For the first time this year a
visit to the patch failed to add any new species to the year list. In fact very
few new birds were seen this weekend as compared to last. However, the main reasons for my visit on
Saturday 1 June were to have a look at what damage the recent gorse fire has
had on nesting birds and to enjoy the goings on of the Rathlin Sound Maritime
Festival.
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| Gorse fire
After seeing footage and images
of the gorse fire during the week, I wasn’t so sure about the reported claims
that “no important bird nests had been lost”.
Sure enough, even from the ferry it was quite clear that the fire had
torn right through the Twite
breeding site I had discovered only last week.
There was no sight or sound of the birds and the gorse bush under which
I suspected a nest, was well and truly scorched.
This is terrible news for what is Northern Ireland’s rarest breeding
finch. Let’s hope they try again
somewhere else on the island.
It was great to see so many
people visiting the island today. Only a few weeks ago I was the only passenger
on the ferry! Around the patch the few
common warblers that were seen, mostly seem to be breeding birds now. A pair of Pied Wagtails with freshly fledged young must have wondered what
all the fuss was about in Church Bay as they tried to feed along the
strand.
Clippers in Church Bay
  
Juvenile Stonechat
The highlight of the day was
finally managing to get a few images of 1 of the 2 presumed Common Redpolls
seen today – the colouration and size are striking in the field - real brutes.
Score remains on 106.3%
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