A bird conservation group is feeling a disturbance in the Force as "Star Wars: Episode VII" began filming Monday on a remote Irish island.
As director J.J. Abram's cast and crew hit Skellig Michael — a World Heritage site — bird watchers are crowing over the production timing of the shoot in the midst of mating season for the island's feathered population.
"They've gotten their permissions, but we're curious about what precautions they are taking to protect the nests," Dr. Steve Newton of BirdWatch Ireland told the News.
Newton is particularly concerned about two species of birds — manx shearwaters and storm petrels — that are nocturnal and nest underground in hidden burrows. "The question I would pose to the authorities is, 'How can you assess the impact on these species if you can't even see them?'" Newton said.
The island has been designated a Special Protection Area, although it does attract tourists — 13,221 last year, according to Ireland's Independent newspaper — between May and September.
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