A special place... The Isles of Scilly are one of only two places in England where Manx Shearwaters breed
Under threat...The Isles of Scilly hold 3,000 fewer pairs of breeding seabirds than 25 years ago
R.S.P.B. Scillonian Trip on 29th September 2017.
Between Penzance and the Wolf Rock Lighthouse we saw 393+ Gannets, mostly in diving zones with dolphins and fish shoals. Other species were scarce with only 5 Great Black backed Gulls, 9 Guillemots, 1 Razorbill, 1 Sandwich Tern.
Visible cetaceans amongst the many diving Gannets were 18 Common Dolphins. 2 Harbour Porpoise showed briefly close.
From Wolf Rock to St Mary's, bird numbers did not improve, with only 49 Gannets, 3 very close Sooty Shearwaters, 3 Guillemots, 1 Sandwich Tern, 10 Shags.
35 Common Dolphins, 1, Bottle-nose Dolphin were seen.
2 Mediterranean Gulls (adult and first winter) were circling as we left the harbour. The bird interest started to improve, with 65 Gannets, 12 Shags, 3 Sandwich Terns, 2 Arctic Skuas (both Dark Phase), 2 Puffins and 2 Sooty Shearwaters. One Common Dolphin.
From Wolf Rock Lighthouse to Penzance bird numbers increased with 321 Gannets ( including 2 feeding frenzies over Dolphins), 31 Manx Shearwaters, 13 Balearic Shearwaters, 14 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Puffin, 11 Razorbills, 4 Guillemots, 2 Kittiwakes, 4 Great Black-backed Gulls, 32 Herring Gulls, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Arctic Skua( pale phase), 2 Great Skuas, 10 Common Scoter, 1 Great Northern Diver (summer plumage), 3 Turnstone.
1 Blue-finned Tuna breached. 1 Atlantic Grey Seal and 29 Common Dolphins showed.
Brian Craven , Vivian Stratton & Mark Jones.
