30th June 2019

Survey Report for 30/06/2019 - Ardrossan - Campbeltown

The team met at the Ardrossan terminal and were soon settled in on the bridge surveying.  This survey takes place on the outside bridge wings so we were pleased that the rain that was forecast didn't materialize.  It was relatively windy though and sea state was poor, generally a high 4 all through the survey.  As a result, we didn't pick up any of the porpoise that we know are normally in the area bar one very brief incidental sighting just off the Isle of Arran on the return leg.  Two of the surveyors had fantastic mirror flat conditions the day before when they visited Arran and had picked up lots of porpoise and 4 bottlenose dolphins from the ferry.

Despite some real feeding frenzies from gannets just outside Campbeltown Loch, we still didn't pick up any cetaceans but the Manx shearwaters kept us entertained throughout the survey.

Many thanks to the captain and crew of MV Isle of Arran for making us so welcome and facilitating our work.

Marine Mammals Seen:

• Harbour porpoise - 1

Birds Seen:

• Kittiwake

• Fulmar

• Great black-backed gull

• Lesser black-backed gull

• Common gull

• Herring gull

• Gannet

• Black guillemot

• Guillemot

• Razorbill

• Shag

• Cormorant

• Jackdaw

• Manx shearwater

Survey Team Members:

Andy Gilbert, Julie Houston, Stephen Houston