ON a beach near Louisburgh, I recently saw a pair of small sea birds very much like terns but much smaller than those I usually see. They were flying up and down a channel through the beach and screeching at me.
Veronica McGovern, Rathmines, Dublin.
These were almost certainly Little Terns which may have been nesting close by. They like to build their nests on beaches that also appeal to people, and as they are very susceptible to disturbance and predation their breeding results have offered. On the east coast the Irish Wildbird Conservancy, with considerable success, has mounted a watch scheme to protect their breeding areas.