Winter talk @ Ulster Museum #1
Author: admin
3rd-5th July, 2015: Scouts Return to Complete Un-Finished Business!
On Friday, 3rd July a group of 10 Explorer Scouts, with leaders John Lyons, Scott Guiler and DO Chris Acheson, arrived on the island with the express purpose of continuing work on the Gully Trap and completion of a number of other jobs. Five of the boys had been on the island for the same weekend last year and were involved in stripping the old wire off the trap, so it was fitting that they were again contributing significantly to the completion of the job. The other 5 were enjoying their first visit to the Observatory.
After settling in, etc., the group went shearwatering. Twelve new birds were caught and 12 re-trapped – the highlight was a chick from 1985 which had not been recorded since ringing (just short of 30 years).
On Saturday, the boys worked hard and completed several important jobs on the permanent traps in preparation for the Autumn season. The Gully Trap door was repaired and re-hung with new hinges and several new panels of galvanized wire were fixed in position across the trap to extend the roof significantly towards the entrance. The door of the Wall Trap was also re-hung, as it had broken off some time ago, making the trap difficult to use. A newly constructed door was fitted to the Crow Trap, completing its refurbishment and ensuring that it is now also easy to operate.
As this was essentially a working weekend, no mist nets were set, though a few birds were caught during occasional visits to the traps – most notably 5 Jackdaws together in the Crow Trap early on Saturday evening. After nightfall it was clear that many fewer Manx Shearwaters were visiting than on the previous night, so a round of the southern half of the island produced only 2 new birds and 6 re-traps, the oldest from 1988.
On Sunday morning, more roof panels were fitted to the Gully Trap and several heavy rolls of wire mesh were brought up from the Pub to the Old Buildings for storage, thus tidying up the site quite substantially. During a break in the work schedule, the opportunity was taken to visit the Black Guillemot nest sites – 7 chicks were ringed and 2 adults re-trapped (one from 2003 and the other from 2005). Two Great Black-backed Gull chicks were ringed below the Pub.
All in all an enjoyable, successful and productive weekend – many thanks to John, Scott and the boys for all their hard work and continued support of our activities on the island.
Ringing totals for 3rd-5th July, 2015:
- Manx Shearwater 14 (and 18 re-traps)
- Blackcap 1
- Great Black-backed Gull 2
- Blackbird 2
- Black Guillemot 7 (and 2 re-traps)
- Wren 5
- Jackdaw 5
UTV film on CBO
Follow the link to watch the recent UTV item filmed on Lighthouse Island
http://www.u.tv/playlists/default.aspx?tag=News&bcid=4324193366001
New roof fitted to CBO observatory buildings
Great news! After several months in the planning, the new Kingspan Trapezoidal insulated roof has been fitted to the observatory buildings. This will provide generations of visitors with a safe, secure and DRY roof over their heads.
This also completes one of the biggest jobs undertaken by the observatory for many years, and CBO would like to thank all those who supported this project including…
- Minister Durkin and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency for providing the opportunity – through the plastic bag tax/ Challenge Fund – for organisations such as CBO to obtain funding for such a large and ambitious project.
- Northern Ireland Environment Link for their smooth and professional running of the Challenge Fund.
- All those volunteers who contributed to the planning, transportation and fitting. Especially those folks who worked so hard on the roof delivery day in May; and Peter, Larry, Ian, Chris, Wesley and Niall who helped during the fitting.
- The superb engineering team – Harry Magill, Tommy Gray and Craig ‘Cecil’ McNeilly – from T&H engineering, who worked tirelessly and with good humour to fit the roof in just over nine days.
We hope to run some day trips in August – September. Look out for the opportunity to visit CBO and see the roof first hand. More soon…
Some photos from the fitting…
East dorm tackled first on Monday 8th May.
Messy job in buildings as old roof stripped away. In the kitchen everything was covered in sheeting.
Working above the kitchen
Dorm two roof stripped away – glorious weather.
Almost there
Final touches to soffits…
And complete on Tuesday morning – 16th June.
Nine days!
Old roof stacked in courtyard pending removal
Well done Tommy, Harry and Craig… 
Treasurer Required
CBO Treasurer Advert – June 2015 (PDF)
Can you spare a few hours per month?
The Copeland Bird Observatory has a vacancy for the position of Treasurer.
By volunteering your time and skills, you could make a real difference to the work of the Observatory.
About the Observatory
The Copeland Bird Observatory (CBO) was formed in 1954 by local amateur ornithologists. It is the only bird observatory in Northern Ireland and has been run for over 60 years by dedicated volunteers. The CBO is situated on Old Lighthouse Island off the County Down coast and is a non-profit making organisation.
