It had been a cold, grey and blustery day in Newcastle, so I was expecting more of the same as I boarded the DFDS Princess Seaways for this monthly survey across the southern North Sea to Ijmuiden, the port serving Amsterdam and beyond.  However, once the ship was well clear of the breakwaters and I was able to access the bridge and start recording, the skies were already starting to clear. It was still breezy and the swell was making itself felt, but eventually we had a beautiful evening.

I was just about to record the first bird of the survey, a Guillemot, when I had a great view of an Arctic Skua flying across the ship’s bow – what a good start! Bird sightings throughout this period were fairly regular, with Gannet, Kittiwake, Guillemot, and with rather more Fulmar being seen than usual.  There were a few singles or pairs of Puffin resting on the water, their beaks looking almost luminous in the glowing evening sun.

The early morning survey over the final 3 hours or so into Ijmuiden, carried out from the upper deck of the ship, was chilly and grey but a little less windy than the previous evening. Birds were few and far between, with gulls and terns being seen as we neared the port.  Two Harbour Porpoise were also seen briefly, moving quietly along the ship’s side.

I took advantage of the bus transfer into Amsterdam and spent an enjoyable few hours sightseeing in the Nieuwe Zijde area of the city.  Once back on board, I found a seat on Deck 11 to wait for the ship to slip her moorings and set off for the return journey.  Once beyond the breakwaters I started the survey, with only a few gulls and a Gannet to be seen over the next couple of hours.  However, I did spot a Grey Seal resting, some 25 miles out to sea.  Unfortunately, the weather and visibility deteriorated during the evening with squally showers and darkening skies and in the end I cut the survey short at 19:15.

The last section of this survey was once again carried out from the bridge of the Princess Seaways, with the showers from the evening before persisting during the early morning. Birds were seen in small numbers throughout the period, with Gannet, Puffin, Razorbill, Kittiwake, and Guillemot the most numerous.  On the approach to the Tyne I was keeping an eye out for a frequently-spotted pod of Bottlenose Dolphin but did not see them this time – a crew member had shown me an excellent video of them swimming ahead of the ship’s bulbous bow, only the day before!

As I left the bridge at the end of this survey I thanked Captain Vang for his hospitality on the Princess Seaways and for the welcome extended to MARINElife by the DFDS crew both on board and ashore.

Jenny Ball, Research Surveyor for MARINElife
Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367

Weather
Period 1: Fine evening, good visibility, Wind NNW F6, Swell 1-2m
Period 2: Overcast, Wind NW F5
Period 3: Overcast, then squally showers, Wind W F5
Period 4: Showers, Wind W F5