Little Terns site at Baltray

GreyEagle

The amount of shingle available this year for Little Tern nesting is even less than 2012.

Tern nesting site


and


Does anybody know if the Little Tern Project will run at Baltray in 2013?

Judgement Day

It seems to be running again this year http://www.louthnaturetrust.org/littleterns_2013 but I find them difficult to get information from. It's disappointing that there appears to be little cooperation between them and the Birdwatch Ireland scheme at Kilcoole - not even a web link.

They had a better season than Kilcoole in 2012 with 24 chicks fledging: http://www.louthnaturetrust.org/blog_2012_little_terns

Desmo

Judgement Day wrote: »

It seems to be running again this year http://www.louthnaturetrust.org/littleterns_2013 but I find them difficult to get information from. It's disappointing that there appears to be little cooperation between them and the Birdwatch Ireland scheme at Kilcoole - not even a web link.

They had a better season than Kilcoole in 2012 with 24 chicks fledging: http://www.louthnaturetrust.org/blog_2012_little_terns

There is actually a lot of co-operation. The main warden at Kilcoole has been at Baltray for the past two days, helping to set up the fences. The baltray web page may not have as much infor or maybe is not updated as much as teh kilcoole one.

On a related point, I just posted this to the Birdwatch Ireland facebook page ... I just had a nasty encounter at Kilcoole; my hands are literally shaking as I try to type this:

"Folks; I am a bit shaken and depressed as I just had a very weird encounter down at the Little Tern colony in Kilcoole. I was out birdwatching and walked past the colony which is just being set up with ropes and stuff; I was on my own, not in any official capacity, standing outside the wires, looking out to sea, for birds. A middle aged man came storming up to me and starting complaining vigourously about all this "waste of money" and "fighting against nature". I tried to politely explain that it was done on a shoestring and with a lot of volunteers etc. I also tried to explain that the demise of the terns is mainly not natural but due to disturbance by walkers (esp with dogs). He did not accept any of this and ranted on and on and on and on. In the end I asked him to leave me alone and he stormed back towards Kilcoole, and made a big show of getting over the fence. I have never experienced such ignorance and plain, pointless anger about nothing. Most people are quite curious about birdwatching or maybe a bit indifferent. This guy has a serious issue. He was in his 60s with glasses, flat cap and a local accent. I suspect that this is a regular trick of his to go to the colony and let of steam. "

Judgement Day

Sorry to hear about your bad experience at Kilcoole but for every fool like that there's 1,000 who support what's happening to conserve the Terns. When I used to carry out my own surveys of the Little Terns there in the late 1970s the level of - unintended - human/dog interference was awful and very frustrating to observe as we had no authority to stop anybody.

Anyway, both Birdwatch and Baltray should smarten up their PR/Links etc and put forward a united front - particularly the latter group. Two years ago I emailed them two or three times without reply.

Desmo

Judgement Day wrote: »

Sorry to hear about your bad experience at Kilcoole but for every fool like that there's 1,000 who support what's happening to conserve the Terns. When I used to carry out my own surveys of the Little Terns there in the late 1970s the level of - unintended - human/dog interference was awful and very frustrating to observe as we had no authority to stop anybody.

Anyway, both Birdwatch and Baltray should smarten up their PR/Links etc and put forward a united front - particularly the latter group. Two years ago I emailed them two or three times without reply.

I think the Baltray effort was run by some people who had no computer know-how. They really were just some enthuastic people who wanted to do something but never used the net much, if at all. I can remember terns nesting at the point on Bull Island in teh 70s. So many people; so many dogs now. Most people will happily do the right thing if asked to; small percentage are ignorant sh**es.

Fingers crossed for this year; last year was a disaster.

Des

Birdnuts

Desmo wrote: »

On a related point, I just posted this to the Birdwatch Ireland facebook page ... I just had a nasty encounter at Kilcoole; my hands are literally shaking as I try to type this:

"Folks; I am a bit shaken and depressed as I just had a very weird encounter down at the Little Tern colony in Kilcoole. I was out birdwatching and walked past the colony which is just being set up with ropes and stuff; I was on my own, not in any official capacity, standing outside the wires, looking out to sea, for birds. A middle aged man came storming up to me and starting complaining vigourously about all this "waste of money" and "fighting against nature". I tried to politely explain that it was done on a shoestring and with a lot of volunteers etc. I also tried to explain that the demise of the terns is mainly not natural but due to disturbance by walkers (esp with dogs). He did not accept any of this and ranted on and on and on and on. In the end I asked him to leave me alone and he stormed back towards Kilcoole, and made a big show of getting over the fence. I have never experienced such ignorance and plain, pointless anger about nothing. Most people are quite curious about birdwatching or maybe a bit indifferent. This guy has a serious issue. He was in his 60s with glasses, flat cap and a local accent. I suspect that this is a regular trick of his to go to the colony and let of steam. "

The next time that clown attempts something like that I would get pictures of him damaging the fence and then pass the matter on to the gardai.

cuddlycavies

Everybody in Kilcoole knows this man. Speaks Irish a lot.<snip> Ignore him.<snip>

MOD: Don't post that sort of stuff again.

