It was a very busy crossing to Jersey with many cars and lorries being boarded as we arrived at Portsmouth ferry port. We were helpfully guided on board and put in position in an area that enabled us to complete the round trip without moving the car.

As the shortest day was a week away, we prepared to survey on one leg directly to Jersey. Captain Steve Leake called us up to the bridge where we organised ourselves before starting our survey after we cleared the harbour. Over fifty gulls followed us out and stayed with us for an hour and a half, all the way to St Catherine’s Lighthouse on the Isle of Wight.

Seabird sightings were steady with a close Great Northern Diver being a highlight in good sea conditions and clear winter light. The usual quiet patch mid-Channel gave us time to enjoy separate lunches in the mess.

Refreshed, we started to see more birds as we sailed past the Cherbourg Peninsular and a sunny Alderney. Our only cetacean sighting of the survey was three Bottlenose Dolphin that came into bow ride, a fleeting yet lovely sight.

For mid-December, sea conditions were favourable and in stark contrast to the previous weekend when Storm Darragh lashed our shores.  Glare hindered us slightly though as we left Alderney behind, but a Little Gull was seen flying with the ship for a while clearly showing its rounded dark underwings.

It was pleasing on this survey not to record any flotsam.

The sun set at 16.10 as we approached Jersey harbour, we ended our survey and watched the Captain execute a very tight manoeuvre into the harbour.

Having thanked Captain Leake, we headed down to public areas and took advantage of the duty free just before Christmas. We arrived on time the following morning and enjoyed breakfast before disembarking.

Steve and Margaret Boswell, Research Surveyors for MARINElife (Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367)

Weather

Wind NW 5, mostly full cloud until a break around the Channel Islands