Scar Rocks

I've had an incredibly busy few months as the seabird breeding season was in full swing. As well as working on a seabird colony at the Mull of Galloway, I have spent my days off on other colonies, mainly assisting with various ringing projects.

Over my next few blogs I will revisit some of the amazing opportunities I have had this year. I will begin with my favourite trip of the year... a visit to the Scar Rocks- islands several miles East of the reserve I work on at the Mull of Galloway.

The Big Scar is home to a small colony of Gannets. The last count in 2014 indicated that 2,376 pairs nest here and at less than a hectare in size, the island is at maximum carrying capacity. Each year staff from the RSPB aim to visit the Scars to ring the chicks and monitor the health of the colony. Unfortunately the weather put a stop to all plans in 2015 however this year we were very fortunate to be able to make the journey.

The Big Scar (photo Laura Shearer)

The Big Scar is home to 2,376 pairs of nesting Gannets, Mull of Galloway in distance (photo Laura Shearer)

Alongside 3 other licenced BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) ringers, we placed metal rings on the legs of the chicks, each bearing a unique number. The rings are lightweight- similar to humans wearing a piece of jewelry- and do not cause any harm to the birds. These rings however can provide scientists with valuable information on the movements and life span of birds.

Gannet chick adoring a new BTO metal ring (photo Laura Shearer)

Working our way through the colony we ringed chicks as they sat in their nests. Gannets have been ringed here for many years and it was encouraging to see several ringed adults. One of the adult birds remained by its nest and was caught to read the ring number. It was later discovered that this bird had been ringed on the big Scar in 2005 as a chick- this bird was 11 years old! This shows site loyalty- these birds are returning to the same nesting sites each year. With a whopping 145 gannets, 5 shag chicks and 7 Guillemot chicks ringed; we look forward to gaining further insight into the gannets of the Scar Rocks! 

This adult bird ringed here as a chick 11 years ago (photo Andrew Beilinski)

Gannets are incredibly striking birds! (photo Laura Shearer)

Gannets have incredible eyesight (photo Laura Shearer)

Little and Large: Gannet and Guillemot chick (photo Laura Shearer)

What a hoot!

It's been a busy week preparing to begin a new season with the RSPB on the Mull of Galloway. In between packing and saying my goodbyes, I've managed to squeeze in a few wildlife adventures along the way!

Visiting the east coast I had magnificent views of waders such as Turnstone, Redshank and my personal favourite- Oystercatchers. As they fed along the tideline, I went beachcombing however found very little of interest. Returning to the car I caught a quick glimpse of a Short Eared Owl before it dipped behind a hill in the terrain. Continuing along the trail I suddenly came across the same owl- this time perched high in a small tree. I could barely contain my excitement as I sat admiring this magnificent bird only metres away- what an encounter! The following day I continued to birdwatch along the coast, seeing my first Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins of the season. Again the highlight of the day came from more sightings of Short Eared Owls- what an amazing species!

Short Eared Owl perching on a tree at Elie, Fife (photo Laura Shearer)

Short Eared Owl seeking shelter from the mist and sea fret (photo Laura Shearer)

Birding closer to home uncovered the 'usual' passerines however with a hint of spring in the air the local forests are buzzing with activity. I even managed to squeeze in some bird ringing this week including Robins, Wrens, Chaffinches and Blue Tits- a great way to spend your Saturday morning!

Scottish Ringers Conference 2015

Last weekend was the Scottish Ringers Conference hosted by the Grampian Ringing Group at Carrbridge in the Cairngorms. This was the first ringing conference I have attended and I must admit I was a bit nervous as I wasn’t sure what to expect! Within minutes of arriving I got chatting and making new friends and that’s how the weekend continued. What an amazing experience!

Carrbridge, Cairngorms National Park (photo Laura Shearer)

The days were filled with exciting talks and presentations about a wide range of ringing projects from passerines to waders to seabirds.  A mid-afternoon break gave us the opportunity to explore the local area and squeeze in a quick birding session- the highlight being an elusive Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus). The evenings were spent chatting to some fascinating people about their ringing projects around the UK. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and can’t wait for the next conference!

Members of the Lothian Ringing Group hunting for a Crested Tit, Carrbridge (photo Laura Shearer)

To report a ringed bird, please contact the British Trust for Ornithology via their website: http://app.bto.org/euring/main/

Vis Mig and Urban Drainage

It’s been another busy week in the land of Laura. On Sunday (08.11.15) I joined Visible Migration recorder Dr Clive McKay for a “vis mig” session at Lintrathen in Angus.  Looking across to the Barry Ridge, we started recording migrating Wood Pigeons (Columba palumbus) travelling North-East. Flocks with a couple of hundred birds were moving through. ”Umm have you seen this new flock…” I could barely utter the words as a flock with 1,000 birds travelled right across the horizon. What an amazing sight!

Dr Clive McKay counting migrating Wood Pigeons at Lintrathen (photo Laura Shearer)

After our vis mig we headed across to Montrose to join the Tayside ringing group for their annual social event. Unfortunately as we arrived so too did the rain however I was given the privilege of releasing the last bird of the day- a beautiful blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). Once home Clive tallied up our vis mig totals. 14,080 Wood pigeons! A new record for the site! For more details of the count see:  http://www.trektellen.org/count/view/243/20151108

Beautiful blue tit (photo Laura Shearer)

On Monday morning I attended the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) conference on Amphibians and Urban Drainage in Battleby, Perth. My MSc thesis was based around amphibians so it was great to catch up with like-minded people and discover more about current amphibian conservation projects.

The morning began with talks about Sustainable Drainage Schemes (SuDS) and how many SuDS ponds act as fantastic amphibian habitats. Afternoon presentations included the effects of road deicing salts on amphibians (Pete Minting, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation) and on the use of amphibian ladders in gullypots (Raymond Creemers, Reptielen Amfibieën Vissen Onderzoek Nederland (RAVON) and Trevor Rose, Tayside Amphibian and Reptile Group).

Marcia Rae (Highland Council) talking about SuDS ponds as amphibian habitats (photo Laura Shearer)

Improve our drainage schemes for amphibians such as this Smooth Newt, Lissotriton vulgaris (photo Laura Shearer)

It was interesting to discover how small modifications to our drainage can help to improve the conservation of many of our native amphibians. For more information see the ARC website: http://www.arc-trust.org/ or become involved in your local Amphibian and Reptile Group http://www.arguk.org/