Puffin Rescue!

[neepnipper]

I was out early this morning walking on Keiss beach with my dogs, there were loads of dead seabirds, practically one every 15 feet including a large gannet, razorbills, puffins and various others too decayed to identify.

I'd nearly got to Subsea 7 when I noticed something in the water, it was a puffin and the poor thing was being bowled over with the waves, I tried to convince myself that this is just nature and leave it be but I just couldn't leave it to die like that, so with some difficulty ( with my two dogs taking great interest!) I managed to pick it up and get it in to a carrier bag with a clump of seaweed in it to cushion it.

It was a 3/4 hour walk back to the car with dogs trying to figure out what had happened to the bird!

When I got home I rang the SSPCA at Balmore and they said to take it over, so an hours drive later, the puffin still hanging on in there, I arrived at Balmore.

Apparently the amount of dead seabirds is due to starvation but I hope my liitle puffin makes it. I think it was just exhausted and hungry so fingers crossed it will be ok.

Good job I had time to spare as I'm off work now until I start my new job at Pets at Home.

[Billy Boy]

good for you lol,job well done:D i hope the poor wee thing make's it,if so it's down to you lol:D

[Tugmistress]

i don't know about any other people that go fishing, but i see the diet has changed in the local cod over the last year or so, they used to spit up sand eels when caught, now it is pipe fish, and i believe it is sandeel that the puffin eat too? sure someone like kas or seabird will know for definate, what's happening to our waters?

[northener]

Number of reasons seem to apply.

First and foremost is the commercial sandeel fishery in the North Sea, mainly by danish boats if I remember rightly. Perversely, a lot of this is converted into feed for fishfarms! There has been accusations of overfishing for some time now, but as usual, there is conflicting evidence.

Climate change? - Possibly, anecdotal evidence is that the stocks have 'shifted'.

Regarding Pipefish, there have been reports from the East coast of large shoals of pipefish and the recreational anglers have been saying that the bigger fish (and birds) have been stuffing their faces with them. So it may not be that the birds are taking pipefish because there is no sandeel, they may be aware of an easier (and unusually more abundant) meal.

I've noticed a few puffins hanging around whilst I've been out fishing in the bay, unusual as they tend to slope off out to sea after they've bred, but i'm not sure if these are relatively juvenile birds who don't know what to do or adults scrounging around for food.

[Geo]

I was shocked by the amount of dead seabirds at Dunnet beach on a recent visit. I wondered if it was due to the decline in numbers of Sandeels or maybe a virus has affected them. Either way it was sad to see.

[Kingetter]

i don't know about any other people that go fishing, but i see the diet has changed in the local cod over the last year or so, they used to spit up sand eels when caught, now it is pipe fish, and i believe it is sandeel that the puffin eat too? sure someone like kas or seabird will know for definate, what's happening to our waters?

While in Shetland recently I was talking with someone who is involved with Mussels and other fishing matters and he mentioned the growth of some sort of algae which is affecting the fish - and I expect he meant the water. I have no idea what the name would be and my understanding of the Shetlandic accent made it impossible to remember. Is there any evidence around Caithness waters of such? Could such an algae be contributory?

[Tugmistress]

to my knowledge (which isn't a lot) there is the blue/green algae but i think that is fresh water stuff, but i know there was a terrible red algeal bloom in the sea earlier this year, it could be a contributing factor, i will ask an email list i belong too about it :)

[Kenn]

Have just contacted The RSPB to enquire whether there is any way that we can put pressure on The Danes to stop the commercial exploitation of sand eels.
Will let you know if i get a response am also going to contact my MEP and DEFRA so see what they have to say on the matter.
I drop in the ocean may not seem much but enough drops can turn into a flood.

[kas]

Just found a living but completely tired out one on Dunnet beach. I had nothing to take it home in, so I went via the vets on my way home to see if it was worth going back for.

Vets put me onto Balmore, who sadly have lost all the others in their care, so it seems best to leave it to nature. I know this is cruel, but it will be quicker and not have the stress of being man handled.

