CHILDREN are keeping a close eye on a fulmar nest on the north coast.

The chance to watch a female fulmar during her long stay on her nest – and possibly watch the chick hatch and make progress – has been made available to the public as part of the National Trust’s Coastline Campaign.

The fulmar live webcam was launched by trust president Mike Stentiford in a class of nine-year-old pupils at Bel Royal School.

The launch followed the discovery of a suitable nest site on the north coast by wildlife photographer Sue Daly and campaign co-ordinator Geraldine Hunt.

Trust rangers scaled the cliffs to put the camera in place in a well-camouflaged spot. Like their albatross relatives, fulmars have an unusual bill with tubular nostrils.

Mr Stentiford said that fulmars only landed on the Island’s north coast – with just a few on the south headland – when it was time to breed.

Fulmars lay a single egg and then the female and male take turns to sit on it for the long incubation period of 50 days.
Mr Stentiford said that children at Bel Royal School were fascinated by being able to check on the fulmar pair’s progress. 

The fulmars can be seen live on the webcam on www.coast.je.

*Picture: Joseph Fry (9), Layla Arthur (9), National Trust president Mike Stentiford and Ben Ainscough (9) look at the webcam at Bel Royal School Pi