Shorewatch News

Issue 16: Summer 2014

ShorewatchShorewatch News

What’s inside this issue? Big Watch Weekend.....page 2/3 Wild Dolphins...... page 3 Events & News...... page 4

©WDC/ Fiona Hill ©WDC/ Walter Innes Walter ©WDC/

Hello Shorewatchers,

Summer has arrived and is going by very quickly, you have all been out doing lots of watches all around the coastline and we have really enjoyed receiving all your exciting data! Spey Bay has been a hive of activity, with many sightings of the bottlenose dolphins and lots of visitors through the door!

The Wild Dolphins (featured above) have been a great hit in Aberdeen - lots of people taking part in the trail.

We’ve recently had some great news about the Marine Protected Areas around the Scottish Coast, largely thank- ful to all the data we have been able to present to the Scottish Government, which has come from you. So thank you for all your efforts - keep up the good work! (turn to page 4 for more info) Happy watching! Sara Pearce

Supported by:

A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Big Watch Weekend Issue 16: Summer 2014 June 2014: Your efforts and sightings David Haines: 12 Carol Breckenridge watches; minke, & Colin Graham: 10 Pippa Stevens, harbour porpoise, watches; 3 minke Gordon Newman, Marie 60 common dolphin Newman, Anne Milne, & 4 orca Gillian Steel, Sara Pearce, Wendy Else, Peter Jackie Pullinger, Ron Barclay, Prince: 12 watches; 2 Murray Aitken, Ann-Paulette harbour porpoise Coats, Lorraine Macdonald & Graham Kidd: Jacky Haynes: 13 watches; 3 31 watches; 18 Site A & B: Morag & sightings of BND BND & 1 Minke Richard Llewellyn, Janet Marshall, Jen Ian Williams: Dunn, Paddy Martin: 6 watches 39 watches; 22 common dolphin, 5 harbour porpoise, 3 risso Sara Pearce, FIona Hill, Kristina Hixon, Rebecca Belleni, A Abigail Hay, Cath Liz Brooker: Simon Henwood, grand Bain, Gillian Steel: Aimee Burrows, total of 173 24 watches; 10 watches 5 sightings of Heather Johnston, shorewatches BND Laura Howarth, Sue spotting 6 different Nora Hoog, Fiona Picanta-Scott: 37 species of Smith, Fiona Hill, watches; 26 sightings of BND cetaceans! Louise Smith, Hollie Sturton, Letizia Cocchiglia, Zoe Jorra, Walter Innes: 12 watches; 16 sightings of BND

60 watches per month We are still striving towards a target of 60 watches per month for each site. So if you’re ever um-ing and ah-ing about going to do a Shorewatch, please do go! Every watch is vital.Thank you all for your wonderful efforts so far this year!

1.South Uist, Kildonan Beach, 2.North Uist, 3.Berneray, 4.Rodel, Isle of Harris, 5.Tiumpan Head (North and East), Isle of Lewis, 6.Glebe, Isle of Eigg, 7.Melvaig, 8.Rua Reidh Lighthouse, 9.Stoer Head Lighthouse, 10.Strathy Point, 11.Scrabster Lighthouse, 12.Thurso beach, 13.Dunnet Head (West and North), 14.Castle of Old Wick, 15.Chanonry Point, 16.North Kessock (WDC Dolphin and Seal Centre), 17.Fort George (Historic Scotland), 18.Nairn Leisure, 19.Spey Bay (WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre), 20. Cullen Bay, 21. Macduff, 22. Torry Battery, Aberdeen, 23.St Cyrus (SNH Nature Reserve), 24.East Wemyss, Fife.

t: 01343 820 339 e: [email protected] whales.org/shorewatch

A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Issue 16: Summer 2014 Watch out for whales and dolphins from your local shoreline Upcoming Big Watch Weekend 12th, 13th & 14th September June’s Big Watch Weekend had 173 watches carried out - let’s see if we can beat that in September! H a v e A few suggestions for Big Watch Weekend... L o n g e r a BBQ at your Site watches - sit shorewatch site swap - Get in at your site for a few M a k e touch with another hours doing your ten minute a rota and watches and casual sightings cover the weekend Shorewatch site near Arrange data in-between. Why not take by splitting up the you and all do half a days a social for the a thermos of hot chocolate watches between watching at each site and end of Big Watch of tea to keep you your team get to know your fellow Weekend in a local pub warm? Shorewatchers to warm you all up and W h y share any exciting not record Hold s i g h t i n g s the other wildlife at your own your site between your shorewatch event 10minute watches and to get other people Wild Dolphins in Aberdeen see what your site has interested and excited to offer? You might be in whales, dolphins As well as 50 large dolphin sculptures, over 30 surprised by what and porpoises! schools in and around Aberdeen have taken part in decorating their own dolphin calves which are also on you find! public display as part of the trail. Organised by Wild in Art with The ARCHIE Foundation, the official charity of the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), the dolphins can be seen until August 29, before being auctioned to raise money for the two charities.

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t: 01343 820 339 e: [email protected] whales.org/shorewatch

A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Issue 16: Summer 2014 Watch out for whales and dolphins from your local shoreline Events and Recent News.. MPA Campaign - Thank you! I’m delighted to bring you news of the Scottish government’s decision to double the number of areas it will protect in the seas around Scotland. Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead gave the go-ahead for 30 new Marine Protected Areas as well as paving the way for urgent new protected areas for whales and dolphins. And it’s thanks to you! Late last year, the Scottish government requested the public’s views on the proposed network of marine protected areas and over 14,000 people responded. Nearly half of these public responses came from WDC supporters! © WDC/ Sarah Dolman Thanks to you we were able to provide scientific evidence to show that whales and dolphins need protection, and we demonstrated huge public support. The Scottish government has listened to us and we are very hopeful that whales and dolphins will be included in these new protected areas. Thank you for your part in making this happen and helping us to create safer homes for whales and dolphins around Scotland. Can Dates for your diary... you spot 5th - 7th September - Wild North ‘Wild Weekend’ a wee calf

12th - 14th September - Big Watch Weekend beak?

16th - 25th September - Katie & Fiona visiting W

shorewatch sites in the Outer Hebrides h

20th September - Shorewatch training at Harris h

p Catch up with us on facebook or whales.org/shorewatch s

Hi, I am Katie, the new Conservation Officer at WDC. I began my role in June and since then I have been really enjoying my new post. I have had a busy few months traveling to many of our Shorewatch sites and meeting our brilliant Shorewatchers. I moved to Scotland from Bristol, where I was working as an ecological consultant and running my own volunteer led community ecological survey programes. Before that I was living in Central America working at a Marine Mammal Rescue centre where I rescued, rehabilitated and released orphaned West Indian Manatees. I am so excited to now be living in Scotland and working for WDC.

t: 01343 820 339 e: [email protected] whales.org/shorewatch

A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free