Seatrack 2013

The Seatrack project aims to assess the status & distribution of the Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater as well as other migratory seabird species in Irish waters through a series of coordinated seawatching surveys from headlands right around the coastline over 8 weekends between late July & early November.

If you would like to sign up your local headland as a Seatrack survey site or simply wish to send in some opportunistic seawatch records at any stage during the season then feel free to get in touch with Niall Keogh (Seatrack project co-ordinator) at seatrack@birdwatchireland.ie for more information on how to get involved.

This coming weekend sees the first Seatrack survey of the season taking place with the current forecast for sunny, calm weather throughout. The 'Azores High' which has been dominating the weather over Ireland for the past couple of weeks has meant that the start of the seawatching season has gone by with very little sightings of note. Saying that, now is a good time to get out and check for rafts of Manx Shearwaters, feeding terns/Puffins & migrating Common Scoter. A Cory's Shearwater was seen off Melmore Head in Co. Donegal on Weds 17th July so some good seabirds are certainly out there to be had.

Please note: East Coast sites may be affected by strong glare in the early morning this weekend so an evening watch with a start time of 17:40pm is available as a substitute.

Manx Shearwater © John Murphy

Seatrack 2013 weekend survey dates & times (priority dates in bold):

July: Sat 20th/Sun 21st (start time 06:25am)

 

August: Sat 3rd/Sun 4th (start time 06:45am)
August: Sat 17th/Sun 18th (start time 07:10am)


September: Sat 7th/Sun 8th (start time 07:45am)
September: Sat 21st/Sun 22nd (start time 08:10am)


October: Sat 5th/Sun 6th (start time 08:35am)
October: Sat 19th/Sun 20th (start time 09:00am)


November: Sat 2nd/Sun 3rd (start time 08:25am)