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 would like to thank you all for our amazing time on the Elizabeth G trip to the Outer Hebrides. From boarding to leaving, all the crew went over and above to make our experience so memorable. Chris made sure that every day he took us to places we never thought possible. His knowledge of the islands is superb. Craig worked extremely hard to make sure that he was always at hand so that everything went like clockwork. He was always very supportive of Trish and I. What can I say about Stevies food... better than a 5 star hotel!! Every meal without exception was superb. Nigel, our wildlife expert, taught Trish and I so much. We were so lucky to have seen an orca , seals , dolphins!! We hiked higher, walked further and laughed till we cried. Memories of an adventure that will last forever and friends we have made for life. Thank you Emma for all your help and expertise which made this a trip to remember. Hope to see you all again Raydene x
Raydene Thomas: 18 August 2018St Kilda and the isles of the Outer Hebrides