Cetacean & Sea Bird Survey
After the snow, sleet and ice of recent weeks, it came as a
relief to be welcomed by blue skies and sunshine for the cetacean and bird survey last Thursday.
Eleven volunteers gathered in the hopes of spotting whales or dolphins off the
eastern rocky shore of the reserve, in an event organised by Coast Care and
Natural England.
Photo © Anna Chouler (Coast Care)
Sporting binoculars and telescopes and well bundled up in
layers, we separated into pairs and perched at intervals along the coast. Partner
One scanned the sea for ten minutes, in slow steady sweeps, while Partner Two
sat poised, pencil and clipboard at the ready for the call – any moment now -
‘Dolphins at two o’clock!’ Every ten minutes, we alternated.
Photo © Anna Chouler (Coast Care)
My partner Philip, who took part in the cetacean identification
training earlier in the week, shared some of his newfound knowledge. The four
species we were most likely to spot in Northumberland were the bottlenose
dolphin, the harbour porpoise, the white-beaked dolphin and the minke whale.
The harbour porpoise is the smallest of our local cetaceans and have more triangular and less curved fins than the other
three. Different sizes are hard to make out through binoculars and against a
backdrop of sea. Bottlenose dolphins will attack harbour porpoises (savages
with a smile). White-beaked dolphins are rarely seen near shore waters –
locally, they are resident at Farnes’ Deep. On our shared clipboard we had a
handout with pictures and descriptions of UK cetaceans. We were ready.
Me in action!
Photo © Anna Chouler (Coast Care)
Over the next two and a half hours, we discovered several
things that can appear suspiciously like cetacean dorsal fins to the hopeful
eye, including rocks, birds and buoys. We did not, however, spot any actual
whales or dolphins. And this, it seems, is the common experience amongst
cetacean spotters. Oh whale.*
It would be hard to complain. Sitting by the sea on a bright
clear day, with views of Bamburgh Castle and the Farne Islands, it felt as
though any cetaceans would have been a mere bonus. The sea and skies were far from
empty, with bird sightings to delight both the birder and the novice. Dark-bellied
Brent geese flew low, and settled to eat on the shoreline; oystercatchers
strode through the shallows, then skimmed the water as they moved onwards; a
tall heron waited; curlews waded and called their names; and a group of huddled
golden plovers baffled the non-birders until expert David helped us out.
Dark-bellied Brent geese as they flew over the surveyors
Photo © Anna Chouler (Coast Care)
As far as cetacean surveying events without any cetaceans go, it was a good one. And who knows? – maybe next time.
Tips for a cetacean survey:
- Bring binoculars and scan the water slowly
- Dress for the weather
- The best time for cetacean watches In the North Sea is March-June
- Look for a day that is overcast and not too sunny – else sunlight will reflect on the water
- Hope for calm seas
- Watch out for feeding birds – cetaceans are often found in the same areas of sea
- Don’t expect to see anything – but enjoy it if you do
- More information on cetacean spotting at ORCA http://www.orcaweb.org.uk/
*I couldn’t resist the pun. It was on porpoise.
Blog entry By Ceris Aston (Lindisfarne NNR Volunteer)
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