CBO is an accredited Bird Observatory and a member of The Bird Observatories Council. The main aims of the Observatory are:
- To collect data on migratory and breeding birds
- To manage the island for the benefit of birds
- To develop and manage a conservation education programme.
The Copeland Islands form both an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) and a Special Protection Area (SPA).
Overview of the role
The treasurer’s role is an important one which is vital to the running of the observatory. In the short-term (next six months), the observatory proposes to move to on-line banking and develop an electronic payment system for membership – both of which the treasurer will manage. This unpaid voluntary position requires an enthusiastic individual with the following skills:
- Experience of book-keeping
- Competent in the use of Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint) or similar package
- Ability to manage an electronic membership database
- Ability and availability to carry out banking duties (e.g. lodging money and on-line banking)
- Ability to prepare and present short reports, e.g. monthly for the Committee and annually at the AGM.
Note: The treasurer would be expected to become a CBO member if not already one.
Who to contact
For informal enquiries about the role please contact:
Wesley Smyth (CBO Secretary), Email: Wesley Smyth or Tel: 07837 449264
Expression of interest should be made to Wesley no later than Wednesday 17th June 2015.
Depending on their ability to fulfil the above skills, candidates may be invited to meet with a sub-group from the committee on Tuesday 23rd or Wednesday 24th June. It should be noted that the Committee will appoint someone as temporary treasurer pending ratification by the membership at the next AGM in March 2016.
Weekend Visit of May 15th – 17th
RICHARD DONAGHY REPORTS ON THE SIXTH WEEKEND VISIT OF THE CBO 2015 SEASON.
- Breeding in full swing –first chicks of the year seen
- 12 species ringed – 5 new species for the year including Swallow and Whitethroat
- Important work continues: habitat management resumes across the island
A team of five volunteers including Ian McKee, who planned to stay for a week to progress with the first serious attack on the grass-cutting, departed Donaghadee on Friday 15th May for the sixth weekend visit of the CBO 2015 season. [Ian was joined for the remainder of the week by another volunteer on the boat switchover on Sunday].
The weekend weather remained dry throughout but with constant winds blowing at around 20 mph coming from the west/south west. Sunday morning brought this nicest weather with a drop in the winds and a near cloudless sky.
Beautiful morning over Mew
The breeding season is in full swing on the island with large numbers of Eider, Black Guillemot, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull and Lesser-black Backed Gull sitting on eggs. The team also spotted nesting Oystercatcher and saw the first two Eider chicks of the year.
The Fulmars are sitting on the ledges on the East cliffs and a pair of Rock Pipits are bobbing around the foreshore. The pair of Starlings which nest in the workshop were working tirelessly to feed to their noisy brood, flying back and forth across the island continuously in the hunt for insects. The local Swallows were checking out the usual nest sites around the Observatory buildings and the cave. Two curious Swallows flew into the ringing laboratory on Friday evening to look for an ideal nest site and were caught and ringed.
Many of the other resident breeders remained inconspicuous, so may be sitting on eggs e.g. female Reed Buntings, Shelduck and Stock Doves. The Arctic Tern numbers are building; reaching c180 birds on Saturday 16th May but we expect plenty more to arrive. Four Puffins were again present with two sitting among the decoys. A highlight for the species list was a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, spotted on the sound between Lighthouse Island and Mew.
Spotted Flycatcher
In terms of passerine migrants (except Swallows) the Island appeared to be devoid of any birds on Friday evening and Saturday morning between 5-9am. Birds then started to appear with a Spotted Flycatcher, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff feeding in one tree in Bluebell Gully. The ringing then picked up with a Spotted Flycatcher, a couple of Chiffchaff and a Whitethroat caught. These birds appeared just in time to show to a group of 20+ people who had arrived by boat on a guided island tour. The baited crow trap then produced some birds, with 5 Jackdaws and a Magpie inside – although 2 of the Jackdaw and the Magpie managed to slip out when extracting them. A busy couple of hours quietened down after midday. Swallows were the only obvious persistent migrant, with birds flitting through much of the day with 9 ringed and a single House Martin, of which 4/5 passed through.
Whitethroat
On Sunday the conditions between 6-8am were ideal with full cloud cover and force 3 winds coming from the south west. The first two net rounds caught the majority of the day’s birds, with the second round producing a Spotted Flycatcher in the ‘Heli trap’, a Chiffchaff in the ‘Garden net’, and the ‘Withy net’, which was the best of the lot, produced 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Blackcap and a Reed Bunting. A few more birds were picked up through the rest of the morning but, with the wind increasing, and switching back to westerly, many of the migrants seemed to have moved on. 
