During one of our regular Sea Trust Stena Ferry Surveys today, apart fom cetaceans we saw a number of interesting birds. Obviously the Black Guillies in Rosslare harbour are not in Pembrokeshire but the colony of arounf 15-20 pairs may well be the origin of our newly acquired Fishguard breeding birds. I generally count them and a pattern has emerged whereby after the breeding season at the end of August they leave the harbour but then return in October moulted into their winter plumage. Thre were at least twenty in the harbour today. Although odd winter birds have been seen around Fishguard Harbour in the winter they don't seem to take up full time residence until the start of the breeding season...unless someone knows better?
There were lots of feeding flocks of gulls , Gannets and auks off the Irish coast, but the sea birds petered out as we moved further offshore with only the odd fulmar for most of the time. A juv Arctic Skua harrassing a kitty just over half way into Welsh waters was nice to see as were oddd groups of mugrating passerines such as pippits, larks and starlings, a trio of Goldfinches crossed our bows about ten miles off Strumble heading for the light, for some reason not a species you really expect to be making sea crossings i suppose...
