Saltee islands

donalglackin

i was thinking of heading there one of the days during the summer. i was just wondering if the great black backed gulls cause any hassle when heading over the the gannet colony. i was on irelands eye last year and when i headed to the gannet colony they kept flying at me.

Judgement Day

I was on the Saltees the week before I did the leaving - in 1977 - on a supervised ringing expedition. The destruction caused by gulls, crows etc during our (human) disturbance in the breeding grounds has led me to the belief that a total ban on vists to the islands should be enforced durning the breeding season. Anybody else got thoughts on this?

Hammiepeters

Two questions. Yes you will get swooped in some parts of the island. Not necessarily at the gannet cliff. Poster two raises an important question. Whilst the guillimots and puffins are disturbed by humans on the cliffs the other more aggressive gulls move in and raid nests, even take puffins on the wing. I will fish off the islands tomorrow and have done so every year. I last visited Great saltee five years ago and first visited in 1976. I dont see any noticeable decline there in bird numbers. There are peregrines there now also which is nice. if you ringed birds there in 77. My guess is you travelled on Willie Bates boat ''the mystical rose''. Both are sadly gone but his family continue the fishing and excursion tradition that he set up. But in short. Yes, I would support a ban.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Judgement Day wrote: »

I was on the Saltees the week before I did the leaving - in 1977 - on a supervised ringing expedition. The destruction caused by gulls, crows etc during our (human) disturbance in the breeding grounds has led me to the belief that a total ban on vists to the islands should be enforced durning the breeding season. Anybody else got thoughts on this?

I spent 10 days there in 1980 in an official capacity and I would certainly ban vists during the breeding season.

joe_elway

I hate saying it, but after a photography trip there on Sunday I can see why people would ban travel to there. The behaviour by one Irish club and a club from Northern England was disgusting.

The were encroaching on the Gannets and getting them aggravated. There were even some idiots standing over a Razorbill chick and calling people to look - all the while the parents were trying to vome back but being scared off.

I _hate_ this. I'm an amature wildlife photographer. I live to get a good photo - but I've sacrificed opportunities for the sake of the subject. I preach when when I'm asked to talk at clubs. But those people - GRRR!

Judgement Day

I have to say it, I left the birdwatching scene just under thirty years ago for a variety of reasons, one of which was disillusionment with the backward approach to conservation within the Republic. While somethings have improved - such as the monitoring/protection of Little Terns at Kilcoole - the continued lack of protection afforded to important breeding grounds such as the Saltees, Ireland's Eye etc is most depressing. A plethora of organisations exist - Birdwatch Ireland, An Taisce, the Heritage Council, Dept.of the Environment with a Green minister (John 'Door always open' Gormley, Wildlife Rangers etc.etc and we still have no proper system of nature reserves in place! It really is an appalling country in so many ways - endowed with all sorts of natural amenities and abusing so many of them!

One only has to look at Booterstown Marsh to see how completely inept An Taisce reserve managment policy is. Their only contribution to the place in 30+ years of 'looking after' it has been to allow a pile of builders rubble to be dumped in the middle of the it! If the powers that be in nature conservation in the Republic don't understand how to conserve our natural heritage why don't they hire in some expertise from GB? The RSPB and the National Trust both have decades of experience in the field. :mad:

bogtreader

The conservation in this country leaves a LOT to be desired we irish dont seem to care about our countryside

Into Everything

I was on the saltee islands for the first time last saturday and I was also disgusted by the way certain people were acting. At the gannet colony there was one particular person almost standing in amoungst the gannets, which were all sitting on young, to try and get a "good picture". I would certainly be in favour of banning visitors to the island during the breeding season. I for one will not be returning any time soon. No picture is worth stressing out the birds or wildlife for.

Judgement Day

Rathlin Island off the coast of Northern Ireland makes for an interesting comparison with the Saltee Islands - RSPB wardens, volunteers, viewing points, binocular hire, special facilities for children and above all, an element of crowd control! Way back in the dim distant 1970s my teenage birdwatching companions and myself used to curse our luck that the RSPB didn't operate south of the border. It appears that little has changed, and a great many Irish birdwatchers being no better than trainspotters collecting ticks in their notebooks.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/r/rathlin/about.asp

bernardo mac

hope to get to both places this Summer.Thanks for the info.folks. I will share your views with my buddy birdwatchers.Indeed,Nature is sadly neglected and much abused in Ireland.Be on the watch!

Connacht

This a very interesting thread developing in a good direction from the original question about the Saltees during breeding season.
I bring people walking around Mayo and out onto the Iniskea Islands off Mayo's west coast.
Although I would consider myself reasonably knowledgeable, very supportive of and very protective of Ireland's wildlife, I am by no means an expert. For me it's a hobby.
When I bring walkers out to the Iniskeas, I always use a local expert - a man who knows the islands backwards and is a wildlife researcher and marine birdlife expert.
By way of example, we were out in mid May and walking along the island when we reached a point beyond which our guide did not let us go. The reason ? Beyond us was a beach of stones where the terns were nesting. Had we continued, the terns would have become alarmed, left the nests and the gulls would have been in in a shot.
Elsewhere, I walked too near nests (presumably) and was attacked by a black headed gull. Good for the gull. I retreated immediately.
Yes, I would agree on a ban in breeding season.
Failing that, I wouldn't consider travel anywhere (at least in breeding season) without a seriously knowledgable guide.

cuddlycavies

Good on you. Saltee is very different. No one is there to issue guidlines. All you need to get on is the fare. Bird population densities are similar to Skellig. It should not be a place for picnic parties.. Guided parties maybe.