Biosecurity for LIFE

Sad to miss #Coquet & the #Farnes this week, but already re-scheduling #biosecurity trips for the New Year. It's really important we continue to protect these tern colonies from arrival of invasive predators, so Arctic Tern arriving back from the Antarctic in the spring have a safe place to nest.

Weather has again hampered plans for island checks by a #biosecurity dog. Even straightforward islands to visit in the summer, can be logistically challenging in the winter! Now is the best time to carry out dog checks, when invasive predator population levels are highest (if present) for detection.

If you discover an invasive predator on your boat, never throw it overboard - many are very good swimmers & can travel even further if they find debris to drift on. We recommend returning to a mainland harbour & deploying appropriate control measures: biosecurityforlife.org.uk/resources/ca...

The UK's smallest breeding #seabird, Storm Petrels are particularly vulnerable to predation by invasive non-native mammalian predators as they nest among rocks or in burrows. This is why they nest on rat free #islands. Simple #biosecurity checks when visiting islands can help keep these birds safe.

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a rat dropping on an island waiting to be discovered by Jinx the Conservation Detection Dog? Wonder no more!

We delivered some biosecurity equipment to Flat holm earlier this month and Greg and Jinx performed their routine check of the island #dogswithjobs

Our "Boat operator packs" contain useful information & kit for improving biosecurity & surveillance on boats. If you operate regular boats/kayaks to seabird islands in Wales, find out more about sailing without stowaways and paddling without passengers, reach out to us or head to our website ⛵

Here's our new Biosecurity Checklist for Ringers and Researches who head over to islands. Keeping these islands predator-free is integral to them remaining havens for seabirds.
@btobirds.bsky.social @rspbcymru.bsky.social @birdsinwales.bsky.social @northwaleswt.bsky.social @wtsww.bsky.social

We had a glorious sunny day with volunteers from the North Wales hub!
Thank you to our wonderful volunteers for taking the time to keep improving their skills and thank you to @RSPBCymru Cors Ddyga reserve for providing us with a brilliant site to practise our incursion response.

#saveourseabirds

Here's our stall at the @birdsinwales.bsky.social conference back in October. We had a fantastic time catching up with old friends and spreading our message about the importance of biosecurity! Thanks WOS for the photo and for having us for the 3rd year running at another fascinating conference❤️

Some beautiful footage to give you a better idea of a few sites we work on, the Flannans & North Rona. Two of the biggest Leach's storm petrel colonies in the UK partly due to the absence of invasive non-native mammalian predators. #Biosecurity during any visit is key to keeping these seabirds safe.

Our detection dog Reid has been helping check for rats in cargo going to Bass Rock for lighthouse restoration for @nlb-uk.bsky.social. These checks are important to help protect the large Northern Gannet colony on the island from invasive predators. #NatureRestorationFund @naturescot.bsky.social

Learning how to set up tunnels for incursion response.

It was great to have such a good turnout for our biosecurity and incursion training at our Edinburgh hub last month where we learnt how to best protect our islands from invasive non-native predators. A huge thanks to our vital biosecurity volunteers #NatureRestorationFund @naturescot.bsky.social

Great to be on St Agnes & Gugh in #Scilly this week delivering incursion response training to islanders. The community have been fantastic at acting as 1st responders to any suspicious signs following the removal of rats from the island over 10yrs ago. Continued #biosecurity is essential

Quick, easy but vital #biosecurity steps to take when visiting any important #seabird island such as @lundybirds.bsky.social, @skomerisland.bsky.social, @skokholmisland.bsky.social, @bardseybirdobs.bsky.social, @stkildawhs.bsky.social, @copelandbirdobs.bsky.social & @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social.

Productive overnight stay on #Lundy with Rachel, & Reid a #biosecurity conservation #detectiondog. We searched a wide variety of sites from the MS Oldenburg, farm buildings, shop stores, waste areas & #TrinityHouse lighthouse areas to key #seabird area gullies - no suspicious rat signs detected.

Thanks to members of the South West Rapid Incursion Response Hub team who joined us today for training. We're all now better equipped to respond if a rat reached St Agnes & Gugh or Annet in the Isles of #Scilly or #Lundy. #biosecurity in perpetuity is vital to maintain the success of #eradications.

‘There were stoats in kitchen cupboards’: AI deployed to help save Orkney’s birds Stoats have been an existential threat to Orkney’s rare birds but technology is helping to eradicate them

A reminder of why #biosecurity is so important to try & stop invasive predators reaching seabird islands in the first place. Heat detecting remote download AI trail cameras look like a really useful future #biosecurity tool to act as an early warning system. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Countryfile - Northumberland Coast in Autumn Hamza Yassin finds out about the RSPB's work to safeguard the very rare roseate tern, and Charlotte Smith meets a biosecurity dog helping to protect precious seabird colonies from pests.

For those of you who haven't already watched Laura and Kuki on #BBCCountryfile or don't know what a #biosecurity conservation detection dog handling team do, you can still catch up on I-player. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

1 way to prevent rodents getting to our important seabird islands is to use rope guards, plastic discs attached to mooring lines. Thanks to Puffin Cruises, Natalie Kristen II, Serenity & Billy Shiel's for being early adopters of these devices whilst taking visitors around Coquet & the Farne Islands.

Since 2016 at least 6rats,3mink,7dead rats,1dead mink & 1dead mouse have been discovered on UK seabird islands. 1stoat was seen on a boat,1rat was seen jumping ashore from a boat,2boats found rodent sign onboard & 32suspicious signs were found on island. The risk to seabirds is very real & ongoing..

#Seabirds are among the most threatened group of birds globally. You can help their #conservation by carrying out simple #biosecurity measures such as checking your bag & boat for signs of invasive predators before travelling to a seabird island. Look out for chew marks, entrance holes & droppings.

"Shipwrecks" still happen relatively frequently with 10 affecting the UK's internationally important seabird islands since 2018, including 1 boat sinking off Lundy & 1 off the Farnes in 2025. Rats can squeeze through a 12mm hole so are very good at stowing away on boats-always be vigilant for signs.

Puffins vs Brown Rats = not a fair fight!
Our seabirds evolved their breeding strategies long before rats arrived in the UK, they have no natural defence against mammalian predators.
Seabirds need these islands to remain rat-free to survive, rats can and will thrive almost anywhere!

Invasive Non-native predators, such as rats can have devastating impacts on seabird islands as they eat eggs, chicks and even adult birds.

When you're travelling to a seabird island, simple biosecurity actions can help prevent the arrival of invasive predators.

#biosecurityforwales #seabirds