Scillonian III RSPB Wildlife Cruise Fri 18/3/2016

We departed on a calm sea, with a light easterly wind, mild and sunny. Between  Penzance and Wolf lighthouse we saw a flock of 21 drake Common Scoter and later a male Pintail tailgating another single Scoter. Other sightings were 7 Common Gulls (not common down here), 1 Mediterranean Gull, 21 Gannets, 5 Fulmar. Auks were feeding and resting off the Cornish coast with only 2 Razorbills but 99 Guillemots. Also seen were 4 Kittiwakes, 12 GBB Gulls, 30 Herring Gulls, 1 LBB Gulls. A squeak, sounding mechanical turned out to be a male House Sparrow up top hitching a lift to well beyond Wolf.

From Wolf to St Mary's, a still calm sea produced 8 Gannets, 9 Razorbill, 10 Guillemot, 3 Fulmar, 5 Kittiwake and a Great Northern Diver.

The return trip was in a slightly stronger and colder easterly wind. A different Great Northern Diver was seen as we sailed between St Mary's and St Agnes. Up-to Wolf it was quite with 3 Gannets, 2 Razorbill, 1 LBB Gull, 8 Fulmar six of which were cleansing a flapping surprisingly early Sunfish! A single Bottlenose Dolphin showed briefly.

From Wolf to Penzance  in ever failing light a solitary Manx Shearwater.86 Guillemots were now on the move westward, 24 Gannets, 1 Fulmar, and hundreds of Herring Gulls ready for roosting at Mousehole. Another single brief  and later 3 distant Common Dolphins.
 
Brian Craven & Viv Stratton
Scillonian Wildlife Volunteers