Having boarded the Suecia Seaways at Felixstowe in the middle of the night, we retired to our cabin to rest, rising at dawn for the morning’s survey as the vessel approached the Dutch coast. We were taken up to the bridge, where we were welcomed by the bridge officers, and started the survey. The sea state was calm, with no appreciable swell, but visibility was poor due to dense fog, which restricted recording on the outward journey to about ninety minutes.

Several Gannets and Great Black-backed Gulls were sighted, but there were as many terrestrial birds seen onboard the ship as seabirds at sea, presumably seeking safety from the foggy conditions. Blackbirds were the most numerous, about a dozen in total, flying around the open cargo deck in front of the bridge. A Song Thrush was also seen here, and a lone Brambling was spotted hopping about on the deck behind the bridge. Visibility deteriorated as we entered the Maas River, and the survey was suspended.

After a few hours in Vlaardingen, during which the ship was unloaded and loaded up again, we set sail for the return voyage. It was still foggy, but both banks of the Maas River were visible, so we recorded our sightings as we sailed back down the river.

Sightings here included several hundred Cormorant, similar numbers of the more common gull species and smaller numbers of Coot. Ducks and Mute Swan were notably few in number. Leaving the river behind as we sailed out into the open North Sea, denser fog lay ahead of us and the light began to fade. A falcon then appeared, flying around the bow of the vessel and settling on a rail above the cargo deck, allowing identification as a Merlin, a nice surprise as we neared the conclusion of the survey. Losing what visibility we had, we ceased recording, thanked the bridge crew and retired below to await our arrival at Felixstowe.

Our thanks go to Captain Kristian Christensen, his bridge officers and crew for their warm welcome and hospitality and for facilitating the survey.

Pat Hatch and Mike Hopkins, Research Surveyors for MARINElife (Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367)

Weather

Outward: dense fog, poor visibility, wind S force 1-2

Return: dense fog, poor visibility, wind SW force 1-2