Spotted Flycatchers
CBO Weekend trip 15th-17th May Ringing Totals
| New | Retrap | |
| Blackbird | 4 | |
| Blackcap | 3 | |
| Chiffchaff | 4 | |
| Eider | 1 | |
| House Martin | 1 | |
| Jackdaw | 3 | |
| Pied Wagtail | 2 | |
| Reed Bunting | 1 | 3 |
| Spotted Flycatcher | 4 | |
| Swallow | 14 | |
| Whitethroat | 1 | |
| Wren | 3 | 3 |
| Total | 35 | 12 |
Blackbirds
In the meantime, the habitat management progressed apace. Long hours were spent mowing the vegetation to maintain the short sward grass in designated areas, and keeping the pathways and net rides accessible. It takes a full week to complete all the mowing around the island and this takes place 3 times a year. Without this effort and work, moving around the island would very difficult with the dense cover of Red Campion and Bracken. It also maintains ideal habitat for the island’s diverse flora, and for many of the bird species (and the rabbits!). To find out more about habitat management and how to get involved, contact Ian McKee at cbohabitat@gmail.com
Late spring day trip: Saturday 30th May
This is the final day-trip opportunity to experience the island in its full spring glory.
The trip departs from the pier-side at Donaghadee at 10.30 am.
The trip includes an island tour, a look at some of the habitat and bird-ringing activities carried out by the observatory, and some free time to wander, bird-watch, or just loaf around! There is a good chance of seeing Manx Shearwater, Arctic Tern, Black Guillemot and Puffin (there were up to 40 present last week-end). Check out our Facebook page for images of recent trips.
The return boat will leave the island at 4.30 pm with docking at Donaghadee around 5 pm.
Visitors will need to bring a packed lunch, suitable waterproof clothing and sturdy footwear.
Price is £15 adults, £10 under 18s.
For more details contact:
Wesley Smyth
Email: wesleysmyth06@aol.com
Weekend Visit of 8th – 10th May
A weekend party of three left a wet Donaghadee Harbour on Friday evening. It took the Copeland Shearwater RIB around 10 minutes to get to the South Jetty on Old Lighthouse Island. Once on the Island, the party made their way up to the Observatory building to get settled in for the weekend. The persistent rain limited the outdoor activities of the party for that evening. The Chris Bailey Hide provided a suitable refuge for seabird watching.
Early morning netting on the Saturday was quiet with no new birds ringed. The weather looked promising for the arrival of the roof working party that day. The weekend party were able to watch the chartered boat leaving Bangor on route to Donaghadee Harbour to collect the first of the roofing materials. This information was passed to the awaiting party on Donaghadee Harbour via mobile phone.
The chartered boat carrying the first of the roofing material arrived at the South Jetty around 10:45am. Some members of the work party arrived with the materials while other members remained at Donaghadee Harbour to assist with the next load.
Boat loaded with roofing materials
Once docked, the roof panels and building materials were unloaded from the boat and left on the foreshore. While the boat returned to Donaghadee to pick-up the next load, the work party on the Island started to bring the heavy materials up to the Observatory building.
Roofing materials on the foreshore
Wheelbarrows and other improvised lifting methods were employed to move the roof materials up to the Observatory building. This operation continued for two more boat trips. By the time the third and last boat was unloaded the water was up to the top level of the South Jetty. Another half hour or so and this jetty would have been unusable.
Roof panel being transported up to the Observatory building
Work party transporting materials up to the Observatory building
After a hard day’s work in the sun, it was time for the Saturday work party to leave. The Copeland Shearwater arrived at the East Jetty around 5:30pm to lift the remaining work party members. This had been a very successful day, with everyone working efficiently together to get an important job done.
Roof panels sitting outside Observatory building on Saturday evening
Sunday was overcast with strong winds as forecasted. Rope was used to secure the stacked panels together to prevent them from lifting. Three new birds were ringed that day, with one re-trap bird.
The weekend party left from the East Jetty on the Sunday afternoon. The strong winds made the return journey on the Copeland Shearwater a little choppy. Despite some mixed weather, the weekend was productive and enjoyed in good company.
Bird Summary
Over the weekend, reasonable numbers of Swallows were seen on (or perhaps moving through) the Island. The odd Swift, House Martin and Sand Martin were also spotted. Four Puffins were in the water just north of the East Jetty.
In total, three new birds were ringed (Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Spotted Flycatcher) with one re-trap (male Reed Bunting).
Spotted Flycatcher
Weekend of 1st – 3rd May, 2015
The weekend party of five arrived on the island on Friday evening full of anticipation for the Force 8-9 gale which had been forecast for Saturday afternoon into Sunday.
The couple of hours of daylight left on Friday evening allowed for the setting and baiting of traps and the erection of 4 nets in preparation for improved conditions – and therefore, the arrival of migrants – on Sunday.
