The team of three (two surveyors and a WLO) met up with Captain Jason and the crew of the Oldenburg at Bideford at 09:30. The weather forecast of steady winds and a dry morning was promising – though a little over optimistic – as there was a thick sea mist as we set off from the quay, fortunately, this burnt off during the morning. As we passed the Bideford bar and turned west into the Bristol Channel, we had patchy rain and a swell of 2-3 metres which proved challenging for some. Although the higher sea state made spotting cetaceans more challenging, there is nothing like a decent sea to get the seabirds off the water.
There was a slow and steady stream of birds leaving the coast, with Manx Shearwater most numerous in groups of up to 40. Following that, auks came to the fore, in particular Guillemots, and there were several European Storm Petrel sightings – for the lucky few observers who were able to pick them out amongst the swell! As we approached Lundy it was invisible until the final kilometre, but as we cruised down the east shore, the calmer inshore waters were dotted with the expected species such as Shag, Cormorant, and gulls. Grey Seals were abundant, but only after the Oldenburg had docked alongside the Lundy quay.
Climbing onto the plateau the weather lifted, and soon glorious sunshine broke through. As is to be expected in a mid-August visit, there were few seabirds left on the island. We attempted to find the last Puffins of the season at Jenny’s Cove, but instead found juvenile Wheatears and a Peregrine that enjoyed buzzing the many Ravens with its superior speed and agility. The return sailing left at 18:30pm, and thus there was a time for a quick swim in the bay for the hardy, and nice views of Grey Seals both on the rocks and in the water.
The return to Bideford was much calmer than the morning’s outward trip, and with the sun setting behind us and increasingly smooth water conditions were ideal. The sightings of Manx Shearwaters were exceptional, with the ship passing close to several significant rafts and aggregations, we also had a fleeting view of dolphins, and a porpoise. A passenger on the rear deck reported a Sunfish, though this was not seen by surveyors. There were small groups of Guillemots dotted throughout the journey, many of them comprising adults and vociferous youngsters, whose hungry cries could be heard over some distance. There were a few more European Storm Petrels but Gannets and gulls were scarce.
As ever, huge thanks to the crew of the ‘Oldenburg’ for their help and assistance, and Jason for an inspiring music play list on the bridge.
Fiona McNie and Peter Hopkin, Research Surveyors for MARINElife (Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367)
Weather
Outward journey: mist and intermittent rain at first, visibility poor becoming good, wind SW force 5, sea state 4-5, swell 2-3 metres.
Return: sunny and calm with good visibility and sea state 1, wind SW force 1, swell 1-2 metres.
Summary of sightings
Marine Mammals
Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena 1
Unidentified Dolphin sp. 1
Seabirds
Commic Tern Sterna hirundo/Sterna paradisaea 4
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 9
Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 2
Gannet Morus bassanus 17
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 3
Guillemot Uria aalge 63
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 1
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 1
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus 956
Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus 1
Puffin Fratercula arctica 1
Razorbill Alca torda 4
Shag Gulosus aristotelis 9
Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus 5
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