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First shearwater chick of the season at Copeland Bird Observatory. Approximately 4500 pairs on lighthouse island so should be a lot of these fellas appearing over the next month. Also, the team handed a 42 year old bird - ringed on 1st Sept 1975
Below is an article in the Belfast Telegraph about a recently retrapped shearwater at CBO, originally ringed at the observatory in 1977 - 40 years ago!
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/seabird-caught-on-copelands-40-years-after-it-was-...
Seabird caught on Copelands, 40 years after it was released
belfasttelegraph.co.uk
A 40-year-old bird caught off the Co Down coast has got twitchers in a flap.
A few weeks ago Manx Shearwater EJ13475 was retrapped on CBO. When we checked the ringing log it was found that the bird was originally ringed - as an adult - 36 years previously. It's not our oldest record - that's still our 49 y/o bird - but it's old nevertheless. We thought we'd Tweet this with a linkage to a few events in 1981 - the Royal Wedding, Bucks Fizz and Chariots of Fire. The Twitter response was amazing with over 20,000 views and 100 re-tweets. It was also picked up by journalist Jane Powers of the Times and on Thursday they ran this in their daily Nature Notes.
If you do Twitter then do check out our @CopelandBirdObs account and Follow us.
There will be a day trip to the observatory on Saturday 19th August. This is not a guided trip but there are 6 space available at £20pp. If you are interested and would like to reserve a space, contact our booking secretary David- davidgalbraith903@btinternet.com
The trip will be out on our high speed RHIB, departing 10:00 and return 15:30.
A small team of island regulars assisted with the Magilligan 24 hour BioBlitz on Sunday morning by providing a ringing demonstration and open event near the visitor centre at Benone. Seven nets were set from before 0700 in mixed scrub and although the weather forecast was very poor, we were fortunate to avoid the showers completely and a nice mix of birds were trapped. Highlights included Blue and Long-tailed Tits, Bullfinch, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Goldcrest and Magpie. After the main event, we tried our hands at catching Dippers and Kingfishers at a nearby stream with no success whatsoever but some very wet feet!
Our thanks to Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council for the invite and the great hospitality at what seems to have been a very well attended and successful event.