Seatrack Update: Early Oct Survey

This coming weekend (Sat 6th/Sun 7th Oct) sees the sixth Seatrack survey of the season taking place, with a start time of 08:35am. Please note that Saturday 6th Oct will be the priority day so as to complement other FAME surveys being conducted by our partners along the Western European seaboard, also on that date. If you would like to take part in this international seabird census then get in touch with Niall Keogh at seatrack@birdwatchireland.ie for details.

The previous mid September survey saw the beginning of a turnover in species composition, typical for the latter half of the seawatching season. Manx Shearwaters were well represented on the West coast but present in low numbers or almost absent from sites along the East & South. Sooty Shearwaters held their own throughout with triple figure counts at several locations, typical for the time of year whilst a total of 8 Balearic Shearwaters were noted. Furthermore, Leach’s Petrels were far more numerous than Storm Petrels, skuas outnumbered terns, auk passage picked up, quite a few Grey Phalaropes & divers put in an appearance and some Long-tailed Skuas, Sabine’s Gulls & Little Gulls were also seen.

The forecast for the weekend looks as if calm, anti-cyclonic conditions will prevail on Saturday with a chance of moderate-strong South East winds along the South coast on Sunday.

Best of luck to all this weekend,

Niall Keogh

Seatrack co-ordinator

Some mid September Seatrack sightings as follows: (E = East, W = West, S = South, N = North & M = Milling)

Friday 14th September 2012

Black Head, Co. Clare (Paul Troake)

1 W Balearic Shearwater, 800 W Manx Shearwater, 1 W Leach’s Petrel, 1 E Great Northern Diver, 1 Great Skua (Bonxie), 1 juv W Pomarine Skua, 15 Arctic Skua, 2 W Arctic Tern, 500 W Gannet, 150 W Kittiwake & 700 W Razorbill & Guillemot.

Bridges of Ross, Co. Clare (Niall T. Keogh et al.)

All birds heading W: 1 Balearic Shearwater, 123 Sooty Shearwater, 1,000 Manx Shearwater, 1 Blue Fulmar, 32 Leach’s Petrel, 8 Common Scoter, 18 Red-throated Diver, 71 Great Skua (Bonxie), 4 Pomarine Skua, 39 Arctic Skua, 3 juv Long-tailed Skua, 1 adult Sabine’s Gull, 35 Sandwich Tern, 28 Arctic Tern, 20 Grey Phalaropes & 5 Puffin.

Saturday 15th September 2012

Bloody Foreland, Co. Donegal (Chris Ingram, Frank Turpin & Gareth Doherty)

6 W Sooty Shearwater, 145 W Manx Shearwater, 1 W Eider, 4 W Common Scoter, 9 W Red-throated Diver, 5 W Great Northern Diver, 26 W Great Skua (Bonxie), 15 W Arctic Skua, 2 W Skua sp., 2 W Sandwich Tern, 1 W Common Tern, 5 W Arctic Tern, 2 W Black Guillemot & 1 W Puffin.

Black Head, Co. Clare (Paul Troake)

32 W Manx Shearwater, 1 M Leach’s Petrel, 4 W Common Scoter, 1 E Great Northern Diver, 3 M Grey Phalarope, 3 W Great Skua (Bonxie), 3 W & 1 M Arctic Skua, 1 W Sandwich Tern, 4 W Arctic Tern & 2 W Black Guillemot.

Bridges of Ross, Co. Clare (Niall T. Keogh et al.)

All birds heading W: 1 Balearic Shearwater, 87 Sooty Shearwater, 700 Manx Shearwater, 13 Leach’s Petrel, 3 Common Scoter, 39 Light-bellied Brent Goose, 4 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver, 23 Great Skua (Bonxie), 1 dark Pomarine Skua, 17 Arctic Skua, 2 juv Long-tailed Skua, 12 Sandwich Tern, 9 Arctic Tern, 2 Grey Phalarope, 800+ Razorbill & Guillemot & 5 Puffin.

