Heysham-Warrenpoint

Jane Petley-Jones and Janet Shepherd, MARINElife Research Surveyors
Weather: SW 3

Cetaceans and mammals:
Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 10
Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena 1
Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus 54

Seabirds:
Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata 19
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 1
Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 28
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus 1
Gannet Morus bassanus 34
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 4
European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis 484
Common Scoter Melanitta nigra 18
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 72
Common Gull Larus canus 86
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 235
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 15
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 67
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 52
Unidentified Large Gull Sp. 15
Unidentified mixed Gull spp. 50+
Guillemot Uria aalge 423
Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle 9
Razorbill Alca torda 21

Terrestrial Birds
Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus 36 (mudflats at Heysham)
Curlew Numenius arquat 2
Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 2
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus 69
Sanderling Calidris alba 30
Hooded crow Corvus cornix 1
Brent Goose Branta bernicla 16
Great-crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 1
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 12

Thursday 16^th February: Heysham to Warrenpoint onboard Clipper Point.

We were welcomed aboard the 'Clipper Point' by the friendly crew, and took our station on the bridge for a prompt 8.30 am departure, with a high tide.

Just as we were preparing to leave we were treated to some large skeins of Pink-footed Geese passing over to their day time feeding grounds. As we moved out into Morecambe Bay we began to pick up various species of sea birds, with some very clear views of Kittiwake, Fulmar and Gannet in different plumage states.

One surprise was a single Manx Shearwater. They mainly stay offshore during the winter, feeding in the North Atlantic, but this one was possibly checking out its breeding grounds.

The approach to Carlingford Lough at the end of the outward voyage brought us some great views of Grey seals on the islands, and some lovely Red-throated Divers which seem to favour this area.

After disembarking, we were taken to our B&B just outside Warrenpoint by a very chatty taxi driver!

Friday 17^th February: Warrenpoint to Heysham onboard Clipper Panorama.

Warrenpoint Docks were mirror calm as we went on board next morning, with mist over the hills. We saw a small flock of Brent Geese feeding on the shore as we moved off, and even more Red-throated Divers in the entrance to the Lough. The Black Guillemots were busy moving about this area, and the Grey Seals were mostly in the water, hunting for their breakfast. 

On the bridge, we were introduced to Panorama's Officer Cadet, a very attentive young man taking his University Degree under sponsorship from Seatruck.

The return voyage was taken at a slower average speed, to arrive as the tide was rising in Heysham. Whether this is significant to dolphins or not we do not know, but we were delighted when a group of 9 Common Dolphins came leaping in to bow-ride and wake-ride around the ship, giving us and the crew on the bridge some superb views of their yellow and grey 'hour-glass' markings.

These are the moments that make every survey so worthwhile, and a delight to carry out. We are so grateful to Seatruck for their continuing support.

  Jane Petley-Jones and Janet Shepherd, Research Surveyors for MARINElife

John Perry and Toby Oliver, MARINElife Research Surveyors
Weather

Cetaceans and mammals:
Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus 31

Seabirds:
Eider Duck Somateria mollissima 3
Common Scoter Melanitta nigra 3
Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata 4
Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 35
Gannet Morus bassanus 1
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 86
European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis 11
Great Skua Stercorarius skua 2
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 266
Common Gull Larus canus 4
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 86
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 6
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 28
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 213
Unidentified Large Gull Sp. 400
Guillemot Uria aalge 58
Puffin Fratercula arctica 2
Razorbill Alca torda 9
Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle 5
Unidentified Auk sp. 18

Terrestrial Birds:
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 3
Stock Dove Columba oenas 1
Starling Sturnus vulgaris 10
Hooded Crow Corvus cornix 3
Knot Chalidris canutus 100
Oyster Catcher Haematopus ostralegus 3
Curlew Numenius arquata 1
Dunlin Chalidris alpine 40
Great Crested Grebe  2

Well I certainly chose the right days for my first survey with MARINElife as the weather was perfect. Visibility was >20km throughout both surveys, seas were calm and the two sunsets and sunrise were stunning!John Perry was my Team Leader and being a strong Birder, he was able to pass on key identification skills for seabirds at sea - a great way to learn. This was a great experience for my first time on a ship. The Captains from the Clipper Panorama and Clipper Point together with their crews were very friendly and welcoming.

Winter can be a good time for seabirds and this crossing was no exception, with sightings of Gulls, Fulmars, Auks including a Puffin, Red-throated Divers, and a Great Skua.

