Forth Seabird Group Forth Islands Bird Report 2012 Compiled by Bill Bruce March 2013 SEABIRD SPECIES SUMMARIES Notes: • AOS / AOB / AON / AOT = Apparently occupied sites / burrows / nests / territories • Our counting season started off as normal at the end of May however by the time we moved into June the weather had deteriorated and prevented any trips from North Berwick. By the time we eventually managed to get out to Lamb and Fidra it was really getting too late in the season and there were very few guillemots to be seen. FULMAR GREAT BLACK -BACKED GULL For the last three years this species has been steady While breeding numbers on some islands vary up at approx. 1460 AOS. This year numbers are down or down when compared to last year, the total is on all islands except Inchkeith. only one AOT less than last year. CORMORANT LESSER BLACK -BACKED GULL Inchkeith and Carr Craig were the only islands This species is only counted regularly on a few where we got good counts. On Inchkeith numbers islands. Bass Rock is the same as last year, there were up 39% while on Carr Craig they were down was an increase on Haystack (+6 AOT) and a 19%. Accurate counts were not possible on decrease on Carr Craig (-1 AOT). May Isle shows a Craigleith and Lamb. decrease of 66 AOT (-3%) compared to the last SHAG count which was carried out in 2010. HERRING GULL There has been a steady increase since 2005 when numbers dropped to half the previous year’s figure. Again, this species is not counted regularly on all May Isle, Lamb (where the count was late), and the islands. On Carr Craig number are down 21 AOT inner-Forth islands all show increases, while the (-48%) while that are up on Haystack (+4 AOT or other East Lothian islands show a decrease. Overall +50%) and Inchgarvie (+24 AOT or -11%). the count is up by 5%, Compared to the 2010 count May Isle shows an GANNET increase of 66 AOT (+2%) Not counted this year. KITTIWAKE EIDER Some of the islands show increases: Bass Rock (+82 AON, +26%), Craigleith (+78 AON, +14) , Inchkeith This species is not counted on all islands but (+19 AON, +6%) and Inchcolm (+24 AON, +29%). Inchmickery and Inchgarvie had a few more nests The other islands where this species breeds showed than last year while on May Isle they were down by decreases: Lamb (-45 AON, -32%), Fidra (-13 AON, approx. 10%. -6%) and May Isle (-220 AON, -8%). Overall this species is down by 75 AON or 2% which continues the slow decline of recent years. Forth Seabird Group Report, 2012 Page 1 COMMON TERN the last count which was c1150 AOB in 2010 and slightly down on the c800 AOB in 2009. May Isle was the only island to see this species managing to breed this year and numbers were down (-6 AON, -23%). On long Craig birds were around as normal in May but there were no attempts to breed. It is thought that the poor weather was the reason but there could also have been some disturbance from the nearby bridge construction works. ARCTIC TERN May Isle is our only island where this species breeds. Although this year’s count is up (+15 AON, +6%) compared to last year this is just about a third of the numbers breeding in 2000. ROSEATE TERN . There are no reports of this tern breeding on the islands this year. SANDWICH TERN There are no reports of this tern breeding on the islands this year. RAZORBILL This is the third year that breeding numbers for this species have increased: 2010 saw an increase of 6%, 2011 an increase of 8% and this year an increase of 10%. This brings numbers of AOS back to where they were in 2006. GUILLEMOT Because the bad weather prevented us getting out to Lamb and Fidra until the end of June, the majority of the guillemots had already left by the time we eventually managed to get out so were not counted this year. Numbers on May Isle and Inchkeith are up compared to last year while numbers are down on Bass Rock and Craigleith. Overall numbers are probably similar or slightly up on last year. PUFFIN Fidra is the only island where a burrow count was carried out. The count of 750 AOB is well down on Forth Seabird Group Report, 2012 Page 2 Table 1: Summary of seabird counts for the Forth Islands, 2012 Inch- Inch Bass Eyebr- Carr mickery Garvie / Long Craigleith Lamb Fidra Inchkeith Inchcolm Haystack May Isle Total 2012 Rock oughty Craig + Cow & Forth Craig Calves Bridge Fulmar (AOS) 14 114 5 118 233 0 166 0 28 237 0 290 1,205 Cormorant (AON) 0 30+ x 0 107 58 0 0 0 0 0 0 195+ 11 (FSG) Shag (AON) 258 77 172 242 19 24 0 71 0 0 545 1,319+ 21 (SSC) Gannet (AON) x000 00000000x Eider (AON) ? 41+ x x x 0 x 0 37 55 3 902 1,038+ Great B-b Gull ?18? 3 8 1 1 1 ? 