I am gutted though.

[Kingetter]

Kas. I'd be as well. It's all so so sad.

[neepnipper]

I hope my little one hasn't died, I'm worried now. I'll ring Balmore tomorrow to see how it is.

[Kingetter]

I hope my little one hasn't died, I'm worried now. I'll ring Balmore tomorrow to see how it is.


If it was suffering, best it went to sleep, but I hope its ok.

[badger]

Presumably we are now getting the same situation as was reported along the west coast recently where thousands of dead and dying birds were found. Believed to be due to global warming causing lack of sandeels as dead birds had no food in them so had died of starvation. Seems to me the "tipping point" for saving our planet is a lot closer than anyone wants to admit. In the last few months it has reduced from hundreds of years, to end of the century and the latest estimate was 10 years. Makes you think.

[Ricco]

Well done, Neeps! Nice to see someone who cares so deeply... and knows what to do. I am sad to see that the Vikings are back - pillaging the sandeel populations now instead of the human ones. ;)

[buggyracer]

Agree with tugs all the cod we catch while angling are full of sandeel, but we have caught sandeel by mistake also, so they are still there?

[Kenn]

Hello Liz,

Thank you for your email.

There have been many reports of seabird deaths due to starvation and
this is obviously a serious concern. The lack of sandeels is thought to
be the main reason. The decline in sandeels is thought to have been
caused by rising sea temperatures. The warmer seas are forcing plankton,
which is the sandeels' food further north. The sandeels would therefore
be forced further north and out of range for the seabirds.

Overfishing could be making this situation worse and is something that
we are concerned about. Currently, information on the sustainability of
sandeel fishing is lacking so more research is needed. Denmark is one of
the major sandeel fishing nations so they would have to be involved in
negotiations to ensure sandeels are fished in a sustainable way. There
is more information about this subject on our website
http://www.rspb.org.uk/policy/marine/fisheries/sustainable/index.asp
http://www.rspb.org.uk/policy/marine/news/threat.asp

Have had an acknowledgment from DEFRA b ut no reply as yet.

[Tugmistress]

Agree with tugs all the cod we catch while angling are full of sandeel, but we have caught sandeel by mistake also, so they are still there?

have you caught the small sand eel or the larger cousin the launce? i have had plenty of launce, but these would be too large i assume for the birds?

[Kenn]

Also awaiting reply from my MEP and have contacted "The Independent" that newspaper is currently runing a series on ecology etc.

[Kingetter]

Full marks for all your efforts and those of others who are trying to help.

[buggyracer]

have you caught the small sand eel or the larger cousin the launce? i have had plenty of launce, but these would be too large i assume for the birds?

both tuggs, seen sandeels in the bay and on the finder, but not in the numbers of previous years.

[kas]

If there are still sandeels out there, then the question is are there enough or is there another factor involved????? eg. Some type of illness

The basking sharks moving further North this year is also a sign of the plankton moving north. Species of fish are being caught in brittish waters regularly now, that before were classed as rare. (dont ask me for species names, but tugmistress might know.)

From a birdwatching and cetacean point of view, things happened alot earlier this year. Cetceans where about alot earlier, when large shoals of fish were visible in Thurso bay. From July onwards this stopped, apart from the odd one.

Large groups of gulls feeding from the sea were the same, I saw this everyday in May/ June then this stopped, when in pervious years this has gone on into August.

As far as the seabirds breeding, they are now laying later (by about 2 weeks I think), than they were 4 or 5 years ago. (but dont quote me) Their breeding success has also dropped rapidly these last few years.

I am going to post a thread in the birdwatching section where people can record any dead seabirds they find. This may help us build up a picture of how bad things are getting. Should there be any storms, then I think these wrecks (seabirds washed up dead) may be larger than what we are seeing already. After one storm a few years back, the Ranger service couted 160 freshly dead Guillemots on Dunnet beach alone.:~(

Please feel free to correct me on anything I might have got wrong.