We did not see any cetaceans on this occasion; however, we did see a colony Grey Seals on the little lighthouse island in Carlingford Lough on the way back to Heysham, basking in the morning sun.

I would like to thank MARINElife for giving me this first opportunity to volunteer as a marine research surveyor, to John Perry for his invaluable leadership during the survey, and to the captains and crew of both Seatruck vessels, including the very welcomed full English breakfasts and lunches!

 I'm already looking forward to my next survey on this excellent route.

 Toby Oliver & John Perry, Research Surveyors for MARINElife

Stephen Dunstan and Nick Grounds, MARINElife Research Surveyors
Weather ESE 3-5

Cetaceans and mammals:
Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus 2

Seabirds:
Great Northern Diver Gavia immer 10
Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata 2
Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 17
Gannet Morus bassanus 6
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 125
European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis 20
Pintail Anas acuta 1
Great Skua Stercorarius skua 2
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 8
Common Gull Larus canus 23
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus 2
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 17
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 4
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 22
Little Gull Larus minutus 18
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 279
Unidentified Large Gull Sp. 1
Guillemot Uria aalge 160
Razorbill Alca torda 124
Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle 1
Unidentified Auk sp. 304

Outbound
The captain Andy welcomed us aboard, and explained that we would be leaving later than we had thought.  This gave us chance to watch the harbour area and there was a lot of activity.  A first winter Mediterranean Gull among large numbers of Black-headed Gulls was followed later by an adult.  Several species of wader moved south, including thousands of Knot.  A Rock Pipit flew over the boat a couple of times, and several finches on the north harbour wall were almost certainly the Twite that are regular in this area in the winter and are known from ringing to move south from their Hebridean breeding grounds.

We knew there were going to be less shearwaters than in previous trips on the route this late in the year, and our hope was that Little Gulls would be increased in number.  We were not to be disappointed as we saw no fewer than 16 on the outward journey, most of which were in the Lune Deeps area they are known to favour.  It was dark when we were in this area on the return journey, but we did see a couple off the Calf of Man.

The conditions were excellent for observation on the outward journey, putting us in with every chance of seeing some cetaceans, but unfortunately it was not to be on this occasion.  A steady stream of seabirds kept us busy until well past the Isle of Man though, when conditions became too dark to continue recording and we drew up stumps for the day.

Return
In the B and B it sounded very windy outside, and unfortunately so it proved.  The captain Tim and crew warned us it was going to be a bit of a rough crossing, they were right but fortunately our sea legs were up to it.

Many of the highlights of the return trip were as we left Warrenpoint.  We saw a group of four Great Northern Divers, and no fewer than ten were recorded in total.  There was also a Black Guillemot, the second to be recorded on this route.  The area favoured by hauled out seals was covered by the combination of tide and onshore winds, though we did see a couple of animals in the sea.

We joined the crew in observing a minute's silence at eleven o'clock as we approached the open sea.  Thereafter most of the birds seen were auks, Fulmars and Kittiwakes.  We did see two Great Skua's, a species which is usually found further south at this time of year. A rather lost looking Pintail (probably a first year bird) was also encountered near the Calf of Man before the dull light finally became unworkable.

All in all a successful trip and it will be interesting to see if Little Gull and Diver numbers climb further in future months.

Thank you to the crew of the Clipper Pace and Clipper Panorama.

Stephen Dunstan and Nick Grounds, Research Surveyors for MARINElife 

Rob Petley-Jones and Jane Petley-Jones, MARINElife Research Surveyors
Weather: Outbound - ESE 1-3; Overcast: Return - S 2-3; Bright

Cetaceans and mammals:
Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 4
Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena 5
Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus 34
Harbour (Common) Seal Phoca vitulina 1
Otter Lutra lutra 1 (Seen in Warrenpont Harbour prior to boarding ship)

Seabirds:
Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata 2
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 1
Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 22
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus 92
Gannet Morus bassanus 333
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 616
European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis 41
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus 14 (at sea on migration)
Common Scoter Melanitta nigra 28
Great Skua Stercorarius skua 11
Arctic (Parasitic) Skua Stercorarius parasiticus 3
Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus 1
Unidentified Skua sp 1
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 195
Common Gull Larus canus 134
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus 2
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 208
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 81
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 45
Little Gull Larus minutus 3
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 742
'Commic' Tern Sterna hirundo/paradisaea 2
Unidentified Large Gull Sp. 13
Unidentified mixed Gull spp. 165
Guillemot Uria aalge 586
Razorbill Alca torda 178
Puffin Fratercula arctica 2
Unidentified Auk sp. 9 

