The doggy frontline of seabird conservation

Biosecurity officer Jinx on The Skerries (Olivia Pargeter, RSPB Cymru)

While it is too early to be sure that highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI) will not dominate the seabird headlines again this season, as reported last week the terns on Anglesey appear healthy at present. Initial news from some Guillemot colonies is less rosy; North Sutor in the Cromarty Firth holds 83% fewer than last year, Skokholm in Pembrokeshire 30% fewer and numbers at South Stack are about 10% down. The decline follows thousands of Guillemots being washed ashore around Britain late last summer. HPAI and higher sea temperatures affecting fish availability are both suggested as potential factors.

Protecting seabird colonies from other threats has thus become even more critical. North Wales Police are emphasising to watercraft users, among others, the importance of not disturbing seabird colonies, while RSPB Cymru’s only canine employee recently visited The Skerries tern and Puffin colony off northwest Anglesey ahead of Invasive Species Week. Jinx has been trained to sniff out signs of rats that are not native to offshore islands. His visits with handler Greg are part of biosecurity plans drawn up for all the Welsh island SSSIs under a project funded by Welsh Government’s Nature Networks Fund. The islands’ seabirds need effective biosecurity every day of the year, so what will happen when funding ends in March 2025 remains to be seen.

The rarest visitor of spring to North Wales was an Eastern Subalpine Warbler ringed at Bardsey Bird Observatory. The island also recorded an Alpine Swift, singing Firecrest and Hawfinch, and another of the chunky finches flew over Bangor railway station. Llyn Brenig’s Ring-necked Duck was joined by a Scaup, a Quail calls at Rhosneigr golf course and a Nightjar churred in Wrexham. Hooded Crows are on the Clwyd estuary and at South Stack, and more than 30 Crossbills dropped onto the Great Orme on Sunday.