We thought all of the auks (puffins, guillemots and razorbills) had left the colony at Rathlin, but then someone spotted a guillemot carrying a fish back to the cliffs. When we trained the telescope onto it, we discovered that it was still feeding a chick! One guillemot pair left out of thousands, with only the kittiwakes and fulmars for company. The fulmar chicks are starting to change from grey, amorphous, fluffy, fat blobs into fine-feathered flying machines. There are now lots of young kittiwakes, with their distinctive black 'W' wing patterns, flying to and from their nests. Some kittiwakes have already fledged and have been seen in Ballycastle Harbour, only a few miles away on the mainland. It is heartening to see so many young, healthy birds leaving the nest after many disastrous breeding seasons.
This year seems to have been a good year for seabird breeding success all over Britain and Ireland and Rathlin Island has been no exception. Bye for now.Lorraine