Having smoothly navigated through the new port arrangements at Heysham and with the assistance of the very helpful staff there, we boarded the Precision at 23.00, looking forward to the survey ahead.  After being greeted warmly by our friendly steward we were shown to our cabins for a few welcome hours of sleep.

We were on the bridge and ready for the day’s recording by 05.30am, taking advantage of the early light at this time of year, and conditions were good with relatively calm seas, improving light and clarity of views.  By this time, we were already over four hours out of Heysham on our way towards Dublin, and after a relatively quiet start as the morning light brightened, bird sightings began to pick up quickly.

The auks were on the move with regular sightings of Guillemot and very good numbers of Razorbill, often in mixed groups which required some careful identification.  A very welcome surprise sighting of two Puffin on the water in front of the ship was one of the highlights of the morning’s sail.  Gannet numbers were also good with some great views of different age class birds soaring very close to the bridge.

Despite conditions becoming more changeable as the sailing progressed, Manx Shearwater numbers picked up gradually and soon we were enjoying these wonderful birds regularly, watching them glide effortlessly with wingtips just above the waves.  However, the greatest surprise and joy was a fabulous view of the Great Northern Diver flying left to right just in front of the bridge windows!
Great Northern Diver    Photo: Rob Petley-Jones
Sea conditions had become a little choppy for cetacean sightings, but although a possible single Harbour Porpoise was sighted only very briefly, we were treated to exciting views of an approaching group of Common Dolphin that came in to bow ride, with their colouration clearly visible beneath the water before they disappeared behind the ship.
Common Dolphin    Photo: Peter Howlett
By the time we approached the entrance to the port at Dublin we had been recording continuously for four hours, and here we were rewarded with our first views of Black Guillemot and a flurry of Commic Tern around the artificial ‘tern island’ created to support and protect these wonderful birds during the breeding season.

As always, the remarkable skills of the captain and crew were on show as they manoeuvred the ship into its berth, followed by the process of loading and unloading the trailers.  After a brief spell out on deck enjoying some fresh air, watching the fascinating comings and goings around the harbour, spotting some more Black Guillemot, and practicing identification of the juvenile and adult gulls, our friendly steward provided us with a very welcome lunch and we relaxed for a couple of hours before returning to the bridge for the return sailing.

Leaving harbour, we enjoyed good views of the many Godwit and Egret on the sandflats to the south of the breakwater, and soon we were heading back out to sea, where conditions were again changeable with short periods of light rain and mist and variable sea state.

However, we were able to observe a Grey Seal and a single House Martin out at sea, before the exciting sudden appearance of a very active pod of Bottlenose Dolphin, again approaching to leap clear and bow ride right in front of the ship.  Always such a thrill to see and an absolute highlight of the survey!
Gannet – 5th year immature    Photo: Rob Petley-Jones
Bird numbers were generally lower on our return leg with many quieter recording periods then earlier in the day, and the low number of Fulmar on this survey was particularly notable.  However, we continued to have some wonderful views of Gannet and good numbers of auks with the ratio of Razorbill to Guillemot higher than we would usually expect.

The sudden appearance of a small flock of Common Scoter flying past was another welcome highlight, and a beautiful sunset and golden light as well as a distant rainbow behind the approaching windfarms provided the perfect end to our survey as we approached the Lancashire coastline.

Our sincere thanks to CLdN, to Captain Lukasz Kurach, and to the crew of the Precision for all their help, kind hospitality and valuable ongoing support for MARINElife and our surveys.  And special mention must go of course to our friendly steward who could not have been more helpful.

Rob Petley-Jones and Alison McAleer, Research Surveyors for MARINElife (Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367

Weather

Outbound: Sea state 2-5; Visibility 4-6; Clouds 7-8; Swell 1-2 metres; Wind W 24-40 knots

Return: Sea state 1-5; Visibility 5; Clouds 8; Swell 1-2 metres; Wind W 18-35 knots