 |
 |
|
|
|
Pelagic trips to see scarce and rare seabirds far offshore have increased in popularity in recent years, but most are usually just day trips of a few hours duration. However, in my job as a marine scientist, I frequently have to work offshore on research cruises for up to a month at a time. From mid-July to mid-August this year I was stationed on a research vessel undertaking deep-water environmental survey work on the northern margin of UK waters. Our survey area was between 100 and 300 km offshore, to the north and north-east of Shetland. In the following article I have included some of the best days from my cruise diary, together with a selection of my favourite images, to emphasise the range and diversity of wildlife that can be seen far from land.
|
|
|
July 26th-27th: Passage from Peterhead to the work area 150 km NNE of Shetland |
|
|
We set sail in reasonable weather and as Peterhead disappears in the distance behind us I’m soon scanning through large mixed rafts of Guillemots, Razorbill and Puffins, while a few Harbour Porpoise and a single Minke Whale drift by the ship. As we pass close to Shetland on our northward steam we start to encounter large numbers of Great Skuas and also move through a loose feeding gathering of at least 100 Storm-Petrels. A deterioration in the weather sees a rather bedraggled adult Purple Sandpiper take refuge on the foredeck for several hours, and an adult Turnstone circles the ship before heading off into the murk. As we arrive at the work area I have already logged totals of 1000 Fulmars, 600 Kittiwakes, 700 auks (including 125 Puffins), 300 Gannets, 200 Storm-Petrels, and 120 Great Skuas.
|
|
|
|
July 30th: 120 km N of Shetland |
|
|
A cold and murky day is brightened up by the sight of single Sooty and Manx Shearwaters associating with the ‘resident’ flock of Fulmars surrounding the ship. The Sooty Shearwater soon attracts the attention of a passing Great Skua and is pursued across the waves until it plunge-dives head first into the sea to escape. The Fulmars avoid similar harassment by adopting a fierce defensive posture with back arched and wings raised, presumably in readiness to spray their famously smelly oil over any potential assailant! Cetaceans noted include a Minke Whale, four Fin Whales and a small group of Long-finned pilot Whales noted.
Sooty Shearwater
|
Feeding Fulmars
|
Fulmar defending itself against a Great Skua
|
|
|
|
August 4th: 200 km N of Shetland |
|
|
Straight after breakfast I find a mixed feeding group of 30 Long-finned Pilot Whales and over 100 White-sided Dolphins surrounding the ship, accompanied by large numbers of Gannets flying overhead and occasionally plunging into the crowded waters. While this is going on I notice a dark-morph ‘Blue’ Fulmar floating close by, which appears to be pecking at something in the water. To my surprise it is actually feeding on a Common Jellyfish, and it is soon joined by several other Fulmars sharing the meal [click here for related article]. In bright, sunny conditions the whole scene is reminiscent of something out of ‘The Blue Planet’, and I happily shoot a whole roll of film in the space of a few minutes!
Fulmar feeding on jellyfish
|
Pilot Whales
|
Gannet
|
|
|
|
August 6th: 280 km NNE of Shetland |
|
|
The day begins with fog and drizzle, and a drenched juvenile Ruff is soon found onboard and stays for several hours. An impressive flock of at least 700 Fulmars is surrounding the ship by lunchtime, with two dark-morph ‘Blue’ Fulmars and two intermediate-morph birds also present. Several of the Fulmars are apparently bored, as they seem to take great amusement from mischievously creeping up behind swimming Gannets and pulling their tail feathers! I decide to provide them with some entertainment, and to the bemusement of the kitchen staff I ‘borrow’ the post-lunch scraps for a bit of a feeding session. After throwing a few pork chops over the side the water boils with Fulmars squabbling and plunge-diving, while the circling Gannets use the tiniest gaps between them to dive deeper and seize any sinking morsels. Great Skuas soon arrive on the scene, and one confused bird jumps on top of an even more confused Gannet carrying a slice of melon! |
Ruff
|
|
|
August 7th: 300 km N of Shetland |
|
|
White-sided Dolphins
|
Another murky day with south-east winds produces an adult Pomarine Skua that gives binocular-filling views as it passes the ship before continuing its passage to the south-west. A couple of Sooty Shearwaters are also seen, and a wet juvenile Crossbill which lands onboard causes me to panic as the bill appears to be quite hefty. However, closer views reveal that the size of the bill is largely due to a strange growth on the lower mandible, and I have to settle for it being a Common Crossbill. My misery is compounded soon after when I find that another survey ship working close by has struck gold with a Two-barred Crossbill landing onboard! A group of at least 275 White-sided Dolphins pass rapidly either side of the ship in the late afternoon. |
|
|
August 10th: 180 km N of Shetland |
|
|
A very wet day is brightened up by several interesting sightings. Four Fin Whales and a single Minke Whale are seen, with some of the Fin Whales observed breaching and flipper-slapping. The sight and sound of these huge animals (which are the second largest animals on Earth) hurling themselves clean out of the water is an amazing experience. Single Crossbill and Turnstone are seen investigating the ship, as well as a couple of ‘Blue’ Fulmars, a flock of migrating Common Gulls and another Sooty Shearwater (which is seen in the same field of view as two surfacing Fin Whales!). However, the highlight of the day is a juvenile Long-tailed Skua which passes over the ship before heading south-westwards.