Desmo

cuddlycavies wrote: »

Everybody in Kilcoole knows this man. Speaks Irish a lot. Ignore him.

MOD: Don't post that sort of stuff again.

I reckoned he would be well known; I have calmed down. Sorry for the great whine.

Des

Judgement Day

Good to see that there are plenty of Terns back at Baltray and Kilcoole http://littleternconservation.blogspot.ie/ The BWI site now has a link to the Louth Nature Trust site http://www.louthnaturetrust.org/littleterns_2013 which is good news but the latter could do with a revamp by a nature loving techie - surely there's somebody? Anyway, fingers crossed for favourable weather during the breeding season.

whyulittle

BirdWatch Ireland Wicklow Branch
Our next branch event will be held tomorrow, Tues 11th June at 8pm in the Glenview Hotel near the Glen of the Downs. We will be showing the recent Kilcoole Little Tern & Rockabill Roseate Tern documentaries. See below for a screen shot of what to expect! All welcome.

https://www.facebook.com/BirdWatchIreland/posts/10151433461836643

Capercaille

Finished my stint wardening Little Terns in Baltray, Co. Louth. 62 nests and 118 eggs...a record for Baltray apparently!

From Andrew Power twitter account, one of the wardens:)

Mothman

BWI are managing the Baltray site this year, confirmed by blog entry on 13th May

This year the Louth Nature Trust has contracted Birdwatch Ireland to manage the Baltray site.

I was down at Kilcoole site on Fri, still a bit slow getting going there, I thin kti was 13 nests at the tiem, but bound to have increased significantly during the weekends fine weather.

Desmo

Mothman wrote: »

BWI are managing the Baltray site this year, confirmed by blog entry on 13th May


I was down at Kilcoole site on Fri, still a bit slow getting going there, I thin kti was 13 nests at the tiem, but bound to have increased significantly during the weekends fine weather.

I really hope so; I was there one week ago and there were only 2 nests active.

ThunderCat

I live in Laytown and over the last few weeks have seen plenty of what I would assume are the Baltray Terns hunting off the coast here. Only a few miles down the road from Baltray so it would make sense. From afar I thought it was gannets I was seeing but with the binoculars I could see it was the Common Tern. They appeared to have a similar style to the Gannet but rather than dive into the water they seem to almost slap the surface.

Desmo

ThunderCat wrote: »

I live in Laytown and over the last few weeks have seen plenty of what I would assume are the Baltray Terns hunting off the coast here. Only a few miles down the road from Baltray so it would make sense. From afar I thought it was gannets I was seeing but with the binoculars I could see it was the Common Tern. They appeared to have a similar style to the Gannet but rather than dive into the water they seem to almost slap the surface.

The guys at Kilcoole reckon that the Kilcoole terns move between Baltray and Kilcoole for a few weeks before settling on where to nest as there are days when the numbers double at Kilcoole and Baltray empties and vice versa. Once they lay, they mover less far. They could easily go to Laytown from Baltry, to feed.

Judgement Day

A recent Birdwatch Ireland visit to the Little Tern colony at Kilcoole from here: http://littleternconservation.blogspot.ie/

Comments??

Capercaille

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-22978582

Durham Heritage Coast wardens said about 50 eggs from 65 nesting pairs of little terns had been taken from the site at Crimdon, near Hartlepool

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
Similar thing happened to the Roseate terns on Lady's Island a couple of years ago.

cuddlycavies

Unreal, there should be some way to turn ''egg spotters'' into ''bird spotters'' or ''train spotters''

Desmo

Taking eggs on such a scale may be for eating or restaurants.
If it is for egg collecting, then doing it on this scale is not a hobby but is for money. It is indeed unreal and sickening. Copeland Island in NI had a huge number of gull eggs taken a few years back for sale to restaurants.

cuddlycavies

Never saw on a menu. It would probably shut you down in ROI as all produce has to be traceable and it is enforced. You can't sell farm eggs in restaurants AFAIK so gulls would really put you in it. NI obviously different.

Scotty #

I was fishing the Mornington side of the Boyne on Monday evening and was shocked to see a man walking along the fence in Baltray with two lose dogs. He would have had to walk past several signs asking to keep dogs tied or walk in another part of the (huge!) beach. While the dogs were showing no interest in the terns or what was the other side of the fence, the terns were quiet vocal in the air. Very very inconsiderate of the guy I thought.

Desmo

Scotty # wrote: »

I was fishing the Mornington side of the Boyne on Monday evening and was shocked to see a man walking along the fence in Baltray with two lose dogs. He would have had to walk past several signs asking to keep dogs tied or walk in another part of the (huge!) beach. While the dogs were showing no interest in the terns or what was the other side of the fence, the terns were quiet vocal in the air. Very very inconsiderate of the guy I thought.

That is very common (sadly). Most dog walkers are very obliging and either already have the dogs on leads or will put them on a lead if you ask nicely. Some are either simply ignorant or dickheads. At Kilcoole, there are dog turds all over and you even get commercial dog minders taking dogs there. The place is under quite a bit of pressure from sheer numbers of people. Bull Island is a lost cause in some places.

