On Mooney Goes Wild tonight...

There's good news for the world’s greatest long-distance traveler as Arctic Terns raise chicks on Dalkey Island for the first time, we watch as a floating rubbish bin is launched in Howth to fight pollution in our seas and we visit the swallows that have built a nest on a Cavan listener’s wind chimes!

From left: Dr. Richard Collins, Tara Adcock and Eanna ni Lamhna chat about the Arctic Terns on Dalkey Island

Success For Dalkey's Arctic Terns

Arctic Tern (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

It’s estimated that there are 10,000 different species of birds in the world and one of the most fascinating of them has got to be the Arctic Tern.  Nicknamed the "Sea Swallow", this small bird weighs no more than a lemon but is the world’s greatest long-distance traveler, migrating further than any other animal.  Over the course of their lives they can journey more than three million kilometres, which is the equivalent of almost four round trips to the moon!

Left: Ken and Shelly Biswell, Shelly helped with the rat baiting programme; Middle: Chris Johnson during rat baiting programme; Right: Arctic Tern nest on Lamb Island decorated with bones (photos by Tara Adcock)

Video courtesy of BirdWatch Ireland (www.birdwatchireland.ie)

Unfortunately, the future for the Arctic Tern is uncertain.  Here in Ireland they have an Amber conservation status which means that, although they’re not on the verge of extinction, they are vulnerable.  Ninety percent of the Irish population of Arctic Terns is concentrated at ten or fewer sites. 

Left: First ever tern chick to be ringed on Dalkey Island; Middle: Arctic Tern chicks using chick shelters on Dalkey Island; Right: Stephen Newton and Tom Murphy ringing Arctic Tern chick Lamb Island (photos by Tara Adcock)

Video courtesy of BirdWatch Ireland (www.birdwatchireland.ie)

So it’s especially good news that this year, for the first time on record, Arctic Terns have successfully raised chicks on Dalkey Island in south Co. Dublin, giving this colony a much-needed lift.

Tara Adcock is BirdWatch Ireland’s Dalkey Tern warden and joined Derek in studio alongside Dr. Richard Collins and Éanna Ní Lamhna, to talk all about what's been happening on Dalkey island.

Left: Tom Murphy, Sandra Jordan and James Tallon; Middle: Sandra Jordan searching for chicks on Lamb Island; Right: Fluffy Arctic Tern chick (photos by Tara Adcock)

Video courtesy of BirdWatch Ireland (www.birdwatchireland.ie)

Left: Graham Prole of Irish Midlands Ringing Group ringing gulls on Dalkey Island; Middle: Great black - Backed Gull Dalkey Island - ringed by Graham Prole (photos by Tara Adcock); Right: Guided Walks on Dalkey Island (photo by Des Burke - Kennedy of Dalkey Tidy Towns)

Left: Guided Walks on Dalkey Island (photo: Des Burke - Kennedy); Middle: Larger Arctic Tern chick on Lamb Island (photo: Tara Adcock); Right: Roseate Tern decoy in front of Dalkey Island (photo: Des Burke - Kennedy)

For more information about this remarkable breeding success, click here.

Seabin In Howth Harbour

You may remember the special programme we did last year on The Bergen Whale, the Cuvier's beaked whale which stranded close to the city of Bergen on the southwestern coast of Norway.  A post-mortem found at least theirty plastic bags in its gut, focusing minds around the world on the immense problem of marine litter.  (To find out more about that MGW special, and to listen back, click here).

Rowan Byrne featured on that programme.  He's the Principal Marine Scientist and Plastics Leader for the global engineering consultants Mott McDonald.

Dr. Richard Collins (l) and Rowan Byrne (r) at the seabin in Howth harbour

There have been far too many other similar incidences of marine animals dying as a direct result of plastic in our oceans, and it’s in this spirit that Rowan has been looking at this global issue and bringing it back home.
He has just helped to install a Seabin in Howth harbour, which will help keep the area clear of plastic rubbish which would otherwise be washed out to sea.

Dr. Richard Collins met Rowan at the launch of the Seabin.

Seabin in Howth Harbour

To find out more about the Seabin, click here.

Swallows Nesting On Wind Chimes

It’s that time of year again; the nesting season has just finished and while some birds have only one clutch, and may have finished in early June, other species like swallows, yellowhammers and wood pigeon continue throughout the summer and even into the early autumn with two or three clutches.

Over the years we’ve reported on many different nesting pairs and particularly on unusual nest sites.  Robins and wrens often build nests in the most unusual of places like clothes hanging out on the clothes line or within the engines of active vehicles!

Swallow (photo: BirdWatch Ireland / Stephen McEvoy)

But one species of bird, the swallow, has always been considered conservative in its choice of nest site which is generally outbuildings with dark ledges.  Not anymore however!

Swallows nesting on wooden windchimes (photo: Terry Flanagan)

Regular listener Mary Doherty, from Ballyconnell in Co. Cavan, got in touch to tell us about a swallow’s nest on top of a set of wind chimes in her front porch.  Every year the swallows return to the same nest, paying little or no attention to the comings and goings of human occupants.

We sent our reporter Terry Flanagan off to Co. Cavan to investigate!

Swallows nesting on windchimes (video: Terry Flanagan)