Lighthouse attraction

Last night migrating birds were dazzled and caught up in the Bardsey lighthouse beam. This can happen around the new moon in spring and autumn, when birds (mainly warblers, thrushes & finches), but also the resident Manx Shearwaters, set off on nocturnal migration. However, if it becomes either overcast or rains as they travel then they can mistake the Bardsey light for the moon. In which case they get confused and mill around in light’s five beams and fatally crash in to the building. In the past, many hundreds of Redwing had been killed on these occasions.

However, the Observatory staff had a cunning plan to stop this happening. When they see birds flying in the beams of the light, they take themselves down to the lighthouse on the southern tip of the island. In order to lessen the devastation the migrating birds find themselves in, the Obs staff set up temporary lights, outside the lighthouse compound, to help the birds land safely. Some stunned birds are collected up, roosted until dawn and then ringed. Jim was out until 4:00 am and then up again by 7.30am to ring and release them on their way. This gives ringers the chance to handle birds that they would not normally ring like this handsome Woodcock, which was probably migrating to warmer climes from Scandinavia. Also ringed were c30 Blackbirds & Redwings, and three Blackcaps.

Jim