Thursday 31 July 2014

Great black-backed breakfast

Guillemot chick legs
Having carried out a search with quadrats we search a 10m radius for shearwater and rabbit remains
Now that the guillemots have gone its time to look at what the Great black-backed gulls have been eating this summer.
So far we have found plenty of Manx shearwater remains, today one nest had lots of guillemot chick remains, which included the rings that had been put on their legs to study their survival and breeding later in life. Litter also appeared, including tomato ketchup sachets, so we can only think that manxies taste good with ketchup on!
As well as gull diet work, I'm still checking the last of the Razorbills, and the Kittiwakes are starting to fledge too.
Gazing up on the heavens below


A few times this summer we have been ringing storm petrels to study adult survival. Staying up late has made a nice change to the usual early mornings, and has allowed for a bit of star gazing too. The sky would be even better if it wasn't for the light from the gas terminal, refineries and ships, all lit up like Christmas trees!

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