying individual. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

27 Feb – One in full breeding plumage was in the Landing Bay (Dean Jones). This is only the 6th record for Lundy and the first since Sep 2003.

7 Aug – One was in the Landing Bay, close to Rat Island, where it was seen from the jetty and from Obsession II, during the afternoon (Jamie Dunning & Rosie Ellis). The 7th island record.

New record

5 to 9 Feb – One in the Landing Bay from 5 to 9 Feb, with two present on 6th (M. Gade, G. Sherman, S. Wing). Initially picked out from Big St John’s, then seen (and photographed) from the Beach Road and Jetty. This is the first record since Feb 2005 and only the 12th year in which this species has occurred since LFS recording began in 1947.

New record

29 Oct – One, first seen from Millcombe at about 10:00 hrs circled over the Landing Bay and was mobbed by a Great Black-backed Gull before dropping down out of sight somewhere between St Helen’s Copse and Quarter Wall Copse. Justin Zantboer, the astonished but quick-thinking observer, managed to take a video-clip (albeit it blurry and distant!) on his phone of what is only the second-ever occurrence for Lundy after one in May 1987.

Record accepted by DBRC.

New record

13 to 21 Apr – One in flight over the Landing Bay flew through the Devil’s Kitchen and disappeared behind Lametor on the morning of 13 Apr (Dean Jones). It was relocated on the south side of Lametor, below South Light and just above the tide line at 19.30 hrs that evening (Dean Jones, Rob Waterfield). It reappeared briefly in the Devil’s Kitchen at c.16.00 hrs on 17 Apr before flying off west (Dean Jones). It was seen again in the Landing Bay by island staff member Mike Jones on 21 Apr. This is the first Lundy Night-heron since March 1990 and only the fourth ever for the island. Record accepted by Devon Birds Records Committee.

Roosting Night Heron, Lametor, 13 Apr 2017 © Dean Jones

New record – subject to acceptance by DBRC

13 to 21 Apr – Two – an adult and a sub-adult – were first seen in lower Millcombe, in the area between the gates of Millcombe House drive and the gas store, just after 08:00 hrs on 13^th (Thomas Weston). Both birds were seen intermittently over the next few days – mainly in the lower Millcombe area, including Smelly Gully, Brambles Gully and the eastern end of Millcombe Wood. Less often, one or the other was seen in flight over the Lower East Side Path near St Helen's Combe/the Ugly, or over the Landing Bay. At times, both roosted in trees in Brambles Gully, or in Millcombe Wood, enabling many visitors to enjoy excellent views. However, after the initial sighting, when both birds were together, they were always seen separately. The sub-adult, which appeared to struggle more than the full adult to maintain its physical condition, was last seen by the stream at the mouth of Smelly Gully on 16^th, whilst – at the time of writing – the adult was most recently seen (at the time of writing) perched in a tree by Millcombe Pond at noon on 21^st.

Subject to formal acceptance, this is just the fifth Lundy record.

First for Lundy

23 to 31 May – One, first seen at Gannets' Bay on 23 May, reappeared around Rat Island on 28th, where it lingered until 31st (Dean Jones, Seb Loram & Luke Sutton et al.) This constitutes the first record for Lundy of this beautiful migratory heron, which breeds in southern and eastern Europe and winters mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Record accepted by BBRC.

First for Lundy

24 Mar – One was on the south side of Lametor, sheltering from cold north-easterly winds, during the early morning (Dean Jones). This constitutes the first – and much anticipated – record for the island of a species that is currently extending its breeding range N & W across Europe, the first confirmed breeding in the UK having occurred on the Somerset Levels in 2008. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

NB An unprecedented (for Lundy) flock of 16 egrets flew north-east off North Light on 24 Oct 2018 (Andy Jayne). Unfortunately, the birds were flying away from the island and it was not possible to pick out key identification details with certainty in order to differentiate between Little and Cattle Egret. From Andy’s description, however, there appears to be a strong likelihood that these were Cattle Egrets, which would have been the first for Lundy by exactly five months!

