Should we stay or should we go? A very close watch was kept on the shipping forecasts in the days before, and the weather was probably not going to be good for spotting whales and dolphins but going to be good for birds. So, we decided to go!
We were greeted cheerfully by security at Heysham and by the always helpful CLdN (formerly Seatruck) booking office staff. We were driven onto the ferry, welcomed on board by the steward, and arrangements were made to access the bridge in the morning.
On the bridge, we were soon rewarded with our first sightings of Gannet and Kittiwake. The adult Kittiwake looked splendid as they banked in the air, their white underwings contrasting with their solid black wingtips. Some were accompanied by juveniles, with their striking black M pattern across their upper wing. We had frequent sightings of auks in flight, mainly Razorbill and the occasional Guillemot, and we were delighted to see our first Fulmar and Manx Shearwater, the latter probably having spent the winter in the South Atlantic, gliding apparently effortlessly over the waves.
Two hours into the survey we spotted our first Common Dolphin, swimming past the ferry, and shortly afterwards we recorded our second, heading towards us to take a bow ride. Our third sighting was of a pair of Common Dolphin, their colourful hourglass flank markings flashing in the sunlight - beautiful! Clearly this was our lucky day, as these sightings were quickly followed by excellent close-up views of a pair of Harbour Porpoise and an inquisitive Harbour Seal.
Closer to the Irish Coast we had good sightings of Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Black Guillemot, Shag, and Cormorant, the latter resplendent in their breeding plumage with bright white thigh patches.
There were no cetacean sightings on our return passage to Heysham but lots more Kittiwake, Gannet and auks recorded. But for a bank of cloud over Morecambe Bay we might have had a very good view of the Aurora Borealis!
An excellent day surveying, and we were very pleased that we decided to go! Our thanks go to Captain Suharevs and the crew of ‘Pace’ as well as the CLdN team at Heysham.
Tony Marshall and Chris Lumb, Research Surveyors for MARINElife (Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367)
Weather
Outward: sunny intervals, good visibility, wind westerly force 6-7
Return: brighter, good visibility, wind north-westerly force 6-7
Summary of Sightings
Marine mammals
Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena 2
Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 4
Harbour Seal Phoca vitulina 1
Seabirds
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 2
Shag Gulosus aristotelis 6
Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 21
Gannet Morus bassanus 77
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus 24
Guillemot Uria aalge 58
Razorbill Alca torda 84
Auk sp. 12
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 191
Common Gull Larus canus 2
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 3
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 27
Gull sp. 4
Birds in Dublin port
Teal Anas crecca
Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Common Gull Larus canus
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
Herring Gull Larus argentatus