A group of us erected the string cordon on Monday evening, with the finishing touches added yesterday. The area needing to be cordoned off is much larger this year than last year, the shingle stretches a lot further northwards towards Termonfeckin.

While we hope that the Little Terns won't use the entire area for nesting, it is necessary for the whole area to be sectioned off so that disturbance will be minimised.

Numbers of Little Terns at Baltray are increasing, with 36 seen there yesterday.

Soon they will begin to prospect for nest sites on the shingle bank. We will have to monitor them carefully to see which areas they are favouring, so that we will know the most appropriate area to put up this year's fenced enclosure.

The Little Terns began to arrive at Baltray today.

Maurice Conaghy spotted the first 4 Little Terns out at the tide line this afternoon. This is one week later than last year, probably due to the colder conditions this April.