One of our trusty project
contributors and prolific ring-reader, Niall T. Keogh, is on a boat hundreds of miles away, in the middle
of the ocean, but he’s still managing to find reasons to get in touch with us
about Oystercatchers, and we're so glad that he did!
“Monday 28th March 2016 saw the
R.V. Celtic Explorer over the Rockall Bank, approximately 245 nautical miles WNW
of Tory Island, Co. Donegal. The seabird and cetacean survey team from the Marine
and Freshwater Research Centre GMIT and the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group were out on
deck collecting observational data during the annual Blue Whiting Acoustic
Survey. We had stopped to deploy a CTD (for measuring water temperature,
salinity etc.) and while enjoying nice views of a Great Shearwater circling the
ship the unmistakable call of an Oystercatcher could be heard! The bird (in
full breeding plumage) was seen flying around the ship, calling loudly and looking
rather worried as it was being actively chased by a Fulmar!”
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| Location of the Oystercatcher sighting from the R.V. Celtic Explorer over the Rockall Bank |
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| Iceland-bound Oystercatcher being chased by a Fulmar Niall T. Keogh |
This is a great record, and while this might sound strange at
first, an Oystercatcher out in this part of the sea at this time of the year is
to be expected really. It’s most likely on its way to Iceland for the breeding
season.
We know that three of our
Dublin-ringed Oystercatchers are already there, and it’s the second year that
each have had their colour-rings read there. JA was reported in Sandgerði in the
southwest on the on the 19th March, and the next day XT was
re-sighted in Leirhöfn in the north east. And just a few days ago, on April 1st,
CU was picked up in Stokkseyri in the southwest.
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| Oystercatcher CU replenishes its energy with a tasty snack after a long flight Tómas Grétar Gunnarsson |
Niall also mentioned that another
two Oystercatchers were seen flying north together over the middle of the
Rockall Trough a few days later.
Visible migration. Sure it’d blow
your mind…