Dursey Island, Co. Cork (Kieran Finch, A. Mee, C. Finch & D. Cooke)

392 N Manx Shearwater, 10 S & 174 N Sooty Shearwater, 4 N Common Scoter, 1 N Arctic Skua & 8 M Harbour Porpoise.

Helvick Head, Co. Waterford (Colum Flynn, Sharon Hogan & Daniel Weldon)

1 Balearic Shearwater, 4 Manx Shearwater, 4 Pomarine Skua & 12 Arctic Skua.

Brownstown Head, Co. Waterford (Paul M. Walsh)

2 W & 2 E Manx Shearwater, 1 W & 3 E Common Scoter, 1 W Great Northern Diver, 3 W Great Skua (Bonxie), 1 W Arctic Skua, 1 W juv Sabine’s Gull & 6 W Puffin.

Carnsore Point, Co. Wexford (Kieran Grace)

334 W & 134 E Manx Shearwater, 1 W & 1 E Common Scoter, 1 Teal, 1 W Red-throated Diver,  5 W Great Skua (Bonxie), 2 W Arctic Skua, 40 M ‘Commic’ Tern, 300 W & 105 E Gannet, 348 W & 113 E Razorbill & Guillemot.

Clogher Head, Co. Louth (Ger Murray)

16 M Common Scoter, 80 S Light-bellied Brent Goose & 4 N Red-throated Diver.

Sunday 16th September 2012

Annagh Head, Co. Mayo (Dave Suddaby)

26 Sooty Shearwater, 29 Great Skua (Bonxie) & 1 Lapland Bunting.

Bridges of Ross, Co. Clare (Niall T. Keogh et al.)

All birds heading W: 4 Balearic Shearwater, 223 Sooty Shearwater, 3,100 Manx Shearwater, 45 Leach’s Petrel, 3 Storm Petrel, 3 Common Scoter, 6 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver, 19 Great Skua (Bonxie), 1 Pomarine Skua, 5 Arctic Skua, 3 juv Long-tailed Skua, 2 Little Gull, 1 Sanwich Tern, 22 Arctic Tern, 1 juv Black Tern, 35 Grey Phalarope, 3 Puffin, 1 American Golden Plover (in adjacent field), 3 Common Dolphin & 2 Ocean Sunfish.

Monday 17th September 2012

Wicklow Head, Co. Wicklow (Steve Newton)
1 N Manx Shearwater, 4 S & 1 N Common Scoter, 3 S & 1 N Red-throated Diver, 1 S Arctic Skua, 6 S Sandwich Tern, 1 Otter & 5 Harbour Porpoise.

Arctic Skuas at The Bridges of Ross, Sept 2012 © Kris De Rouck

Bonxie at The Bridges of Ross, Sept 2012 © Kris De Rouck

American Golden Plover at The Bridges of Ross, Sept 2012 © Kris De Rouck

Seatrack Update: mid August 2012

The second Seatrack survey of 2012 took place during the August Bank Holiday weekend just gone. The transition into seawatching season ‘proper’ could not be more apparent when comparing with the figures from the July survey period. Favourable winds along the South coast produced some impressive numbers of Manx Shearwaters interspersed with nice tallies of Cory’s, Great & Sooty Shearwaters. Other highlights included a smattering of Pomarine Skuas throughout & six species of tern off Carnsore Point. The West & East coasts were generally much quieter in terms of numbers but quality was provided for those who stuck it out with a Gull-billed Tern off Bloody Foreland (only the 2^nd Donegal county record) & a tantalising possible Fea’s-type Petrel off Clogher Head in Co. Louth.

The next Seatrack survey takes place this weekend Sat 18^th & Sun 19^th August (start time of 07:10am). The forecast remains unpredictable but a low pressure is expected to break up along the coast which may favour Southern watchpoints. If you would like to participate then get in touch with Niall Keogh at seatrack@birdwatchireland.ie for further details.

Early August Seatrack sightings as follows: (E = East, W = West, N = North, S = South & M = Milling)

Friday 3rd August

Galley Head, Co. Cork (Colin Barton)

310 W Cory’s Shearwater, 32 W Great Shearwater, 61 W Sooty Shearwater, 442 W & 85 E Manx Shearwater, 6 Storm Petrel, 2 W Great Skua (Bonxie), 4 W Pomarine Skua, 24 W Common Scoter & 34 W Puffin.