Terrestrial Birds
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 2
Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus 33 (mudflats at Heysham)
Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 3 (at sea)
Knot Chalidris canutus 1237 (mudflats at Heysham)
Dunlin Chalidris alpine 135 (mudflats at Heysham)
Redshank Tringa tetanus 2 (mudflats at Heysham)
Curlew Numenius arquata 2
Unidentified Lark sp. 8 (at sea)
Unidentified Pipit sp. 39 (at sea)
Unidentified Warbler sp. 1 (at sea)
Starling Sturnus vulgaris 25 (at sea)
Unidentified Finch sp. 5 (at sea)
Unidentified small Passerine sp. 4 (at sea)

Thursday 13^th October: Heysham to Warrenpoint onboard Clipper Point.

We were welcomed aboard the 'Clipper Point' by the friendly crew, who sat us down to a full English breakfast.  We then climbed to the bridge to begin our survey.

We left harbour with fine, still conditions.  Bird recording began with mixed gulls feeding around the power station outfall, including a solitary Little Gull.  As we got further out to sea we began to see Kittiwakes and Gannets in good numbers, and towards the Isle of Man, our first Manx Shearwaters appeared.  These birds move off into the Atlantic to over-winter and so their numbers are much fewer than last month.   

There were some exciting views of Great Skua's chasing Kittiwakes to rob them of their catches, with Pomarine and Arctic Skua seen later on in the voyage.  Mid way across we finally had what we had we were waiting for - a brief glimpse of two dolphins!

There was a noticeable passage of small passerines, including pipits, larks and finches, and a solitary warbler that landed in front of the bridge window, but these sightings were so brief that full identification was difficult.

As we entered Carlingford Lough at low tide we had fine close views of Grey Seals hauled up on the islands, with one Common Seal and one final new bird for the day, a Red-throated Diver.

Friday 14^th October: Warrenpoint to Heysham onboard Clipper Panorama.

After a good night's sleep in a B&B, our walk back to the 'Clipper Panorama' was rewarded with a close view of an otter feeding amongst the seaweed on the shore, quite oblivious to the hectic lorry movements going on not a hundred metres away.  As we left the harbour behind, Warrenpoint was illuminated by the sunshine and looked a beautiful and tranquil place. 

Almost immediately we saw our red-throated diver again, and as we left the Lough our insect record for the trip landed on the window - an Angleshades moth!

The return voyage had more choppy seas, but we saw two Common Dolphins in very nearly the same location as on our outward trip.  A group of Harbour Porpoises gave some good views as they surfaced several times in a heavy swell.

Three rather lost looking lapwings were sighted well out to sea, heading south as best they could.  Also moving south was a flight of Whooper Swans. These birds are of particular concern in the Irish Sea as their migration path runs through the vast wind farm development that is underway.  The MARINElife survey will help monitor any population changes.

As we approached Heysham, we were rewarded with spectacular clouds of Knot wheeling over the mudflats, and had close views of Little Gulls and two lovely red-beaked Mediterranean Gulls near the power station.  

Overall we had a very productive survey and are most grateful to the Seatruck Ferries staff and crews for their hospitality.

Rob Petley-Jones and Jane Petley-Jones, Research Surveyors for MARINElife

Rob Petley-Jones and Nick Grounds, MARINElife Research Surveyors
Weather: WSW 3-6; Moderate conditions

Cetaceans and mammals
Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus 1
Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena 9
Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus 1
Unidentified Seal sp. 100 

Seabirds
Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica 1
Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata 1
Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 143
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus 6679
Gannet Morus bassanus 353
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 366
European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis 6
Common Scoter  Melanitta nigra 3
Great Skua Stercorarius skua 3
Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus 1
Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus 1
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 52
Common Gull Larus canus 47
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 13
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 43
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 31
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 169
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis 23
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea 3
'Commic' Tern Sterna hirundo/paradisaea 7
Unidentified Large Gull Sp. 5
Guillemot Uria aalge 502
Razorbill Alca torda 6
Puffin Fratercula arctica 3
Unidentified Auk sp. 2
Unidentified Skua sp 1

Thursday 8^th September: Heysham to Warrenpoint onboard Clipper Point.