|
|
|
August 11th: 180 km N of Shetland |
|
|
Calm conditions again mean that good numbers of cetaceans are seen, with a large mixed feeding gathering containing 19 Fin Whales, a couple of Minke Whales, 30 Pilot Whales and at least 135 White-sided Dolphins. During the day Fin Whales are noted breaching and tail-slapping, and at one stage a group of three animals is seen pursuing a shoal of fish fry near the surface. Wader passage becomes noticeable in the middle of the day, with Ringed Plover, Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit and a flock of Turnstones all seen moving south. Seabirds include a dark juvenile Long-tailed Skua harassing a large flock of Kittiwakes around the ship, as well as one or two Sooty Shearwaters and a ‘Blue’ Fulmar.
|
|
|
August 14th: 100 km NE of Shetland |
|
|
A juvenile White Wagtail is seen landing onboard and feeds briefly on some crushed chocolate digestives that I discreetly scattered on the deck. Another bird in need of help is an oiled juvenile Kittiwake proudly presented to me by one of the crew. Although we manage to clean off the oil using washing-up liquid and lots of hot water ‘Kevin’ is still a bit unsteady on his feet. However, after being released on the foredeck at dusk he isn’t seen again and has presumably headed back to the open sea. |
"Kevin"
|
|
|
August 17th: 150 km NNE of Shetland |
|
|
Soon after breakfast I’m enjoying good views of a Sperm Whale (the first of the trip), when I’m interrupted by the unusual sight of a young Common Seal swimming around the boat, carrying a freshly caught eel in its mouth. It appears to be in some distress and attempts to board the ship via the after deck ramp. Unfortunately it only has enough momentum to get about half way up the ramp before it slides back into the sea, and more than once it collides awkwardly with the ships’ hull. It is also swimming worryingly close to the main propeller but shortly after we move to another site a couple of miles away, and as we head off I think I see it lying in the water being pecked by Fulmars – presumably dead. Amazingly, at the new site a couple of hours later, it reappears and again tries to get onboard. This time we tie a wooden pallet to the end of a rope and slide it down the ramp into the water. The seal immediately hops onto the pallet and is then hauled up the ramp on its makeshift sledge. We leave it to rest above the waves and it proceeds to fall asleep for several hours, despite being photographed from all angles by curious scientists. The ships’ cook begins to show an unhealthy interest so I quietly inform him that seal is not available for the menu, even if we have been eating pork for the last three days! At dusk our guest starts to look more alert again and once darkness falls it makes its way back down the ramp and away to only it knows where.
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
August 19th: 110 km NE of Shetland |
|
|
The day starts quietly, but as south-east winds and drizzle envelope us migrants begin to fall out of the sky and appear on and around the ship in the most unlikely places. Waders seen include Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Redshank, Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwit, while several warblers appear including Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler and Reed Warbler (the latter caught bare-handed by a curious crew member who presented it to me with a beaming smile as if expecting payment!). Many of the warblers are seen eating the numerous small moths which have miraculously appeared onboard since the weather closed in, including a couple of Silver-Y Moths and even a Painted Lady butterfly. Good numbers of gulls are also noted, including an influx of Common Gulls. However, the highlight appears in the early evening in the form of a small wing-barred phylloscopus warbler, which touches down on the deck in front of me. Fortunately it stays in an accessible part of the ship and after some amazingly close observation down to two metres I can positively identify it as a Greenish Warbler! Despite the fading light I manage to get a decent set of record shots, but the bird disappears before I can see it go to roost. Fortunately the following morning it is still present and in better light I get more photos and make more notes. By this time we are heading back home and steaming south-westwards just east of the Outer Skerries, Shetland. As soon as the bird moves to one of the upper decks it catches sight of the nearby land and jumps ship, never to be seen again. What a great way to finish a memorable trip!
|
|
|
|
|
Greenish Warbler |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