Judgement Day

Same old story with dog owners isn't it - whether it's on the streets of our towns or on the beaches. As a former dog owner myself, I reckon if you don't have sufficient land for a dog to exercise on, you shouldn't have one. There's no other item of 'livestock' that I can think of - outside of sacred cows in India - which are allowed to wander where they like defecating at will.

All that aside, areas such as the breeding colonies at Kilcoole, the Saltee islands, Ireland's Eye etc. need to be afforded State funded protection from morons with dogs or cameras.

Judgement Day

Good news from Kilcoole, with 37 active pairs of Little Terns with 36 chicks & 34 eggs left to hatch. http://littleternconservation.blogspot.ie/
A rogue Oystercatcher was responsible for the destruction of three nests - something I had never heard of before. Oystercatchers share the same breeding area of beach as the Terns but the resident birds don't get up to mischief - just this loner!

Capercaille

http://vimeo.com/77581000
A short documentary about Little tern project in Kilcoole:)

Woodville56

Really nice documentary Capercaille ! I was down Wicklow way during the summer and visited the Tern colony, met Andrew Power, really helpful and informative guy ! Thanks again for posting !

Hondo75

Was out in Baltray today with the parents and got talking to the Warden whois from Holland . They have 70+ pairs on site and the first egg was laid recently.

Great site to visit

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Can I just caution people thinking about visiting this site to take every precaution to prevent disturbance, as I know how easily these birds are put off. Visit if you must but leave the dog at home and please don't get too close. Personally, I care more for the Little Terns than my own gratification in watching them so I have kept away during breeding every year since I finished official duties at the site.

Desmo

Cason Chilly Bird wrote: »

Can I just caution people thinking about visiting this site to take every precaution to prevent disturbance, as I know how easily these birds are put off. Visit if you must but leave the dog at home and please don't get too close. Personally, I care more for the Little Terns than my own gratification in watching them so I have kept away during breeding every year since I finished official duties at the site.

The site at Kilcoole is a bit like an inverted concentration camp. They have it very organised as it gets literally hundreds of dog walkers and many more without dogs, on a sunny weekend day. Niall Keogh is not there this year but Andrew Power is (he was there last year) plus one new bloke (who made the video) plus Cole as night warden. It is fenced off well enough that the terns do not get disturbed by normal walkers. They (wardens) do certainly get nervous of dogs not on leads or dogs near the foreshore so they have to keep an eye out and ask people to be careful. The vast majority of dog walkers are happy to oblige, with only occasional complaints. Kilcoole is a dream shop window on active conservation as it gets lots of interested queries from passers by; sadly, the strip of shingle is very vulnerable so I hope the storms with east winds stay away.

Hondo75

Well Srameen, the site in Baltray is very well protected with an outer buffer zone ,multiple signs at a distance and the main area electric fenced area which is massive so the terns were never going to be disturbed, two wardens were patrolling and were very informative and approachable which help in the public education rather any personal gratification of this very worthwhile campaign.

As I am from the area, I know Baltray would never get the same level of visitors , bathers and dog walkers as Killcoole, as you really have to go out of your way to find it.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Hondo75 wrote: »

Well Srameen, the site in Baltray is very well protected with an outer buffer zone ,multiple signs at a distance and the main area electric fenced area which is massive so the terns were never going to be disturbed, two wardens were patrolling and were very informative and approachable which help in the public education rather any personal gratification of this very worthwhile campaign.

As I am from the area, I know Baltray would never get the same level of visitors , bathers and dog walkers as Killcoole, as you really have to go out of your way to find it.

Oh I am very well away of the set up at Baltray. As I said, I was involved there for many years. I know the disturbance casual observers cause irrespective of the buffer zone. But look, it's just my opinion on what is best for the project.

Desmo

Cason Chilly Bird wrote: »

Oh I am very well away of the set up at Baltray. As I said, I was involved there for many years. I know the disturbance casual observers cause irrespective of the buffer zone. But look, it's just my opinion on what is best for the project.

It is a trade off between doing what is best for the birds and getting local people on your side by talking to them. In Kilcoole, they get such traffic, they have no choice. I have not seen the Baltray set up; must go up this year.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Desmo wrote: »

It is a trade off between doing what is best for the birds and getting local people on your side by talking to them. In Kilcoole, they get such traffic, they have no choice. I have not seen the Baltray set up; must go up this year.

That kind of defeats the purpose of my plea to leave the site be!

Desmo

Cason Chilly Bird wrote: »

That kind of defeats the purpose of my plea to leave the site be!

ok, point taken

Scotty #

I don't know why the Baltray site can't be sealed off completely from casual walkers and their dogs. It's a pretty long beach, surely it's not too much to ask to close off the last few hundred yards of it altogether. I fish sometimes on the Mornington side of the Boyne (where you will see lots of Little Terns!) and you can see plenty of walkers with dogs on the loose walking right along the Tern fence. Most of them seem completely oblivious to the risks. It would only take one dog two minutes to destroy the site.