Looe island survey 12th March 2024.

European Shag

 

 

It was touch and go as to whether our March seal survey on Looe island would go ahead as the wind was due to gust strongly from the South West in the afternoon and whilst it can be ok to ride a wave back into harbour it's difficult for the boatman to get out to pick us up from the beach.

Fortunately mid-evening on the Monday evening we got the email that the survey would be going ahead so we were at West Looe to catch the boat at 08:15 which necessitated a 6 am breakfast at home in Wadebridge. There have been some massive spring tides this week and the A389 at Sladesbridge was flooded as was the car park & road at Looe. Luckily the tide had just turned and was starting to ebb as we boarded the boat. Waterproofs on & hoods up 7 of us headed across the short hop to the island, a few splashes of salt water whipped up over the bows but we've seen a lot worse and soon we spotted the islands guardians Jon & Claire (Cornwall Wildlife Trust wardens) on the jetty preparing to greet us.

Before we had disembarked we saw 2 young Grey seals playing together very close to the jetty and Claire told us that this had become quite a regular occurrence.

As we made our way along the jetty the seals came up to check us out and then continued to put on a show for us, playing, splashing, mouthing each other and if you didn't know better, "showing off"!

On most of our surveys I photograph seals from a long way off with a 500mm lens. This way I cause them no harm or disturbance so that lens was the only one I had in my armoury. But these seals came to us and continued to play for 35 minutes until we decided we had a survey to do and needed to leave them to it. As soon as we left up the path they stopped their fun and swam off around the bay. 

So here are lots of photos of these amazing animals before we look at some of the birds that call the island Home.

The Cormorants are usually really early nesters on the island so I was surprised when out here in December to see they hadn't started building their sticky nests linked together with seaweed, and anything else they can pull up from the water or clifftop. Actually their nests are often more "vegetated" than those of shags which often have lots of human marine detritus built into them.

So we saw a few young cormorants in the nests and it was obvious several others were sitting on eggs. Cormorants tend to be more colonial nesting than shags which tend to be singular or sometimes a small group of 3 or 4 nests in close proximity. I think we counted 27 nests in one colony with a smaller number about 100 metres to the west.

Cormorant with a chick.

Cormorant flying with nest material

European Shag

European Shags at their nest

The island is a stronghold for breeding Gulls, especially the Great Black-backed and Herring Gull. There are also a few pairs of Fulmar nesting and they are already laying claim to the best ledges.

Herring Gulls

Herring Gulls

Great Black-backed Gulls

Fulmar on territory

 It had been a day of very poor visibility with mist & drizzle for most of the day which didn't help my photography and wiping lenses, binoculars & telescopes was the order of the day. Trying to get identification photos of distant hauled out seals was difficult to say the least!

Grey Seals at their haul out at low tide.

 There are always a few Whimbrel that overwinter on the island and I did get a grab shot as 3 flew by and also another of one of the resident Ravens perched on a rock.

Whimbrels

 

Raven

As we waited for the boat to come and collect us & return us to the mainland I noticed a few Northern Gannets diving in the channel between the island and Hannafore.

Checking my watch to see if I had time I made a quick dash to the westerly end of the island and had good but misty views of a half dozen Gannets plunging headfirst into the channel. It was only when I photographed and missed a gannet entering the water that I spotted 2 Guillemots floating on the surface. Not seen any there before I don't think.

Northern Gannet

Northern Gannet with Hannafore in distance

Northern Gannet diving

Northern Gannet diving

Northern Gannet diving

Guillemots

 

 

 A full day in good company but grotty weather alongside some of the best wildlife in Cornwall !