1 04073 (AOT) Lesser B-b Gull 2 x x x x 8 x 16 x c27 0 2,282 2,335+ (AOT) Herring Gull x x x x x 23 x 12 x c246 0 3,281 3,562+ (AOT) Kittiwake (AON) 395 620 95 191 325 0 106 0 0 0 0 2,465 4,197 Common Tern 0000 00000002020 (AON) Arctic Tern (AON) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0265265 Roseate Tern 0 (AON) Sandwich Tern 0000 000000000 (AON) Razorbill 106 157 66 70 93 0 12 0 0 0 0 3068 3,572 (pairs/sites) Guillemot (birds c1600 c1650 x x 225 0 0 0 0 0 0 16,991 20,466+ on cliffs) Puffin (birds 750 AOB 1840 b 65 b on c650 b 28 b on 38 b on unless otherwise c780 b 0 0 0 0 x 3,401 b on sea land on sea sea sea stated) on sea AOB/AON/AOS/AOT=ApparentlyForth Seabird Group Report, occupied 2012 burrows / nests / sites / territories; x=birds present but not counted; 0=none breeding; c=circa; Page b=birds; 3 pr=pairs CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF VISITS AND SIGHTINGS Craigleith – 17 March 2012 Craigleith – 26 May 2012 Greylag Goose 4 birds Greylag goose –2-3 pairs seen Linnet 10+ Canada goose –evidence of roosting (droppings Rock Pipit present and primary feather) Fulmar, Cormorant, Shag, and GBB gulls all Rock pipit several pairs present Eider 41+ nests Grey seal 2 yearlings Gannet 1 bird seen roosting just above high tide mark on north side of island Fidra – 3 May 2012 Oystercatcher 1 bird Oystercatcher Carrion crow 1 bird Rock pipit Grey seal 5 Mallard nest with 8 eggs Common/Harbour seal 3 Puffin c200 birds seen on land and sea Rabbit seen Inchkeith – 6 May 2012 Silver Y moth 1 Great Cormorant - At least 60+ nests (87 birds) Inchkeith – 27 May 2012 seen. Possibly some more present. Shelduck – Two pairs present Peregrine pair west of harbour Eider – many on nests, however one duck with 5- Blackbird 4 birds east side plus others 6 newly hatched ducklings on sea near elsewhere harbour. Rock pipit 5 pairs east side plus others Wigeon – One pair on sea just off the south end elsewhere Mallard – One pair present Shelduck 1 in Leith Harbour, pair near Peregrine – One bird alarm calling north of Long Craig harbour. Greylag goose 1 in NW bay Rock Pipit – 1 plus seen Gannet 1 injured bird on east side Turnstone – Three at south end Feral pigeon Robin – two birds near lighthouse (former keepers’ gardens) Grey seal 4 on Seal Carr, 80+ on Iron Craig Dunnock – Two present as above Ginger cat 1 around buildings near harbour Crow – One present Rabbits Blackbird - 6 birds (5 male + one female) Grey Seal – 65+ present (50+ on Iron Craig and Butterflies: 15+ on Seal Carr) Green-veined white Small white Butterflies: Small tortoiseshell Small White – 1+ Green-veined white – 1+ Inchgarvie – 29 May 2012 Small Tortoiseshell - 1+ Carrion Crow – One nest in bush at north side of the ridge. Contained one addled (?) egg. Bass Rock – 26 May 2012 Brood possibly fledged? This is a “first” Peregrine 1 bird ( ♂?) seen breeding record for this species at this island. Common seal 1 Rock Pigeon – Present in numbers but not counted. Forth Seabird Group Report, 2012 Page 4 Common Tern – Several flying about (from Long Buzzard 2 Craig?) Peregrine 2 Cormorant – One ashore Kestrel 1-2 Rabbit 6+ Haystack – 29 May 2012 Mouse 2 Grey seal 10 present Inchcolm – 29 May 2012 Inchkeith – 10 November 2012 Oyster Catcher c7 territories Shag 36 Shelduck 1 pair + 1 individual Oystercatcher 9 Mallard 1 pair Peregrine 1 Jackdaw colony of 4+ pairs. 1 nest with Red-throated Diver 2 chicks in old engine room (east side) Guillemot 6 Great Black-backed Gull – 1 pair nesting at east Rock Pipit 19 point Blackbird 13 Swallow 1+ seen Curlew 3 Blackbird 2+ seen Cormorant 3 Grey Seal West rocks. 40+ and 14 = 54+ Wren 3 Chaffinch 1 Meadulse Rocks (midway between Inchcolm Eider 12 and Fife coast) c30 Grey seals. Robin 2 Fieldfare 3 GBB Gull 3 Inchmickery – 29 May 2012 Buzzard 2 Mallard 1pair Goldfinch 12 Shelduck 1 pair Gannet 1 Oyster Catcher 2 birds Common Scoter 14 Great Black-backed Gull – 3 birds Rock Dove 3 Linnet 1 heard singing Woodcock 1 Inchkeith – 21 October 2012 Rabbit 8 Eider 6 Grey Heron 5 Peacock butterfly 2 Shag 54 Oystercatcher 46 Carr Craig – 10 November 2012 Song Thrush 3-4 Common Scoter 5 Pinkfoot Goose 120 Shag 16 Red-throated Diver 1 Cormorant 1 Guillemot 39 Hooded Crow 1 Rock Pipit 21 Carrion Crow 1 Curlew 14 Curlew 1 Linnet 30 Turnstone 6 Goldfinch 25 Oystercatcher 1 Carrion Crow 2 Eider 15 Robin 6 Guillemot 1 Blackbird 5 Razorbill 1 Cormorant 4 Redshank 2 Greenshank 1 Wren 3 Forth Seabird Group Report, 2012 Page 5 Peregrine 2 Inchcolm – 10 November 2012 Buzzard 1 Kestrel 1 Rock Dove 58 Buzzard 3 Shag 13 Sea eagle 1 Blackbird 1 Pink footed goose c40 flying over Cormorant 3 Eider 2 Also seen: Carrion Crow 5 Rabbit 4 Curlew 1 Charlies Cat Chaffinch 1 Woodcock 1 Inchkeith – 29 December 2012 Short-eared Owl 1 Peregrine 2 Common Scoter 43 Eider 23 Peregrine 1 Shag 6 Robin 1 Rock Pipit 14 Oystercatcher 1 Robin 4 Heron 1 Goldfinch 70 Guillemot 4 Buzzard 1 Blackbird 8 Inchmickery – 10 November 2012 Kestrel 1 Red-breasted Merganser 1 Cormorant 2 Oystercatcher