Silent Witness

No, not an advert for the perils of eating too many salty snacks full of saturated fats, but the rather macabre remains of a Red-throated Diver found on the spit at the Point of Ayr this morning. Birds must perish all the time – especially those subject to harsh conditions out at sea – but this was a sad spectacle as it appears to have lost its left leg.

It is only speculation but I suspect the leg may have been torn off after being caught in fishing nets. This would have severely hampered the diver’s ability to fish and not being able to feed it would have quickly succumbed to starvation.

I was down on the beach for another stint of wardening - this time with local birder Pete Milner. Like many birders I feel duty bound to try and put something back when at all possible. Whether it be doing some survey work, protecting a wader roost or just enthusing people about wildlife – every little helps!

A herd of circa 600 Curlew was the most significant piece of bird news today; these large waders are early nesters so it will not be too long before some return to their breeding grounds.

Otherwise the spit was quiet. Even the Oystercatcher numbers have dropped off with only approximately a thousand today, whilst the remainder of the cast where made up from small numbers of Shelduck, Pintail, Teal, Redshank, Sanderling and Grey Plover.

The resident female Merlin seems to have done a bunk too, although the remains of yet another bird nearby – a dead Skylark – hinted at a recent visit from the diminutive falcon.

Until later.