Copeland Island Visited in March

I was fortunate to be given a surprise opportunity to go over to the Copeland Bird Observatory Island early in March.  We were taking over AFBI scientists who were mapping the shoreline for possible oil spills in the future and how it would affect the island.  So this is a photographic journey, (please remember I took quite a few shots from a moving boat!) that I would like to take you on today and as there are a lot of photographs, it might be better if you grab a cuppa, and put it into slide mode.        CLICK HERE for web site of Observatory.

 I was pleased that it was lovely sunny day and we were leaving from the small town of Donaghadee which is 6 miles from my home.  This is the Donaghadee Lighthouse standing over a large harbour which nowadays has the Donaghadee Lifeboat and Phillip who was taking us over to the island in his boat is the skipper of the lifeboat.

Took this shot through this red handrail.

 These 3 shots below I took of the town as I looked back at it from the pier.  

In the last one you can see The Moat on the hill.

You can see the lifeboat in this shot and also the boat we were travelling on you can see through the red handrail.

These Gulls were waiting for a free ride but they were on the wrong boat!

Eider waving us good bye.

Cormorant fishing in the harbour.

Off we go.  That is Big Copeland Island you see on the left.

Black Guillemot nearly in breeding plumage.

The three, nearly awake scientists!

Big Copeland Island however our island is on the other side of it.

A group of Auks flying by.

This is our first glimpse of the Lighthouse Island and to our members, known as Bird Island.  This is the one we will be landing on and you can see on the top of it is our house.  It is the only house on the island.

This is the third island belonging to the Copeland Islands and is called Mew.

 Razorbill

Oystercatchers

Seals

There are 2 landing stages on the island and it depends what the tides are doing, which one we land at.

 Waving good bye to Phillip.  He will come back sometime in the afternoon when the scientists have finished their work.

As I climb up a steep cliff I pause to see Phillip’s boat head back to the mainland.  It is a wonderful feeling be the only people on this island especially as the weather is so lovely.

 Pausing again for breath, I see one of the many ferries that head daily to mainland UK.

 Magpie nest

I spied one of the Magpies, later I saw the pair together.

At last the house was in sight and I was ready for a cup of coffee.

 This is the view of Mew Island from the left of the house and at the bottom of the shot you will see one of the traps.  There were Chaffinch, Dunnock and Wren seen nearby.

There are a lot of Rabbits on the island and they keep the grass cut down. 

This one just about got into this shot, no prizes for this photo then!

This is the little pond that overlooks the kitchen window so no hassle washing the dishes.  There are Water Rail around this area but I did not see one on this occasion.

This is a shot of the daffodils that are looking healthy but not in boom as yet and Norman, one of our members relaxing. 

I decided to walk down a cliff at another side of the island and found this sheltered spot where there were these daffodils blooming.

Further down the cliff I spotted a 

Lesser Black backed Gull and a female Pheasant.

This side of the island is overlooking Mew and so I was able to get a few more shots of the seals that breed there.

Part of Mew Island with its Lighthouse.

Still moving down, I spotted our ‘Loo with a view’ and it is a flush toilet.

 Well here you are, me sitting on the loo photographing the view and even caught a bird in the shot!

 This is one of the hides on the island.

Still more seals basking near the end of Mew.  There are a lot of Lesser Black backed Gulls, Common Gulls, Common and Arctic breed on these islands in the summer.

Shelduck sleeping on Mew.  

I had never been on Mew Island myself, and little did I know that in the afternoon I would be given that opportunity as the scientists wanted to map that island's shoreline as well.  However, that trip and story will have to wait for another post later on.  So I hope no one was sea sick and you enjoyed coming with me to this beautiful island.  This weekend I will be going back again and hopefully I will be greeted by the daffodils blooming.

Thank you for visiting.

Many thanks for those who have left comment on any of my posts.