Unusually high number of sightings

Jul to Oct – There were records of ones and twos on the unusually high total of 35 dates between 1 Jul and 27 Oct, perhaps indicating the presence of one or more long-staying individuals. 

Autumn migrants observed flying between Lundy and the mainland

8 Oct – Two birds watched from the Castle were flying low over the sea towards Hartland in calm conditions and excellent visibility during the early evening. They were followed a few minutes later by a third bird flying on a similar trajectory. All were calling loudly as they left the island, but it was unclear whether they had started their flights from Lundy or were simply passing close to the South End, perhaps having crossed from the Welsh mainland (Tim Davis & Tim Jones).

Unusually high number of sightings – and a new record count

Jun to Oct – Recorded on the unusually high number of 55 days between 19 Jun and 15 Oct, with one or more long-staying individuals in Jun-Aug and again from late-Sep into Oct. A flock of 19 birds flying south on 14 Sep exceeded the previous record day total of 16 on 25 Jul 1975.

High spring count

19 Mar – A flock of 7 flying north past Jenny's Cove appears to be the highest-ever spring count for the island.

New record – subject to acceptance by DBRC

5 to 21 May – An elusive 2^nd calendar-year bird, initially seen in flight off the Castle and South Light on 5^th (Grahame Madge, Rick Morris et al.) spent more than two weeks on the island, being seen most often in the Pondsbury and Punchbowl Valley area, where it was often surprisingly well concealed and camouflaged among the surrounding rushes and grasses. However, it was also seen at Barton Pond and once – during the afternoon of 6^th – in Millcombe, where it landed close to the mist-net on the slope up to the Ugly! It seemed to be finding sufficient food and to be flying strongly throughout its stay.

Subject to formal acceptance, this will be just the fifth island record and the first since 1994! All of the other occurrences have been in spring, during the period 19 Apr and 4 Jun, with two of the four previous individuals also arriving in May.

New record – subject to acceptance by DBRC

14 Apr – One, probably a 2nd calendar-year bird, was seen in flight off the quarries, being mobbed by gulls at 07:50 hrs (Tim Jones). It flew east of the island and soared distantly, circling upwards to gain height, then flew a short way south before turning north and flying NW, gradually getting a little bit closer again, but remaining well offshore, until finally being lost to view behind the headland of Tibbetts Point. This occurrence coincided with the arrival of two Night Herons and a Golden Oriole the previous day – part of a notable influx of spring 'overshoot' migrants to South West England. Subject to acceptance, only the sixth Lundy record but the second in two years.

First for Lundy

8 Dec – Three birds were photographed in flight as they passed South Light heading towards the Devon mainland  (Martin Thorne). This is the first Lundy record of a species that has recently extended its breeding range to the UK, including 14 nests in the Somerset Levels alone in 2019.

Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

17 Oct – One flew south off the East Side mid-morning and headed south-south-east over Rat Island and Surf Point before veering more south-westerly past South Light and the Castle and continuing towards the Cornish coast (Tim Jones et al.).

Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder; the second for Lundy.

New record – subject to acceptance by Devon Bird Recorder

17 & 18 Apr – One at Pondsbury was found by visiting young birders during the morning of 17th and was still present the following day (Stuart Cossey). Photos taken.

Just the third record for Lundy (subject to formal acceptance) but the third in four years, reflecting the astonishingly rapid, ongoing colonisation of the UK.

New record

24 Dec – One (location not recorded by observer).

New records

1 May – One (location not recorded by observer).
30 May – Two (location not recorded by observer).

These represent the 20th, 21st and 22nd records for Lundy.