As it turned out, we had a few hours on Saturday morning before the rain came, as forecast, in mid-morning. This lull allowed the trapping of 2 Hooded Crows and 2 Pied Wagtails in the Crow Trap and a Blackcap in the only reasonably sheltered net – NW Garden. Two Greenland Wheatears also arrived, but remained un-caught, despite a close encounter by one in the un-finished Gully Trap.
The wind gradually increased from an un-forecast (and unexpected) Force 1-2 at 06.30 on Saturday to Force 8-9 by lunchtime which, with face-stinging rain, effectively put an end to all out-door activities, except sea-watching from the Chris Bailey Hide. A significant Southward movement of 860 auks in an hour was recorded. Earlier in the day, 25 Puffins visited the Sound between the Observatory and Mew Island.
Gale-force wind and very heavy rain persisted all night, causing much surface water across the top of the island and significant “waterfalls” cascading down the rock faces close to the ‘Loo With A View’. The Old Well is brimming full.
When the wind and rain eased by lunchtime on Sunday, the 4 nets were opened – more in the need to dry them for packing away – and it became clear that a small arrival of migrants was occurring. Two Blackcaps, the first Sedge Warbler and a single Willow Warbler were caught in the short time available before departure. Single Whitethroat (the season’s first) and Skylark were seen, along with several more Willow Warblers. Meanwhile, an even larger Southward movement of auks was noted from the Chris Bailey Hide – 2800 in one hour.
On Sunday, the supply of water from the roof to the upper cistern which supplies our (almost) en-suite loo at the buildings was repaired.
All-in-all, despite the relative dearth of migrants, it was a very interesting and enjoyable weekend. The return journey to Donaghadee on Sunday – in thick fog – was also interesting!
The weekend ringing tally was as follows:
Hooded Crow 1 (+ 1 re-trap); Pied Wagtail 1 (+1 re-trap); Blackcap 3; Sedge Warbler 1; Magpie 1 and one re-trap each of Wren, Goldcrest and Reed Bunting.
CBO – weekend visit of April 24th – 26th
- 8 species ringed – including the 1st Blackbird and Sparrowhawk of the year.
- Species list increases: Mediterranean Gull, Rook, Sedge Warbler and Sparrowhawk added.
- Important work continues: mesh wire fitted to Gully Trap, and the jetties and cliff steps cleared
Nine people departed Donaghadee on board the Copeland Shearwater for the third weekend visit of 2015 on Friday the 24th of April.
Although the forecast for the weekend was for strong north/north west winds, with rain until Saturday lunch time, the weather cleared by Saturday afternoon leaving some nice sunshine for the remainder of the weekend – although it was still cold in the brisk winds.
North/north west winds are not ideal for bringing spring migrants to the island, so those birds that were present may have arrived on the southerlies through Friday and remained throughout the weekend – waiting for the next break in the winds.
Despite the conditions, the team did manage to open a few mist nets on the east side of the island, which was relatively sheltered, and, in combination with the Heligoland traps, caught and ringed a few migrants.
Female Blackcap
Sparrowhawk – following the migration
As with the weekend previous, the crow trap, baited with bread, tuna and dog food, was again successful, catching two new Hooded Crows.
In total, 14 new birds were ringed with 2 re-trapped wrens.
CBO Weekend trip 24th-26th April Ringing Totals (retraps in brackets)
| Species ringed | Number ringed |
| 1. Blackbird | 1 |
| 2. Blackcap | 1 |
| 3. Chiffchaff | 1 |
| 4. Hooded Crow | 2 |
| 5. Willow Warbler | 4 |
| 6. Goldcrest | 1 |
| 7. Goldfinch | 3 |
| 8. Sparrowhawk | 1 |
| 9. Wren | (2) |
There was some great bird watching on offer, with particular interest in the island’s breeding species. CBO is a fantastic place to get up close to Black Guillemot, Eider and thousands of Manx Shearwater.
Four species were added to the 2015 bird list: Mediterranean Gull, Rook, Sedge Warbler and Sparrowhawk. The Med Gulls were initially picked up on call; flying in from the south, they settled on Mew Island amongst the Black-headed Gulls, allowing some good views through the telescopes.
Really good progress was made in the restoration of the gully trap. Both sides now have the wire mesh replaced and the first 5 metres of the roof was attached. It is planned – with just a little more effort – to have this trap in full operation by mid-May (perhaps in time for Whinchat & Cuckoo!).
Other tasks saw the jetties scrubbed down, and the Cliff-path steps were also given a little TLC having become overgrown and covered in loose gravel.
Spruced-up Cliff-steps!
Sunrise over Mew Island on Sunday morning
If you would like to arrange a weekend stay, contact our Bookings Secretary (davidgalbraith903@btinternet.com)
Remember, your membership support is essential to us. Please consider joining or renewing your membership today!