Dalkey islands: Volunteers helping to 'tern' things around

The tern season on the Dalkey islands is wrapping up, and what a few months it has been! The small, but tenacious Arctic Tern colony (29 pairs), have succeeded in raising 20 chicks, including 7 on Dalkey Island itself, the first ever fledglings from the island! This is an amazing result, and one which all at BirdWatch Ireland and our funders, the EU Life Project and Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council, are absolutely thrilled about, (see here in the Irish Times for more info).

Arctic Tern nest with some interesting decorations!
Photo by: Tara Adcock

Arctic Tern chick still at the fluffy stage
Photo by: Tara Adcock

First ever Arctic Tern fledgling on record from Dalkey Island itself!

Video by: Tara Adcock

On top of this, there were signs and sightings of Rock Pipit, Shelduck, Pied Wagtail and Oystercatcher chicks, along with many healthy and noisy Herring, Lesser Black – backed and Great Black – backed gull fledglings. 

Oystercatcher chick with wonderful camouflage
Photo by: Tara Adcock

Colour ringed Great Black - backed Gull chick
Photo by: Graham Prole

But today, as we wrap up, it is the volunteers and members of the community who helped and participated to an extraordinary degree over the course of the project, that I would like to ‘tern’ our attention to.

Last winter, BirdWatch Ireland with guidance from Karen Varnham of the RSPB, began working on removing Brown Rats (Rattus norvegicus), from the islands. Brown rats are an invasive species and have a devastating impact on seabird colonies when present, (see here and here for more info). Rat control is definitely one of the least glamourous tasks anyone could take on! Between handling bait stations and searching for signs of rat in the field, it calls for a strong stomach (and a lot of hand sanitiser!). 

Monitoring block with rat teeth marks beside a bait station
Photo by: Tara Adcock

Who would have thought that we could find anyone enthusiastic enough to join us in the middle of an Irish winter to help carry out such work? And yet, along came Chris Johnson and Shelly Biswell. Over the course of the three and a bit months, they were instrumental to the success of the baiting project, and their indefatigable cheerfulness was a god send!

Chris Johnson in action checking bait stations
Photo by: Tara Adcock

Shelly Biswell with her partner, Ken, out beautifying Dalkey Town
Photo by: Ken Biswell

As tern numbers on the island began to grow, we were delighted to welcome three new volunteers to the project. Tom Murphy, Sandra Jordan and James Tallon braved thistles, nettles and dive - bombing Arctic Terns as we censused nests and chick numbers on the islands. From the get-go, all three proved exceptionally able at spotting the well camouflaged chicks and were unbelievably enthusiastic even when under fire from angry tern parents!

From left to right: Tom Murphy, Sandra Jordan and James Tallon just before heading across to the islands
Photo by: Tara Adcock

Rockabill Nest Census Results 2019

One of the most important numbers for any breeding seabird colony is the number of nests present that year. As the season gets closer to an end we have now complied our final nest numbers. As mentioned in previous blogs, we had an initial nest census on the 7^th to the 10^th of June and then a second on the 16^th to he 18^th of June where additional nests were added into our tallies. 

For this season, we have had:

·         69 breeding pairs of Black Guillemot.

·         167 breeding pairs of Black-Legged Kittiwakes.

·         18 Arctic Tern pairs, with 35 eggs.

·         1,833 Common Tern pairs, with 4,560 eggs.

·         1,564 Roseate Tern pairs, with 698 nesting in boxes, and 866 with open nests, and 2,807 eggs laid on the island as of the 18^th of June.

Eggs laid after the 18^th of June date are not counted towards the total as many of them would be relays of failed nests and do not represent an additional breeding pair.

A recently hatched Roseate Tern chick (left) and fully-grown Roseate Tern fledgling (right). (L. Gill, photos taken under NPWS license)

A recently hatched Common Tern chick (left) and fully-grown Common Tern fledgling (right). (L. Gill, photos taken under NPWS license)

A recently hatched Arctic Tern chick (left) and fully-grown Arctic Tern fledgling (right). (L. Gill, photos taken under NPWS license)

A Black Guillemot chick only a couple of days old (left) and fully-grown and ready to fledge (right). (E. Tiernan & B. Burke, photos taken under NPWS license)

A Kittiwake chick only a couple of days old (left) and Kittiwake having recently fledged (right). (L. Gill & B. Burke, photos taken under NPWS license)