After several years of bad news on seabird populations on the west coast of Scotland, Dr Richard Luxmoore, Senior Nature Conservation Adviser for the National Trust has reported that several species have had their best season in 10 years.
The National Trust for Scotland’s studies on their property at Mingulay, showed that there were 1642 pairs of Kittiwakes trying to nest, up 46 per cent since last year. More importantly, their breeding success, at 88 chicks produced per 100 pairs, was much better than 2013. Other species, such as Razorbills, Common Guillemots and European Shags also recorded substantial improvements in both numbers and breeding success.
Studies carried out by the Highland Ringing Group on Canna, in the Small Isles, showed that Kittiwakes were up 14% since last year and also had excellent breeding success, similar to its near neighbour Mingulay across the Minch. Guillemots and Razorbills also experienced better breeding success and higher numbers than in recent years. More excitingly, researchers located five occupied nest burrows of Manx Shearwaters at three locations around the island. Shearwaters had been reduced to local extinction on Canna but a successful rat eradication project, completed in 2006, has allowed them to recolonise several of their former nest sites.
On St Kilda, annual monitoring has shown that Puffins have had much greater breeding success than in recent years. Also a ground-breaking programme to study the elusive and little known Leach’s Storm-petrel has been able to take detailed measurements of three chicks that have been reared in artificial nest burrows this year.
Conservationists hope this rise in populations will not be just a blip in a long-term decline of our seabirds and provides a boost to colony sizes for several years to come.
Scotland is internationally important for its seabirds, having some 45 per cent of the breeding population in the whole of the European Union. The National Trust for Scotland hosts almost a fifth of these at is properties of St Kilda, Mingulay, Fair Isle, Canna, St Abbs, Iona, Staffa and Unst.
I am actually struggling to find the words to express how wonderful this holiday was and how much we enjoyed ourselves during our 6 nights on Emma Jane. This experience was truely like no other holiday I've ever taken. It was well put together and the crew were ready to adapt plans where necessary. Firstly thanks to Emma for her initial assistance when we were making the decision to book or not, and invaluable help on travel advice. Whether we were lucky, but we joined a lovely group of fellow, like minded passengers to spend our 6 nights with. All the crew, Chris, the skipper, Sofia, the steward, Carlton, the chef, and Will the wildlife expert, were individually lovely, helpful, patient, and excellent in their roles. However, the four of them together formed a competent and well organised team. I noted the concentration required to navigate us through the locks, and attention to our safety and enjoyment at all times. The food was amazing Carlton. Hard to pick my favourite dish but the Caesar salad was a stand out. Will, took us on lovely walks to enjoy beautiful scenery, rivers, locks, lochs, canal, waterfalls, birds and fungi. Chris, calm, caring and confident, but firm if he needed to be. We must, however, mention Sofia in particular. Her attention to detail, demonstration of a variety of skills, one moment doing the ropes on the vessel, the next serving us tea, cake, and Proscecco in the afternoon(could get used to this but things are never the same when you try to re-create them at home). Her flair in creating the most wonderful table decorations. We could go on. We loved it. Thank you so very much. Cindy Hudson & Andrew Perry
Cindy Hudson: 23 September 2023Loch Linnhe, the Caledonian Canal & Loch Ness