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Seabird
03-Oct-08, 20:59
Oil as again appeared in the waters off Caithness.
Kas found a number of birds covered in oil, and other people have also reported birds in distress.
Tar balls have also been found.
Kas phoned SEPA who are investigating the incident.
Today the SPCA conducted a search for distressed birds along Dunnet beach.
Tar balls have also been found.
The scale of the contamination is not known at this time.

Update just received this e-mail from Kas.

As some of you will know we have been out on patrol looking for oiled birds today as a joint venture between BDMLR, RSPB, SEPA and the Highland council, due to the recent spate of oiled birds found.
I met up with everyone at the seadrift Centre, where Karl (BDMLR medic) and I were assigned to walk the coastline at Gills, and check in at Scaotlands Haven.

As soon as we got down on to the Shingle Karl spotted some oil on a stone. We found maybe 30-40 spots of oil on stones, with the size varyibg from a penny to a tennis ball size. There were a few blobs on seaweed and some single feathers. We also saw an eider duck out on the rocks with oil on its neck, it was a male which are black and white. There were two females which are brown there as well, we were unable to tell if these had oil on them.

We then went to Scotlands Haven where we saw an adult and juvenile Great Black-backed gulls with oil on their lower breasts.

I then reported in to the seadrift on my way back. On my way home from there I had a look at Castlehill where I found 32 gulls with considerable amounts of oil on them, there were many others with what looked like small traces of it. The black-headeds seem to have been hit the worst, as there were a few who were almost completely covered, II also found an exhausted Guillemot with some traces of oil which I took to the vets. There has also been an oiled Guillemot in Scrabster Harbour this afternoon, and I just spoke to Rich who informed me that an oiled bird has been found at Keiss. This shows we have a widespread problem on our hands.

If anyone sends emails back, it may be a while before I respond as my internet connection has gone down.

Cheers
Karen


Colin

buggyracer
03-Oct-08, 23:22
i know of one bird taken from scrabster today, which was covered in oil :(