New records

17 Jul – One by the Sugar Loaf flew over Castle Hill and continued westwards (J.W. Leonard). The 23rd record for Lundy.

New record

17 Oct – Two. The 24th record for Lundy.

New records

24 May – One flying from Pondsbury towards the Logan Stone, settled for a time in Halfway Wall Bay, before circling over Tibbett’s and back to Pondsbury (S. Barnes et al.).

27 Jun – One flying west over Pondsbury (M. & K. Fryer).

16 Sep – One off East Side, south of quarries, (S. Evans); also reported on 17th.

2 Oct – One on the East Side, between the Landing Bay and Miller’s Cake (J.R. Diamond, T.A Jones et al.).

The 25th to 28th records for Lundy.

New records

13 May – An unidentified egret, thought probably to be a Little Egret, at Pondsbury and on rocks in Threequarter Wall Bay.

21 Aug – One in the Landing Bay (R.M. MacDonald). The 29th record for Lundy.

New record

19 May – Two flew low over the sea near the Battery. The 30th LFS record. Two-thirds of the Little Egret records for the island have been from 2000 onwards.

New record

10 to 16 May – There were sightings of ones and twos on at least four dates as follows (though it is unclear how many birds were involved altogether): one on rocks below North Light on 10th; one at Brazen Ward on 11th; two at Jenny’s Cove on 13th; two flying NW away from the island off North End were lost to sight on 16th (Chris Baillie/A Rocha group, Tom Nunn et al.). The 31st LFS record.

New records

There were four records in autumn and early winter, constituting the 32nd to 35th LFS records:

13 Sep – One flying north along the East Side (Andy Turner).

3 Nov – One on White Beach on the afternoon of 3 Nov (James Diamond).

13 Dec – One on the Landing Bay beach, from where it flew to settle out of sight behind Rat Island (Sue Waterfield & Mark Kelly).

17 Dec – Two at North East Point in the early afternoon flew north out to sea (Philip & Helen Lymbery).

New records

Records involving at least five individuals between 20 Apr and 2 Nov.

20 to 22 Apr – One around rock pools off Lametor on 20th (Dean Jones). Presumably the same bird was flushed from below the Beach Road and flew up Millcombe where it spent time around the pond and then on the lawn of Millcombe House on 22 Apr. Sadly, this individual was later found dead; the corpse was emaciated and it is thought the bird probably died from starvation (Martin Thorne, Dean Jones).

23 May to 2 Jun – One was in the Landing Bay on 23 May and perhaps the same bird was seen again on 30 May. One flew south off the Terrace on 2 Jun (Steve Compton, Roger & Rosy Key).

13 & 14 Aug – One was in the Devil’s Kitchen on 13 & 14 Aug (Dean Jones & Zoë Barton).

28 Oct & 2 Nov – One flew below Benjamin’s Chair on 28 Oct (Andy Jayne); two flew north along the East Side on 2 Nov (Paul Holt).

New records

24 Apr – One flew south across the Landing Bay (Helen & Philip Lymbery).

7 Jun – One at Barton Pond was also seen in flight over the Tavern garden (Mark Kelly et al.)

4 Oct – Four flew past the Landing Bay from the north-east, rounded Rat Island and continued south-west (Carol & Chris Baillie). Although Little Egrets have been recorded virtually annually since 2007 (only 2012 being blank), this the highest ever count for the island, the previous maximum being three on 16 May 2002.

New records

10 to 27 Oct – One on 10th flew north along the East Side (Tim Smith); one on Pondsbury on 24th flew off west before turning to the south (Mark & Jo Harris); and one on 27th seen in flight near North End, landing periodically in pools on the main track before flying south (Trevor & Karen Dobie) was later feeding in flooded grassland by the water tanks, and seen again the following day in St John’s Valley (Chris & Carol Baillie).

