Lundy - May 2026
On Tuesday, May 19th, my friend Andy and I embarked on our much-anticipated camping trip to Lundy, a gem in the Bristol Channel. This small island, measuring just 1 by 5km, is famous for its stunning wildlife, especially the Puffins, Razorbills, and Guillemots that nest here during the breeding season. Our original plan to sail on the MS Oldenburg was thwarted by strong winds, but we were fortunate to be offered a quick helicopter transfer instead. After a transfer coach ride to Hartland Heliport, we enjoyed a smooth 6-minute flight, and despite the overcast skies and gusty winds, the moment we touched down on Lundy, I felt an exhilarating sense of adventure. Maybe it's the lack of the modern world but this place feels different - in a very good way.
Once the tents were set up we walked down through Millcombe and north along the lower track on the east side of the island to the quarry. So many interesting birds, insects and plants. This side of the island was thankfully sheltered and not so windy. The sun even came out for a bit. Highlights were Grey Seals, Gannets, a couple of Guillemots, Sika Deer and goats.
Whilst taking a break on the lower east path, we saw 6 Gannets. After a couple of minutes watching them, they started their iconic dives into the sea. Here are some heavily cropped photos of the various stages of the dive.
Seeing as we'd had an early start, we thought it best to retire to the Marisco Tavern for some refreshments - amazing food and beer. It was still very windy and by the time we got back to the tents the wind had taken its toll on Andy's so he found alternative accommodation for the night in St Helena's Church.
The following morning, after a hearty breakfast in the Marisco, we headed north to Pondsbury, the largest body of water on the island, then west to visit The Battery, a fog signalling station on the west coast which is famous for its visiting Auks during breeding season. Still very windy, misty and overcast, the sea was churning down below and lots of sea spray was being blown up and across the cliffs. We were treated to approx 200 Puffins and 100 Razorbills on the cliff side with some occasionally heading out to sea.
Then we headed south visiting the Old Light and the cemetery before having a look at St Helena's Church and the Castle overlooking the Southern Light. Another delicious meal in the Marisco finished off the day.
Our last day of the trip started misty and breezy. We packed up camp and left our backpacks ready to be taken down to the jetty and had an early breakfast in the Marisco before heading up the west side of the island to Jenny's Cove. Along with The Battery, this is another prime spot for seabirds with many Guillemots and some Razorbills down on the rocks. By this time, the wind had dropped completely, the sun was out and it was rapidly warming up. We headed back to The Battery but it was very quiet Puffin-wise. We figured that after all the rough weather, they had headed out to sea to catch some food and we met many day trippers asking hopefully where they were.
Back at the Marisco for some liquid refreshment we then headed down through Millcombe Valley which was alive with birds and insects and we were treated to close passes by Swallows and House Martins and even saw a Pied Flycatcher but sadly I couldn't get a decent photo. We then joined the main track down to the Landing Jetty to see the Grey Seals sleeping in the sun on the rocks of Rat Island. Before we knew it, it was time to board the MS Oldenburg and our time on Lundy was sadly over. But as a consolation, we were treated to 3 dolphins breaching and hundreds of Manx Shearwater flying alongside the boat on our way back. Docking at Bideford, Georgia was there to collect us - thank you. And many thanks to Andy for arranging and booking the trip. His bird knowledge and great sense of humour and adventure meant he was the perfect companion for the trip.
