I boarded late on Thursday evening at around 23.30, to be greeted by the steward who showed me to my clean and comfortable cabin, where I settled down for the night ready to start the VSAS survey from a position of 5 degrees West.
Up with the alarm and after a hearty breakfast I made my way to the bridge to begin the survey by 07.00. Weather conditions were bright and clear, with a small swell and good visibility. The first sighting was of the ever-present Kittiwake followed immediately by a large group of gulls and auks, all showing transient plumage as the breeding season nears its end.
There was a steady flow of sightings of several bird species including, Kittiwake, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, and Lesser Black-Backed Gull. The auks were present but harder to discern with the seasonal change of plumage and sea-state present. There were also good numbers of Gannet and Manx Shearwater present but for most seemed becalmed by the conditions up to 09.00, with only individual birds seen to be flying.
At 08.46 a very handsome, dark-plumaged Fulmar gave a close-up flyby giving a stunning impression, being backlit from the south by a strong sun, its silhouette strong and its plumage immaculate in every detail. It seemed very active in comparison to the other wave-skimmers and soon sped off to the south.
As we approached the Irish coast there were good numbers of Cormorant and Common Tern out fishing, and they seemed further out from the coast than usual, probably aided by the good visibility and a calm sea. They were interspersed with substantial numbers of diving Gannet, Guillemot, Shag and other auks looking for food, including in their ranks, large numbers of juveniles of all breeds.
On arrival in the Port of Dublin, with the captain’s permission, I spent time on the helicopter deck and watched the bird life which was dominated by the acrobatics of Common Tern and other tern species. Their activity was relentless, swooping and flitting continuously within the large swarm of gulls that included Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Kittiwake, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, and Great Black-backed Gull.
The entire harbour basin area seemed dominated by gulls wheeling around the shipping channel as it was stirred up by passing ships. The port was very busy and extensive work was being carried out by several dredgers, this seemed to be providing a very welcome banquet for the resident gull population. Dipping into the wake of ships and the waters churned up by the dredgers. There were very high levels of activity, and it continued unabated all around the port during the ferry turnaround.
Lunch was at 11.30 and the ship sailed at 13.30 on the return leg. On my return to the bridge, the weather was overcast, and the sea-state had increased. The wind also stepped up to around 20 knots from the southwest, but conditions remained stable and good for surveying.
Once out to sea, the same species were back in the view, dominated by Kittiwake, Common Gull, and Herring Gull, with some Cormorant drying themselves in the sun. Guillemot and Manx Shearwater along with other auks grew in numbers as we progressed through the passage.
A rare glimpse of a large skua, the size of a large gull, broke the flow. Flying low, it’s almost robotic flight on stiff W-shaped wings looked eerily predatory, the powerful barrel chest and dark colouration very menacing. Impulsively all the other birds seemed to steer cautiously away giving it a wide berth.
Just after 15.00, we passed a fishing trawler with hundreds of gulls, Gannet, and auks feeding in its wake. This was an iconic spectacle in itself, but around a mile or so behind the trawler a more gruesome site awaited. In amongst the throng of gulls was a group of Great Black-backed Gull actively feeding on what appeared to be a seal’s severed head. There was still blood in the water, so it appeared quite recently deceased. One of the adult gulls was trying to defend the ‘feast’ from the dozens of other gulls looking for their share. A shocking but brilliant spectacle, highlighting clearly nature’s harsh and often unforgiving cycles.
Following a break for tea, at just after 18.30 a couple of notable sightings occurred involving Great Black-backed Gull. The first involved an aerial ballet as pursuer tried to harass a feeding Gannet into parting with its hard gotten gains to no effect, unfortunately or fortunately depending on your viewpoint! Shortly afterwards another Great Black-backed Gull came into view on the surface feeding on a dead adult Guillemot. It was not clear whether the gull had killed or scavenged the victim, but both were clear demonstrations of the power and primary position in the food chain of this, the largest of the UK’s gull species.
The evening survey sighted several large rafts and flocks of Manx Shearwater, ranged across the path of the ship. Gannet numbers a-plenty were feeding and transiting as the weather closed in, but visibility remained good until 20.30 when surveying finished.
I was very well looked after and made welcome by the captain, the stewards and crew alike, all were very accommodating and helpful as always. The ship is immaculate and runs like a well-oiled machine. All this really does make these surveys possible and a pleasure to do, a big thank you to CLdN for their continued support.
Jon Steele, VSAS Research Surveyor for MARINElife (Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367)
Weather
Outbound: clear skies with good visibility, sea state 2, wind SW force 3-5
Return: sunny skies, clouding progressively into the evening, visibility steady, sea state 2-4, wind S-SW force 4-6
Summary of sightings
Marine Mammals
Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus 1
Seabirds
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 27
Shag Gulosus aristotelis 2
Gannet Morus bassanus 109
Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 10
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus 423
Guillemot Uria aalge 214
Auk sp. 48
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 69
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 2
Common Gull Larus canus 117
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 21
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 39
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo 33
Gull sp. 307
Skua sp. 1
Tern sp. 2
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