Coquet Island update
Volunteers on Coquet Island
The breeding season on Coquet Island went well and most species produced more chicks per pair than usual, indicating a good food supply. In particular Arctic Terns had the best breeding productivity ever recorded on the island.
Numbers of returning pairs for most species were down, which is to be expected after two years of bird flu. However Roseate Terns, for which Coquet Island is the only UK colony, were slightly up on last year, 126 pairs bred and almost all the chicks fledged. The wardens ringed 177 chicks and subsequently saw 85% of these as fledged youngsters on the rocks and the beach.
Rock Pipit
In total 28 species of birds nested on the island, including seven species of duck. One of the few small birds to nest on the island is the Rock Pipit. Wardens have started colour-ringing these birds with a normal metal ring as well as a green plastic ring. We hope to get information on the size of their territories and where they go. Already this autumn three of these birds have been seen on the beach between Hauxley and Amble and one is now feeding in Embleton Bay.
The autumn saw a few migrant birds landing on the island, including three never previously recorded. These were Red-breasted Flycatcher, which breed in north-eastern Europe, Jack Snipe and Lapland Bunting which breed in northern Scandinavia and further east.
The wardens and our fantastic band of volunteers (thanks to the Ambler we now have over 50 people helping us on the island) are continuing to work through the autumn, getting the island ready for the returning birds and wardens next year. The RSPB are making improvements to the warden’s accommodation in the lighthouse and are repairing one of the Roseate Tern nesting terraces.
Stephen Westerberg
