Rathlin Stickybeak

🎉The 2024 Rathlin Bird Report is here! Another action-packed year of birding on the island, with no shortage of good stuff to cram into our 7th annual report. Available now at rathlinstickybeak.wordpress.com/2025/03/29/rat…

This bottle and its contents were even older, tossed over a Rathlin hedge 30 years ago

Also added to our collection of surprisingly old crisp packets with some 20 year old Monster Munch and 14 year old Hunky Dorys #WashedUpOnRathlin #2minutebeachclean

Found another Smarties lid last weekend, the first since our big run of them at the end of 2025. This one turned up at the south end of the island, easy to spot against the dark seaweed #WashedUpOnRathlin

We hoped today's Red Kite might drift over the house, a route many soaring raptors take on Rathlin. Sure enough, late morning there it was right above the skylight! It spent ages just hanging in the sky while the thin high clouds raced past #WindowWildlife

@wildflower_hour @BSBIbotany That's very thoughtful of you, thank you! 😀👍

The early #wildflowerhour challenges can be tricky to set as spring arrives at its own pace across the UK! So thinking in particular of those in the far north, I thought you could all help me decide this week’s challenge! Vote for your choice below! 😃 @BSBIbotany

@RhysJon12067059 It really was, came pretty close at one point. Always surprised by how big they look.

@_Stickybeak @Ncoastnature1 Awesome

Thrilled to see the Red Kite reported yesterday still present today, seen first thing by @Ncoastnature1 then showing well again through the morning. Interesting to note it looks to be an adult, unlike most kites that show up here

@timothyferres @dunbar44 No, no Badgers here... Rabbits, Irish Hares, Wood Mice, Pygmy Shrews and a few bats is about it for land mammals now.

@_Stickybeak @dunbar44 Are there 🦡 in Rathlin?

Camera trap has caught some great footage recently, in particular its been great to watch the badgers! Co.Antrim

@peediepuss Curious isn't it! We had another three passing through today, and no doubt we'll get more wandering this way in the next month or two.

@_Stickybeak Very interesting! That adult might be the only rook in Ireland that's not sitting on eggs up a tree. Passage here all through April. Where can they be going that has a breeding season that late that not even started when ours are almost fledged!?

A couple of Rooks have overwintered separately on the island this year. A smart adult was looking a little lonely this weekend, but a youngster at the other end of the island was lively and making plenty of noise

A feisty interaction between two male Goldcrests this morning, one of them furiously flaunting his flamboyant headgear at the other. A bemused Coal Tit came over to see what all the squeaking was about. Those fiery feathers - wow! 🤯🔥

Noticed some Hairy Bitter-cress in full flower yesterday - a nice chance to count the four stamens. A patch of its larger cousin Common Scurvygrass was pulling in the pollinators on a sheltered stretch of shore #WildflowerHour

Noticeably more Daisies appearing here this week - had to stop and enjoy the lovely pink bits #WildflowerHour

Wildflowers are still mostly few and far between on Rathlin but there are more #SignsofSpring appearing every day... hopefully these brave early blooms of Primrose, Lesser Celandine and Dandelion will soon be looking a little less lonely #WildflowerHour

@RhysJon12067059 It was pretty special - we don't often get such a good view!

@_Stickybeak Love these little birds

Bumped into a lone Twite this morning - quite wonderful to watch him merrily having a bath in a ditch, cheekily showing off his rosy pink rump

Only seeing a handful of Curlews on the island now, so it's noticeable most of the 60 or so wintering birds have moved on elsewhere to breed. Purple Sandpipers are still settled though, and should be around for a good few weeks yet

Lots of Common Gulls back at their nesting sites yesterday - managed to catch up with 2CDJ, whom we saw in the same spot on 8th March last year (it was ringed on the island in 2022). Amazing how these patterns repeat each year, like reliable old friends you can count on

@scyrene Could be two weeks away yet, we'll probably just exhaust ourselves searching in vain 😆

@_Stickybeak Good luck! I miss those now I live away from the coast 😔

Fluked a Chiffchaff in the back yard at lunchtime, our earliest ever record by one day! Briefly in view of the kitchen window but sadly not hanging around for pics, so instead here are two of our other callers - a soggy Chaffinch and an excited Dunnock #WindowWildlife