GANNET
Gannets are one of the easier seabirds to identify, even at a distance. I know there are a lot of white seabirds, I have difficulty with a lot of the gulls during their juvenile years, but gannets are big. They have a wingspan approaching two metres, and a yellowish head.
They actually seem to be much whiter than gulls, almost a brilliant white and have black tips to their wings. If they are not soaring, their wing beats are fast and shallow, but wait until they dive. When a fish is spotted, they make steep diagonal dives, like a bullet, very impressive.
Unfortunately, gannets don’t currently breed on Lundy, they were driven away by the building of the North lighthouse. With a few geographical features on Lundy named after them, it would be great to see them rearing young on the cliffs.
Gannets are mostly spotted at the Landing Bay, along the East coast and around the North coast on the island. A walk along the Lower East path is good, but you will need to keep your eyes peeled to the sea and away from the island. Brazen Ward is also a good spot to watch for them. They are usually on the island from April through to November.