New records

29 Aug – Two were seen at the Devil’s Kitchen (Jamie Dunning).

12 Dec – One flew past North Light (Jaclyn Pearson).

New records

22 Jul – One flew over the Castle on 22 Jul (Chris & Sharron Blackmore).

5 to 8 Nov – One roosted in Millcombe on 5^th and was also seen in the Landing Bay up to 8^th (Jane Sharkey, Stuart Cossey).

2 Dec – One flew east from the Landing Bay (Max Khoo).

Notable autumn count

1 Nov – A count of 300 was (at the time) the highest since The Birds of Lundy was published in 2007.

Notable spring count

28 May – A count of 150 (Chris & Carol Baillie) remains – as of the end of 2023 – by far the highest spring (March to May) count logged since publication of The Birds of Lundy. This coincided with sightings of large numbers of cetaceans that day, including groups of up to 60 Common Dolphins, a small pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins, and a Minke Whale, indicating the presence of abundant food resources.

Notable late-summer count

30 Jul – A further count of 300; numbers have only reached or exceeded 300 in seven previous years.

Notable late-autumn / early winter counts

24 Nov – A count of 329 was one of the highest of recent years.

2 Dec – A count of 105 was unusually high for December.

The high numbers of late-autumn and early winter 2019 may have been due to persistently unsettled, sometimes stormy, weather conditions during the last quarter of the year.2021

Highest count of recent years

20 Oct – A count of 332, during westerly gales and torrential showers, remains (as of the end of 2023) the highest since The Birds of Lundy was published in 2007. The all-time record still stands at 450 on 21 Oct 2005.

Notable winter count

22 Jan – A count of 90 was unusually high for January.

Breeding census

The 2008 breeding seabird census found 63 apparently occupied nests, exactly the same number recorded in the previous census in 2004 (D. Price et al./RSPB).

Dependent young still present in Aug

6 Aug – Fledged young were still being fed by adults on at Jenny’s Cove and North West Point.

Notable post-breeding counts

12 & 25 Aug – Post-breeding flocks of 200 in the Landing Bay on 12th and 300 (location not specified) were by far the highest counts ever recorded on the island.

Occupation of nest sites in spring

13 Mar – Birds were already occupying nest sites near Seal’s Hole.

Partial breeding census

20 Jun – A count covering many (but not all) of the known nesting sites, resulted in totals of 197 adults and 27 juveniles (T.J. Davis & T.A. Jones).

Breeding census

The 2013 breeding seabird census coordinated by the RSPB recorded a total of 112 apparently occupied nests – a huge increase on the average count of 61 pairs for the three previous surveys since 2000. This level has not been recorded since the mid-1950s when figures of 120–130 nests were recorded between 1954 and 1957. Numbers of nesting Shags can vary markedly between years (due to food supply and weather). In 2013, it may be that the cold, late spring concentrated more breeding attempts into the period covered by the survey (information contributed by David Price).

Notable feeding flock in spring

2 May – 142 feeding off the south-west coast, apparently associated with dolphin activity in the same area (Chris Baillie).

Notable post-breeding counts

7 & 8 Aug – Post-breeding counts of Shags during round-the-island boat trips produced 227 and 301 birds respectively (Ken Josey) – the latter a new record count!

Breeding census

The all-island RSPB-led seabird survey produced a total of 55 apparently occupied nests, a figure that is a just under half of the 112 nests counted in 2013 and the lowest total recorded by the periodic census since 2000. The reason for this is unclear and it will be interesting to see if counts from 2018 (even though there will be no complete census) point towards a real decline.

Notable post-breeding counts

Higher counts, all coming at the end of the breeding season, included 66 on 12 Jul, an amazing 305 on a round-the-island trip at high tide on 21 Aug (Dean Jones) – on the face of things, at odds with the apparently lower breeding population – 175 on 23 Aug and 192 on 26 Aug.

All-island January count

30 Jan – A walk of the entire island perimeter on 30 Jan, involving scanning of both the shoreline and offshore waters, revealed just five birds. This gives an indication of the extent to which the breeding population can vacate Lundy during the winter, though see also the count for Feb 2019.

