Brian Le Messurier Book Review
Transactions of the Devonshire Association (2009) Volume 140
“As a boy and teenager I heard stories related by my grandfather, Robert Henry McCarthy, about how he and other boys living on Lundy in the late nineteenth century spent time (when they weren't being tutored by Squire Heaven) 'egging' on the cliffs. Sometimes they were secured by a top rope, but on other occasions they just scrambled around the steep slopes and rock faces. How I wish I had taken more notice of what he had told me, but apart from these bare facts it all went over my head.
As a youngster you don't take these things in. It was especially interesting to me, as later in life in 1985, I spent 17 days on St Kilda as a member of a National Trust for Scotland working party. Before the island was deserted by its inhabitants in 1930 the men had of course used ropes to descend the cliffs to acquire eggs and young sea birds, and this was a necessary part of the inhabitants' diet, and the collection of feathers and oil helped pay the islanders' rent.
So this 319-page well-illustrated book is a most welcome addition to the Lundy literature. On the cover a wheatear perches on a wall near the Old Light where my great-grandfather was principal lighthouse keeper from the 1880s to1893. Inside the book a 30-page general introduction with a detailed map leads into what the authors call the 'Systematic List'. This extends from page 44 to page 275 and describes the 317 species on the Lundy list.
The remaining pages are taken up with sightings or reports of unsuccessful introductions, vagrants, and unsubstantiated reports. Another section at the back of the book labelled 'Endnotes' is an indication of the compilers' thoroughness. It summarises under species, the errors and discrepancies they came across in their research into the various reports. Lastly, the book ends with a six-page Bibliography and a two-page Index.
But it is the Systematic List which ornithologists will find most useful. There is a lengthy section devoted to Manx Shearwaters, and it was largely as a result of research into this species that a programme of rat eradication was introduced. 2,100 poison bait stations were set up, and since January/February 2006 the island has been declared rat free. With the disappearance of the rat it is hoped that the Puffin will make a come-back. After all, the name of the island derives from the Old Norse Lundi meaning Puffin and ey meaning island. But the birds breed in rabbit holes, and are thus easy prey for a ground predator – the rat.
This is a quite splendid book. Brimming with up-to-date, easily digested research, and not so esoteric that the less bird-obsessed reader cannot get much pleasure from having it as his elbow. The price, £18.95 as a softback, is good value at current prices, though a limited edition at £35 is available.” Brian Le Messurier
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Updates and additions to the various sections of the book itself are all listed on this website in the SPECIES UPDATES section. This page will be updated on an annual basis with records from the previous year's LFS Logbook, in particular news of birds on Lundy which adds significantly to the information provided in The Birds of Lundy book, such as species new to the island, other major rarities, and particularly interesting sightings of more common birds.
For the latest sightings and photos of birds on Lundy visit www.lundybirds.org.uk.