After boarding the Clipper Point, we received a very warm welcome from the captain, Tim Broughton and his crew.  Tim invited us up to the bridge before our departure at 9.15am. Weather conditions were overcast and the sea state was moderate. Fulmars and Kittiwakes were seen close to shore soon after departing Heysham harbour and also a Grey Seal was seen.  Within an hour we had close views of a Great Skua.

A good number of Guillemots were seen during a quiet period just south of Calf of Man, with juveniles still staying close to parents.  The quiet was soon broken with our first Harbour Porpoise sighting of two adults and one juvenile which showed very well, if rather briefly.  Counting large rafts of Manx Shearwaters kept us very busy, and the excitement grew to a peak with a sighting of a Bottlenose Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise together.

An Arctic Skua came close to the Clipper Point as it mobbed five Kittiwakes and we had spectacular view as it forced one Kittiwake to give up its lunch within close proximity of the bridge. As we approached Carlingford Loch we had an excellent view of a Black Throated Diver flying across the entrance to the Loch.  Close by over forty Seals were hauled out on the tidal banks.

After mooring at Warrenpoint we were invited to dinner on board by Tim to discuss the day's sightings.

Friday 9^th September: Warrenpoint to Heysham onboard Clipper Panorama.

Upon boarding the Clipper Panorama, we were welcomed by Nick's ex secondary school colleague Captain Andy Bradbury (small world!) and prepared ourselves for our 8.45am sailing.

Again we encountered large rafts of Manx Shearwaters which proved somewhat challenging to count and a close view of a Pomarine Skua. Just after the Calf of Man we had close views of three Puffins resting on the sea along with Gannets, Fulmars and Guillemots. A Red Throated Diver was seen on the approach to Heysham harbour.

After a very long and productive day, we thanked Andy and his crew for allowing us to survey from the bridge and for their very warm hospitality.

Rob Petley-Jones and Nick Grounds, Research Surveyors for MARINElife

Maggie Gamble and John Perry, MARINElife Research Surveyors
Weather: NW; 1 - 3; Calm Seas

Cetaceans & Mammals:
Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus 4
Unidentified Dolphin Species ~4
Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena 10
Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus   213

Seabirds:
Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 30
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus 4366
Gannet Morus bassanus 236
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 290
European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis 15
Great Skua Stercorarius skua 12
Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus 3 
Large Skua sp. 1                                                                                                                            
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 25
Common Gull Larus canus 72
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 51
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 49
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 42
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 128
Common Tern Sterna hirundo 1
'Commic' Tern Sterna hirundo/paradisaea 18
Large Gull Sp. 88
Puffin Fratercula arctica 2
Black Guillemot Cepphus grille 1
Guillemot Uria aalge  368
Razorbill  Alca torda  1
Auk sp. 8

This first Marinelife survey from the Seatruck Ferry Route from Heysham to Warrenpoint on board the Clipper Point was a great start to this new research route for us. Conditions were good with light winds, North-West 1-3 and calm seas.

The outbound route passed very close to the Isle of Man and we had time to admire this beautiful Island and heather clad fells. Then suddenly we were busy recording large rafts of the aptly named Manx Shearwaters and many Guillemots. Manx Shearwaters are long lived birds that nest on our offshore islands and are known to forage as far as the Bay of Biscay to obtain food for their young.

Recording various seabirds kept us busy until Carlingford Loch and Adjacent Mountains of Mourne came into view. There were plenty of Grey Seals on the rocks as we made our way into the loch and Seatruck Staff at Warrenpoint tell us they sometimes see Otters feeding as the ships come in. After an overnight stop it was time for the return leg of the survey on board the Clipper Panorama.

The now almost mirror calm conditions were perfect for spotting the diminutive and shy Harbour porpoise and we were lucky enough to see several of these elusive cetaceans. Approaching the Isle of Man some diving Gannets alerted us to the splashes of feeding dolphins underneath them!  A little too distant to positively identify but Bottlenose Dolphins are reputed to be resident in the area. A little while later we had perfect views of four Bottlenose Dolphins cruising along on the surface - excellent!

So a great new route and a chance to record the important feeding areas for the Marinelife of the area. Our thanks go to the Captains, crews and staff of Seatruck Ferries for making us welcome on this new data gathering opportunity and for a truly excellent lunch!

Maggie Gamble and John Perry, Research Surveyors for MARINElife