Lundy (25-27th June)

Our much anticipated (by me at least) trip to Lundy was a resounding success! The weather was lovely, the island spectacular, and the wildlife plentiful! (* denotes a 'ticked' species)

Day one began with an 8am departure aboard the M.S. Oldenberg, from which we spotted dozens of manx shearwaters*, in flight and also riding on the waves. Herring gulls outnumbered Lesser Black Backs, with a single gannet* amongst them. The crossing was relatively rough, but it was still a surprise when the tannoy announced we'd be unable to dock due to the strength of the wind, and we'd be heading around the south of the island for a pleasure cruise whilst we waited for it to subside. This was an unexpected bonus which provided hundreds of seaborn guillemots*, razorbills*, shags*, another gannet, lots more gulls, and eventually I noticed some of the guillemots had white faces.. puffins*! A group of 5, just swimming on the ocean! We then headed for the landing jetty in some really bumpy water, compensated by a glimpse of three magnificent dolphins crashing through the waves at the rear of the boat.
Having landed, we spotted a rock pipit on the beach and then walked up the mile long beach road to the village with linnets and chaffinches overhead. A stop in the village for lunch meant sparrows, swallows and chaffinches and a house martin (which proved to be the only one we spotted all stay which makes me wonder if it was just a poorly-id'd swallow on my part!). We then headed straight for the top of the island on the 'middle' path, which provided meadow pipits, skylarks (still singing from on high) and wheatears (almost a *,my only previous one being a single female). To the top of the island, herring gulls, LBB and also greater black backs for comparison, as well as oystercatchers and then the very pleasant site of half a dozen grey seals in the water below. The walk back along the upper west path provided good views of guillemot (and undoubtedly some razorbills) and kittiwake colonies, shags but no puffins.Overnight in the tent we did hear rain but not the manx's which apparently come onshore at night.

Having read the log book the day before, day two began with a trip back down the beach road to Millcombe Pond for a 'reliable' glimpse of the breeding water rails. We heard them (they sound exactly like piglets!), but they would not show. Good views of linnets, including males in very pink breeding plumage, and a reed warbler (not particularly common on Lundy) and then I apparently missed a water rail crossing the road because I was distracted by chaffinches! Back up the hill and towards the west coast, where we spotted what was apparently a raven that had paired itself with a crow, not sure what they had in common but they seemed at ease together all the same! Further up the west coast, rock pipits and wheatears abound, and also more ravens and the ubiquitous guillemots/razorbills (its very hard from a distance, I was dividing them by those that looked 'very' black and those that looked a shade greyer.), shags, gulls and also ravens. A prolonged stop to hunt puffins amongst the seabirds (unsuccessfully) did provide some super views of a perched pair of peregrines, the male being very much smaller than the female. They flew off, and we continued up and down the west side of coast looking for puffins, which we didn't get, and seals, which we did, loads of them. We also spotted Fulmars*, hiding under an overhanging rock and once we'd spotted them it was apparent that not all of the herring gulls in flight were in fact herring gulls, and I could eventually pick out fulmars, kittewakes and herring gulls in flight. I got my first ever experience of a peregrine in 'fast' mode overhead, possibly a juvenile as it seemed quite brown, and presumably just testing himself as he wasn't 'stooping' as such and certainly didn't get close to catching anything!
An after dinner stroll without the binoculars to look for the water rail (again heard but not seen, it can't have been more than 3 feet away at one point!) provided a very brief view of a juvenile cuckoo* (note: never leave the binoculars behind!!).

Day three again began with a great view of the cuckoo in flight (initally thought it was a kestrel!) and an unsuccessful water rail hunt (at which point I gave up, they remain un*'d) and a long walk up the more sheltered east cost. Not as good for seabirds as the west, although the gulls were still abundant, and we spotted a stonechat. We got fantastic views of a school of at least 30 dolphins in the sea below us, and the whole of the east coast seemed to be sprinkled in seals, and linnets on the east side are as abundant as wheatears on the west! We then had a very surreal moment, where we spotted a pure-white bird of approximate linnet-size, which flew out of the bracken for about 20 yards, then landed back in the bracken. Two of us saw it, but other than it was white I didn't see anymore detail; we sat for an hour hoping it came back out of the bracken, but although linnets were abundant, we didn't see it again. Surely not a snow bunting at this time of year, so my best guess was an albino\leucistic bird, and due to their abundance, probably a linnet. Weird though! We caught a couple of glimpses of peregrines flying up and down the coast, and then reached the top of that path in the company of rock pipits, seals and fulmars in flight. We then crossed over to the west side for a final hunt for puffins. One guy stood on a rock shouting that he could see puffins was actually looking at guillemots, but I didn't have the heart to tell him; then walking back we were aprroached by a man asking if were 'interested in the birds?' to which we naturally said yes, and he told us that he and his wife that morning had spotted a woodchat shrike and where we could expect to see it; obviously we were very interested and fully intended to go and try to see it, but I was desperate to see an on-shore puffin first! I asked if hed seen any on shore, and he said yes, all week! Apparently nobody on Lundy has seen more than 6 or 7 puffins this year, but some at least were nesting. He took us to a point not very far at all from where we'd seen the peregrines the day before, and pointed to some burrows right at the very, very edge of the cliff. And then, a puffin popped out! From that distance, the orange feet were the most distinguishing feature (they really are big!), and as we sat there we saw one or two more, but never more than one at once. Eventually, one took off, and flew out to sea and out of sight. That made the trip complete for me, so anything else was a bonus, and what a bonus!! We went back to the quarter wall, where our friendly birder quickly waved us over, and pointed to an empty fence. Within seconds, the woodchat shrike landed on the fence, but some distance away and in monochrome due to the position of the sun. The friendly birders let us 'go first', as they'd already had good views and we very slowly and quietly moved towards the bird. To my utter amazement, it remained still as we got to within about 20 yards of it, and got to view it from all sides, its head glowing almost like copper in the sunlight. The other couple moved off with a wave, and I was left staggered that on an island full of birders we were the only ones looking at this quite magnificent bird. Eventually, it got bored of us long before I was bored of it, and it flew off over the field. How I regret taking too many pictures of distant guillemots and missing out on an absolutely glorious opportunity to get really good pics of the shrike because the battery had run out shortly after the dolphins earlier in the day!
All that was left was time for a quick final pint in the tavern, and then move off towards the boat for the return journey. We got some manx's and three more gannets (not quite adults, judging by the wings) and then home.

I couldn't have asked for more from the trip (i'll even forgive the water rail!) and I would recommend the place to anyone. I'll definitely go back, and I can imagine Lundy at migration time would be unreal! Its good enough in the summer!

edit: full Lundy list (including birds seen from the boat): Manx shearwater, herring gull, little black backed gull, gannet, guillemot, razorbill, puffin, shag, rock pipit, house sparrow, chaffinch, collared dove, feral/racing pigeon (they had rings), house martin (uncertain), swallow, skylark, meadow pipit, oystercatcher, wheatear, starling, swift, greater black backed gull, wren, blackbird, linnet, crow, robin, pied wagtail, reed warbler, fulmar, peregrine, raven, kittiwake, cuckoo, stonechat, goldfinch, mallard, woodchat shrike.