As nesting season begins this month, RSPB Warden Paul Morrison shares some of the winged wonders along our coastlines

No one sets foot on Coquet Island, just off the Northumberland coast, except a lucky team who live in the lighthouse and protect the birds through the breeding season. Paul Morrison – whose son is on the lifeboat crew at nearby Amble – has been looking after the island’s inhabitants for 33 years. ‘The only footprints on the beach are from the birds, so it’s quite special,’ he says.‘I don’t consider myself a “twitcher” – I’m just making sure birds have a niche to be successful alongside us.’ Here are Paul’s tips to enjoy our coastal birdlife:

Find your spot

‘A boat trip brings you much closer to the action, since birds love islands for both the protection and fishing they offer, plus you might spot a bonus pod of dolphins. Any coastal town’s tourist information will have day trips to recommend. For islands with a big intertidal range, I’d visit at high tide so you can get closer in. ‘A quick search online will show you what you can find where. I’m biased to the north of the UK, but we do have some smashers – Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth has the biggest gannet colony in the world. Coquet Island is now the only UK nesting place of the roseate tern, a very bonny bird. You’ll also find two thriving colonies at Rockabill, Co Dublin, and Lady’s
Island Lake, Co Wexford.’

Know what to look for

Puffins return to our coastlines round about now. They’re seriously endangered, but a great place to see them still is the Isle of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides. ‘One of the joys of watching birds in their natural habitat is seeing special adaptations at play. Often around jetties you’ll see cormorants with wings furled out like a phoenix, drying themselves out because their own waterproofing is a bit rubbish! It’s an almost mythical sight. ‘Watching gannets dive is another wonder. They have binocular vision (piercing blue eyes at the front of their heads) to help them spot fish, beautiful long beaks, and at the last second they’ll fold in their wings to drive themselves deep underwater.’

Kit yourself out

‘You don’t need a telephoto lens as long as your arm – you can get a decent pair of binoculars for £50. Take an extra layer for any boat trips, and watch out for sunburn disguised by the windchill. The most important kit – especially near a big colony – is a soft hat to protect you from pecks on the head, or other undesirable gifts from above. The lighthouse keepers here used to wear a mop down the back of their jumpers to create a decoy head!’

Protect what you see

Nesting season really kicks off between now and June. When on foot, stick to paths and keep dogs on a lead to protect ground-nesting birds. If you do find a bird washed up, leave it to rest and warm up – but if there’s a mass washup of birds or one is covered in oil, that’s more serious and you should contact the RSPCA.’
Words: Philly Byrde
Photos: Gail Johnson/Shutterstock.com, Paul Morrison
With thanks to the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). Visit RSPB.org.uk.