Helvick Head, Co. Waterford (Michael Cowming Jnr, Michael Cowming Snr, Colum Flynn, Daniel Weldon, Mary A Duggan & Paul M Walsh)

3 W Cory’s Shearwater, 1 W Great Shearwater, 2 W Sooty Shearwater, 40 E & 980 W Manx Shearwater, 105 W Fulmar, 10 W Storm Petrel, 13 W Common Scoter, 2 W Great Skua (Bonxie), 2 E & 3 W Pomarine Skua, 2 W adult Roseate Tern, 8+ W Arctic Tern, 5+ Common Tern, 7+ ‘Commic’ Tern, 35 W Puffin & 3 Harbour Porpoise.

“Preceded by county-record totals of Cory's Shearwater at Ram Head & Helvick Head on the evening of Thursday 2^nd August, details of which can be found here: http://www.waterfordbirds.com/seawatches_2012.html”

Saturday 4th August 2012

Bloody Foreland, Co. Donegal (Ralph Sheppard & Chris Ingram)

118 W & 28 E Manx Shearwater, 6 W & 1 E Great Skua (Bonxie), 1 W Pomarine Skua, 2 W Arctic Skua, 1 E Gull-billed Tern, 1 E Sandwich Tern & 7 E Puffin.

Ram Head, Co. Waterford (Andrew Malcolm & Ann Trimble)

380 E, 540 W & 200 M Manx Shearwater, 2 W Great Skua (Bonxie), 1 W Pomarine Skua, 13 W Sandwich Tern & 1 E Ocean Sunfish.

Brownstown Head, Co. Waterford (Paul M Walsh)

1 W Great Shearwater, 2 W Sooty Shearwater, 1170 E, 1190 W & 80+ feeding Manx Shearwater, 2 E & 7 W Common Scoter, 1 E Pomarine Skua, 1 W Great Skua (Bonxie), 2 E & 20 W Sandwich Tern & 1 W Puffin.

Carnsore Point, Co. Wexford (Alan Lauder)

5629 E, 63 W & 10 M Manx Shearwater, 3 E & 1 W Storm Petrel, 6 E Common Scoter, 1 E Great Skua (Bonxie), 1 E Arctic Skua, 6 E Little Tern, 2 W Black Tern & 15 E Roseate Tern.

Wicklow Head, Co. Wicklow (Steve Newton)

2 S Balearic Shearwater, 4 S Sooty Shearwater, 430 N & 532 S Manx Shearwater, 3 S Common Scoter, 1 S Great Skua (Bonxie), 1 S Arctic Skua & 15 S Sandwich Tern.

Coliemore Harbour, Dalkey, Co. Dublin (Niall T. Keogh & Brian Porter)

23 N & 432 S Manx Shearwater, 26 S Common Scoter, 1 S Arctic Skua, 3 N, 64 S & 15 M Sandwich Tern, 5 S Common Tern, 1 M Arctic Tern, 19 S ‘Commic’ Tern, 3 S Whimbrel & 3 M Harbour Porpoise.

Clogher Head, Co. Louth (Brendan Sheils)

1 S possible Fea’s-type Petrel  @ 09:30, 1 N & 20 S Manx Shearwater, 2 S Sooty Shearwater, 2 N & 3 S Storm Petrel, 48 S Common Scoter, 1 N & 1 M Great Skua (Bonxie), 1 S adult Long-tailed Skua, 48 S & 100+ M Sandwich Tern, 30 S & 80-120+ M Common Tern, 20+ S & 100+ M ‘Commic’ Tern, 1 S Great-crested Grebe.

Sunday 5^th August

Clogher Head, Co. Louth (Brendan Sheils)

507 N, 12 S & 55 M Manx Shearwater, 2 N Storm Petrel, 9 N & 41 S Common Scoter, 1 S Great Northern Diver, 3 N Pomarine Skua, 1 S Arctic Skua, 1 S Skua sp., 25+ M Sandwich Tern, 25+ M Common Tern, 92 S Arctic Tern & 1 S Puffin.

Ocean Sunfish, Ram Head, Co. Waterford, 4th August 2012 © Andrew Malcolm