… Bangor’s guillemots!

A chance meeting leads me to an uplifting conversation with the man on a mission to monitor the little birds that flock to our seafront each summer and a beautiful tribute to the late Julian Greenwood who sparked our love affair with them over 40 years ago.

Some might say that for Julian, the guillemots were his second family, such was his dedication. His work to support the various sub-colonies around Bangor has borne fruit, not least in the data he collected which now provides comparisons for Adam Ringland. Adam is a volunteer with the British Trust for Ornithology and the Copeland Bird Observatory and this year, he took on the job of studying the black guillemot (Cepphus Grylle) population in Bangor Marina, along the Eisenhower Pier and Long Hole and further afield to Seacliff Road.

Most of us, I’m guessing, think they only visit us in the spring and summer but Adam reveals that hidden behind their winter plumage they do pay flying visits to their nest boxes in those darker months! He is also keen to stress that his work wouldn’t be possible without the support of the folk at Bangor Marina and the people of Bangor themselves.

So, if you love these cute little birds too, I hope you’ll enjoy our conversation.

If you would like to report any ringed black guillemot sightings, you can contact Adam via email at blackguillemotsni@gmail.com

Adam Ringland at Bangor Marina. On the side of the commercial pier in the background you can see some of the specially-built boxes and pipes used by the guillemots during their breeding season.