How could such tales fail to capture the imagination of an eight-year-old from deepest Essex? That’s how old I was when I first visited Rathlin on a family holiday. Little did I know when embarking upon that trip that I would stumble across a real-life animal that would rival any fairytale being.
As you approach Rathlin, the skeletons of abandoned stone buildings contrast with the inviting harbour of Church Bay, serving as a tangible reminder of the island’s centuries-old history. Neatly stacked drystone walls dissect the greenery and are adorned with a layer of scaly, yellow-green lichen – a sure sign of the clear air.
On this remote isle, where the population numbers just 150, wildlife is a wonderful source of entertainment. If you love nature, you’ll never be bored here. Open fields and wildflower meadows hum with insects and nod with delicate blooms; common and grey seals inquisitively pop up their wet, shiny heads offshore. Seabirds including common guillemots, kittiwakes and razorbills patrol the cliff stacks; Irish hares – dark-coloured descendants of the mountain hare – dance across the meadows.
This story is from the November 2021 edition of BBC Wildlife.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 2021 edition of BBC Wildlife.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
ALL YOU EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE Giant panda
Cuddly-looking with highly distinctive black-and-white fur and dark ‘spectacles’, the giant panda – often referred to simply as the panda – is an undeniably popular and much-loved bear, both the national animal of China and, of course, the iconic logo of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
CRUISE CONTROL
As more people are drawn to experience the frozen frontiers, can tourism to the seventh continent be a good thing for nature?
COWS COME HOME
Tauros are the closest thing to the extinct aurochs. And they are coming to the UK.
BIG LITTLE JOURNEYS
A closer look at the smallbut-mighty animals that must travel vast distances to survive
MOUNTAIN MISSION
Canada lynx and wolverines are secretive creatures, but dedicated scientists in Montana are tracking them to inform conservation
LET'S GET TOGETHER - ROOSTING PIED WAGTAILS
Remember to look up this Christmas to enjoy gangs of pied wags' gathered in the trees
FEMALE OF THE SPECIES - REINDEER
Lucy Cooke explains why the females of this Christmas icon have antlers too
Ancient woodland still at risk from HS2
Scrapping the northern phase has spared some sites, but woodlands and reserves remain under threat
Ocean superheroes
Release of 10.000 oysters in North East England promises to improve water quality and marine life
MEET THE VOLUNTEER - Keith Dobell
The retiree cares for a park, an old railway track and a wood in his home county of Northamptonshire