Niall Keogh has been monitoring nesting seabirds on the east coast for the past month. He was one of the Birdwatch Ireland fieldworkers on duty on Ireland's Eye, off Howth head, when a gorse fire broke out there last month. Watching birds flee their nests or be caught up in the smoke was a reminder of birds' vulnerability at nesting times, he says.

A discarded cigarette butt or an abandoned camp fire is the likely cause of the fire, according to Birdwatch Ireland.

“The gannets were unsettled for one or two days, but then they returned to their nests,” says Keogh. Some herring gulls and great black-backed gulls in the centre of the island lost their nests, and there were also some losses in the wren and reed-bunting populations.

Ireland has one of the best colonies of nesting seabirds in Europe. “Ireland is considered one of the seabird capitals in Europe, and the seabird colony on Ireland’s Eye is so close to the capital, so we encourage people to go see them,” says Keogh.

Keogh’s monitoring of seabird populations on cliffs and headlands also brings him to places such as Lambay Island and Bray Head. His work is part of the first nationwide survey of seabirds during the breeding season in 15 years.

Preliminary results are showing mixed results. Some species are maintaining their populations; others are in decline. “The population of gannets seems to be increasing. The auks, razorbills and guillemots – the main cliff-nesting species in Ireland – are stable. But there is a severe decline in kittiwakes and shags.”

Terns are another seabird that Birdwatch Ireland is closely monitoring through conservation projects. Rockabill Ireland, near Skerries in north Co Dublin, has the largest colony of roseate terns in Europe. “The warden there has noted the best year on record of terns,” says Keogh.

The little terns that nest near Kilcoole, in Co Wicklow, and Baltray, in Co Louth, have also shown increases in their population. These birds are the rarest and smallest breeding terns; they nest on stony beaches in Ireland and winter in west Africa.

Birdwatch Ireland has some concerns that forthcoming reviews of the European birds and habitats directives might weaken protection of areas along the east coast that have these internationally important habitats for birds. The organisation has launched a Save Our Nature campaign to “tell the European Commission to keep our nature-protection laws intact”.

BirdWatch Ireland is raising funds for its Save Our Seabirds appeal; birdwatchireland.ie