Wildlife conservation on Ailsa Craig
On Thursday April 6 the meeting of the Arran Natural History Society began with the AGM, which included the chairman’s report and the treasurer’s report, and election or re-election of office holders and committee.
The new chairman, Terry Southall, gave a speech of thanks and a presentation to Fiona Laing who stepped down as chairwoman after an amazing 17 years in the role.
Terry acknowledged what a hard act it will be to follow on from Fiona’s great work, but said the society members were relieved that Fiona had agreed to stay on the committee.
Also on that evening, Ann Laing retired from tea-making duties after many years of carrying out this most important function. Ann was thanked by Terry and presented with a Chris Rose print on behalf of the membership.
After the agm there was a presentation by Bernie Zonfrillo with the title: ‘Island restoration-wildlife conservation on Ailsa Craig.’ Bernie is currently the Scottish Ornithologists Club recorder for the Clyde oslands. He was formerly the honorary secretary of the Isle of May bird observatory for 10 years and a research associate at the former Marine Biological Station at Millport. He was also one of the editors of The Birds of Scotland, a best-selling publication covering all species recorded in Scotland.
Bernie’s association with Ailsa Craig began as a small boy visiting the island on summer holidays. Hardly a year passed without a visit. Later as a bird ringer, the Ailsa gannetry was one of the very few accessible colonies. Studies became more serious in 1989 with his PhD investigations on Ailsa sea-birds, while based at Glasgow University.
These showed that rats were not just scavengers but active killers of seabird chicks and predators of their eggs. From these revelations and with the support of the Marquis of Ailsa, the island’s then owner, it was decided to have an attempt at removing the rats completely. It was also hoped that a rat-free island would attract ‘lost’ species like puffin. His talk was about the process involved, the success and the results of recolonisation over the years.
The first rat was found on Ailsa in 1889, shortly after the lighthouse was built. At that time there were numerous puffins and other seabirds nesting on the island. All but the gannets were wiped out as breeding species on Ailsa by the rats over subsequent years.
Bernie began the rat eradication project in 1991 and gradually the birds have returned. First, black guillemot, shelduck and wheatear were recorded, then ringed plover, swallow, wagtails, fulmar, eider, razorbill, guillemot, and many others, and then finally puffin by 2002. It is also possible that storm petrel and manx shearwater have returned to breed recently. Bernie showed slides of each stage of this recolonisation in a fascinating presentation.