The long run of unsettled weather has continued but the transition to winds from a more typical westerly quarter, combined with a slightly more mobile pattern, has seen brief ridges of high pressure between frontal systems. Rainfall has been more patchy and there have been a few short-lived dry, even sunny breaks, though it has often remained windy and quite chilly.
Logbook entries for the last week have included two Teal on 18th, a doubling of the peak Woodpigeon count from one to two (!) on 17th & 19th, a single Water Rail on 19th, whilst hints of spring included six Lesser Black-backed Gulls on 18th and the highest Skylark count of the year so far, with six on 14th. Also notable were single Goldcrest on 17th & 18th, a Fieldfare in Barton Field on 19th, single Stonechat on 13th & 19th, two Pied Wagtails daily from 15th to 18th, and a handful of Meadow Pipits.
Lesser Black-backed Gull and Herring Gulls, February 2026 © Simon Parker
Meanwhile, Razorbills rafting off South End, most of them resplendent in breeding plumage, give a glimpse of the season shortly to unfold, though there are worrying reports of large numbers of dead Puffins and other seabirds being washed up around the coastline of South West England. This is thought likely to be a result of prolonged stormy weather preventing birds from feeding properly due to reduced visibility in sediment-laden waters, at time when their energy demands are increased in the rough conditions.
Rafting Razorbills, February 2026 © Simon Parker
So far, February has seen a continuation of the prolonged spell of unsettled weather conditions that dominated in January. A persistent south-easterly airflow, between a large 'blocking' area of high pressure over Scandinavia and low pressure systems trying to move in from the Atlantic, brought fairly mild but often dull, wet and windy weather, with only fleeting drier, brighter slots. However, there were signs of a change towards the end of the reporting period, with the Scandinavian high finally shifting and more typical westerly winds returning to south-west Britain.
It has been an unsurprisingly quiet time for birds, though Lundy Warden Simon Parker has braved the elements to keep morning census ticking over, alongside other contributions to the bird log from island residents and visitors alike. A single Woodpigeon was seen on 4th and 12th, up to six Oystercatchers have been recorded regularly, whilst large gull numbers peaked at 23 Great Black-backs on 4th and 234 Herring Gulls on 12th. Offshore, an estimated 1,000 auks, mainly Razorbills were seen on 8th, six Gannets on 7th, and a single Great Northern Diver on 5th. Raptors have been represented by single Sparrowhawk, Merlin and Peregrine, reflecting a seasonal dip in prey availability, with Starling being the only passerine recorded in any number during morning census, reaching a maximum of 67 on 12th. Other landbirds have included single Skylark, Chiffchaff and Song Thrush, up to six Meadow Pipits (on 8th) and a scattering of Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird and Chaffinch, alongside the resident House Sparrows, the latter wisely spending most of their time hunkered down around the farm buildings.
The vast majority of Lundy's breeding Shags move away from the island in winter, with eight on 8th January being the highest count of the year to date and only ones and twos logged so far in February. Sadly, one of the Shag chicks ringed at Long Roost, in the far north-west of the island, on 22nd June last year, was found dead (together with other seabirds) on the coast of south-west Jersey, Channel Islands, on 1st February – likely a victim of the protracted stormy weather, which makes feeding difficult, with inexperienced first-year birds particularly vulnerable to exhaustion and starvation.
The latest update from Eleanor Grover:
A very rainy period – resulting in the appearance of several Lundy Lakes! Around the 29th the wind finally broke out of its strong southeasterly phase, with some lighter and more westerly winds arriving.
The highest Oystercatcher count for the month of January occurred on 25th with a total of 34, comprising high-tide roosts at Brazen Ward (28) and Miller’s Cake (6). After four previous fruitless searches, the Purple Sandpipers at Brazen Ward finally gave themselves up on 28th – six birds hunkering down and looking mildly disgruntled at the regular salt showers they were getting from the sea-spray.
One of the elusive Purple Sandpipers at Brazen Ward © Eleanor Grover
Two more Purple Sandpipers, keeping a beady eye on their observer! © Eleanor Grover
Kittiwakes are regularly seen feeding off the east coast, and on 31st 145 birds were joined by three summer-plumage/transitioning adult Black-headed Gulls. On the same day, a further Black-headed Gull (this one a winter-plumaged adult) was present with the gull roost near the water tanks, and this individual moved to Barton Field the next day. The aforementioned gull roost finally hit triple figures on 29th peaking at 191 on 1st. The first returning Lesser Black-backed Gull of the year was seen on 27th, with four present on 31st.
Razorbills are also starting to build up offshore (the vast majority in their smart breeding plumage), especially off Benjamin’s Chair – with a peak of 166 there on 29th. The switch in wind direction on 29th brought with it a surprise: a (the?) Slavonian Grebe was once again present off Miller’s Cake, after an absence of over two weeks.
Song Thrushes were seen every other day, favouring the area above the gas store in Millcombe. Their winter cousins, Redwing, were less frequent, with one on 24th and five on 26th. A single Goldfinch flew over on 25th, with a further two on 28th. Water Rails were heard only – with a tremendous racket of squealing, shrieking and rustling indicating that a territorial dispute took place on 31st! Sightings of Sparrowhawk and Peregrine are less regular, but the remains of their kills continue to indicate a strong presence. Goldcrest and Pied Wagtail are also sporadic but are far more frequent than at the beginning of January; another little hint of the spring to come.
One of only a handful of Redwings seen during January © Simon Parker
We are bidding farewell (for now!) to Eleanor who has been supporting the Bird Observatory and the wider Conservation Team for the last month in a voluntary capacity. In addition to keeping coverage of the island going during a period of the year when there are few visiting birders, Eleanor has kept the Tavern logbook and its digital counterpart up-to-date, as well as continuing with the mammoth task of digitising data contained in logbooks from years gone by. Eleanor returned to the mainland on 2nd February, taking with her our grateful thanks and warmest best wishes.
Lundy map - click to enlarge