Notable post-breeding count

9 Aug – A high post-fledging total of 205 was counted from Obsession II.

High winter count

16 Feb – A high late-winter count of 50 was likely a result of exceptionally mild weather stimulating Lundy breeders to return to the island earlier than normal.

Peak post-breeding count

9 Aug – 167 was the highest post-breeding count of the year.

Breeding census

The RSPB-led seabird survey in Jun found a total of 96 apparently occupied nests. This represents a 74% increase since the last full survey in 2017, but is still some 16% below the 2013 total of 112 apparently occupied nests (the highest recorded in the current survey series, dating back to 1981).

Notable post-breeding count

28 Jul – The largest post-breeding count was 240 including many juvenile birds.

Breeding census

The RSPB-led survey of breeding seabirds in late spring and early summer yielded a total of 110 apparently occupied nests, a further welcome recovery in numbers (+14.6% since 2021) and only just shy of the 112 nests found in 2013.

Ringing recovery: The ring only of a Shag ringed as a chick on Ynys Gwylan, islands off Aberdaron, Gwynedd on 15 Jun 2008 (ring no. 1396162) was found on Lundy on 15 Sep 2012 (1,553 days; 182 km; S 180°).

Ringing recovery: A Shag ringed as a chick on Middleholm (= Midland Isle), Pembrokeshire on 07 Jun 2021 (ring no. 1484736) was found freshly dead on Lundy on 01 Jan 2022 (208 days; 77 km; SE 146°).

Notable winter record

Feb – Noted feeding around the island (rather than passing through) in early Feb. Of six seen on 4th, four were sitting on Gannets’ Rock (former Cormorant breeding site). Many of the birds seen in Feb showed signs of breeding plumage. However, these seem to have been winter visitors only, as there was no indication of presence at potential breeding sites during the spring or summer (Tim Davis & Tim Jones).

Exceptional autumn-passage count – the highest of recent years

4 Oct – An exceptional 55 passed over Lametor: “After circling for a minute or so, they flew off south, but around 40 returned some minutes later after thick mist set in to the south of Lundy. These 40 then appeared to settle behind Rat Island. Two Grey Herons approached from the east at the same time and flew south under the Cormorants – both herons and cormorants apparently disorientated by the suddenly poor visibility.” (Tim Davis). This is the largest single flock and the second-highest daily total ever recorded for Lundy (there were 84 – in five separate flocks – on 23 Mar 1998).

Unusual behaviour

25 Aug – One was feeding in Rocket Pole Pond.

Migration extending into mid-Nov

9 & 11 Nov – Migration continued into Nov, with a flock of six on 9th and four flying high over Pondsbury on 11th.

Breeding-plumaged bird on land

16 Apr – An adult in breeding plumage, first seen on the Sugar Loaf, was watched flying south below cliff-top height, from Quarter Wall Copse area towards the Sugar Loaf and disappearing up under the cliffs (Tim Davis & Tim Jones), but there were no subsequent sightings suggestive of possible breeding.

Notable autumn-passage count

30 Sep –A total of 37, in two flocks numbering 25 and 12, flew high over the Village during the LFS 70th Anniversary picnic held in the Tavern Garden.

Unusual behaviour

12 to 14 Oct – On 12th “an immature bird alighted on Pondsbury but only stayed for 2-3 minutes before flying off again… Presumably the same individual was touring the island on 13^th and 14^th. I was amazed to see it circle and then almost alight on Barton Pond and straight after almost alight on the roof of the Tavern before having second thoughts at the last moment!” (Andy Jayne).

Unusual behaviour

Oct – A first-winter bird was seen feeding regularly in Rocket Pole Pond (many observers).

2021

Unusual behaviour

25 Dec to 3 Jan 2022 – A first-winter bird was seen feeding regularly in Rocket Pole Pond (Stuart Cossey).