A weekend in pictures

Here are a few picture form the weekend of pottering about on the Isle of May NNR

 One of five landings on Saturday

 The Northern Lighthouse Board were on the Island to replace an Alternator in the Mainlight.

 This Icterine Warbler left the safety of the bushes and acted like a Wheatear

The ringers had trapped,ringed and released the Icterine Warbler the day before

Our first Lesser Black-backed Gulls hatched on Friday.

Woodpidgeons are scarce on the island. This one was made rather unwelcome by the local Rock Pipit.

This young Shore Crab gave me a surprise as I pulled up the rope before the May Princess came in.

Many Puffins are coming in with beaks full of fish.

The seabirds we're well 'papped' along Three Tarn Nick

Beer Shag - The latest

Cast back your minds back to April 3rd of this year. David reported that a Shag that was breeding down at Ladies Bed at the south end of the island had a plastic beer can ring round its neck.

This bird was recognisable because it wears a plastic yellow ring with YY marked on it. The beer ring was removed in April.

The latest on the bird is that it has successfully reared 3 chicks this spring. This bird was born in 1995 and has bred every year since 2002 producing 14 young.



As well as putting up with heavy seas and bad weather there are many man made threats to these birds including pollution and litter. As we say in our talk to the public everyday 'The way you live your life can have a direct effect on the birds of the Island.' Yellow YY was lucky, unfortunately many are not.