Official blog reports available to read at http://www.marine-life.org.uk/ Extracts : Heysham—Dublin 29th Nov.
Heysham-Warrenpoint 1st—2nd Dec.
Report by Rob Petley-Jones.
Report by Stephen Dunstan
Weather: Outward: Wind Variable force 1; Sea State 2; Visibility 6 Return: Wind Variable force 1; sea state 0-2; Visibility 6
Weather: Westbound: wind W force 2-3 Eastbound: wind E force 0-2
“We were warmly welcomed on board by Captain Tim Broughton. This was Mike's first Marinelife survey so we had a chat over a cup of tea about the various survey protocols, before heading for our cabins for a good night's sleep as the ship eased out into a calm Irish Sea” …
Marine mammals: Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena 44 Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 9 Harbour Seal Phoca vitulina 2 Atlantic Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus 4 Seabirds: Great Northern Diver Gavia immer 5 Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata 12 Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 17 Gannet Morus bassanus 1 Cormorant Phalocrocorax carbo 195 Shag Phalocrocorax aristotelis 24 Eider Somateria mollisima 2 Common Scoter Melanitta nigra 90 Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus 6 Common Gull Larus canus 41 Herring Gull Larus argentatus 124 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 1 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 57 Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 539 Guillemot Uria aalge 173 Razorbill Alca torda 236 Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle 18 Unidentified Auk sp 398 Unidentified Gull Larus sp 10
“With the evenings drawing in early this time of year, a slightly early departure from the Seatruck berth guaranteed an extended period of recording. With the wind dropping away to virtually nothing we were treated to a golden period of perfect viewing conditions, with several excellent sightings of Harbour Porpoise including a wonderful view of three adults and a calf slowly swimming away from the Other species seen during survey effort passing ship, bathed in late auRedshank Tringa totanus 1 tumn sunshine.” Curlew Numenius arquata 1