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.
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| Arctic Skuas at The Bridges of Ross, Sept 2012 © Kris De Rouck |
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| Bonxie at The Bridges of Ross, Sept 2012 © Kris De Rouck |
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| American Golden Plover at The Bridges of Ross, Sept 2012 © Kris De Rouck |
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