Southerly winds have prevailed for most of the last week, causing a lot of passage of Manx Shearwaters. On Tuesday we recorded a staggering 1,000 flying by in the space of only an hour- simply unbelievable!
Wednesday brought some North-Westerly winds which slowed down the movement of ‘Manxies’ however several hundred were recorded throughout the day. Whilst scanning the sea, one of our volunteers couldn’t believe his eyes- he was watching a grey seal wrestling with a conger eel! The eel was longer in length than the seal (estimated at 6-7 feet) and was seen wrapping itself around the seal, wriggling to get away. The seal removed the head before devouring his well deserved meal- what a sight!
Grey seal on the Mull of Galloway (photo by Laura Shearer)
As Thursday came along we were buzzing with excitement, eagerly waiting to see what the day would bring- and we were not disappointed! The sun was shining (!) and the reserve was alive with wildlife. Our guided walk at 1pm was a fantastic experience with puffins, guillemots and razorbills galore! On the Foghorn viewing platform, we were enjoying the nesting seabirds when we picked up a raft of approximately 200 Manx Shearwaters about a mile out. Then, just to add to our delight, a pod of 4 Harbour Porpoise began feeding around them. Feeling elated, we continued with our guided walk only to spot a fledgling peregrine- our first sighting this year.
Once we returned to the RSPB visitor centre, 2 very excited visitors appeared- they had just seen a Minke whale! Walking along the reserve towards the lighthouse, they heard the blow of a whale and turned to see this magnificent animal casually cruising past. With the sun shining we embarked on a butterfly transect however it was the birds that remained centre-stage. Behind the visitor centre, there was a commotion in the willows… finally- out popped a cuckoo- a juvenile traveling South to its wintering grounds in Africa.
Cuckoo on the Mull of Galloway (photo by Laura Shearer)
With all this wildlife activity it is easy to become Cuckoo about the Mull of Galloway…
RSPB Visitor Centre- Mull of Galloway (photo by Laura Shearer)