Country diary: The black guillemots are well cared-for here

Bangor Marina, County Down: The local community has really fallen for these enchanting birds, and I can see whyTwo small silhouettes are floating on the tide. With apparent casualness, these "Bangor penguins?, as they?re known locally, dip their heads underwater to scan for butterfish. Their sleek bodies and monochrome plumage lend a little resemblance to their distantly related namesake, but the black guillemot is in fact an Arctic species of auk. Over a century ago, its presence here was sufficiently unusual for the Irish Naturalist science journal to remark that it was "a most extraordinary thing that such wild birds ? should nest in such frequented places?.Times have changed; they are now a fixture here. Cliffs and boulder scree are the traditional nesting habitat but, after adopting crevices and drainage outlets in the harbour walls and jetties, this colony has accepted the nest boxes that have been planted among the marina?s piers. Local affection for the species extends to the harbourmaster?s refusal to allow boats to moor at Eisenhower Pier in case nesting black guillemots are disturbed. This tolerance is returned in kind - as I join their squatting line at the Long Hole, the smaller harbour here, they scarcely stir. Continue reading...