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Country diary: Return of the Manx shearwaters – this island is their home
Langness, Isle of Man: With their epic migrations, they are special birds, but especially so here, the place that coined the name
TL;DR
- Manx shearwaters have returned to the Isle of Man, their namesake breeding location.
- The birds undertake an epic migration of 10,000km from wintering grounds off Brazil and Argentina.
- A large colony on the Calf of Man, which gave the bird its name, was restored after a rodent eradication program.
- The population now numbers over 1,500 breeding pairs.
- The author observed the shearwaters' distinctive flight near St Michael's Isle on the Langness peninsula.
- The arrival of the shearwaters was on time and is a welcome event.