2006 Whale and dolphin sightings

Here are a few of the sightings in 2006.

24th April 2006   Gannets – Lots of frantic nest material gathering

Auks – All three species seen during the trip – many guillemots on Grassholm

Kittiwake – Now ten possible breeding pairs on grassholm

Peregrine falcon 1xfemale seen over Grassholm

Seals –approx 20 animals seen on Grassholm

Porpoise – approx 20 in the ebb tide in Ramsey Sound

11 May 2006   Gannets – frantic nest material gathering – feeding nr Grassholm             Manx Shearwater  250+

Auks – Lots of Puffins seen throughout the trip, also – razorbills, Guillemots, Fulmars 20+        Storm petrel Two

Seals – 30+ Grassholm 50+Ramsey

Common Dolphin – pod of approx 20 including at least one winter born calf

12 May 2006   On ledges Guillemot-Razorbill-Fulmar-Kittiwake   Shag – three nesting sites seen

Also Raven, Buzzard, Peregrine falcon and, Chough – maxima of 9 together

Also 7xWhimbrel     Rock pipits – many birds seen in caves over low water

Seals 50+      Porpoise – some seen as the tide started the ebb flow

31 May 2006  Gannets – Birds returning to Island with full crops – less nest gathering material activity than 11 may

Present also  Guillemots Kittiwakes and some Razorbills on Eastern side

Puffins also feeding Manx Shearwaters and kittiwakes noted off shore

Raven – two birds over Grassholm                   Peregrine Falcon – female chasing Razorbills on Grassholm

Storm Petrel (5)      Seals 20+ on Grassholm       Porpoise seen in Ramsey Sound and offshore    Common Dolphin 100+ seen offshore

2nd June  Common dolphins 2 pods about 20 in each pod, 4 porpoise, lots of gannets flying over

8 June 2006  Common Dolphin approx 200 in three groups – lots of Juveniles – lots of leaping – upside down splashing

Porpoise approx 25 – seen between Ramsey and Grassholm – including at least one calf in Ramsey Sound

15th June  3 pods of common dolphin, about 30 to 40 in 2 pods and about 50 in the other

26June 2006  Sooty shearwater  (1)    Manx Shearwater  1000’s      Storm Petrel  (9)    Puffins – Lots Risso’s Dolphin  (1)       Common Dolphin  4xPods  approx 250 in total

27 June 2006

Porpoise  (6)         Common Dolphin  5x Pods  Lots of leaping juveniles and Mums with calves        Whale – possible Fin Whale

3rd July          approx 50  common dolphins, 6 porpoise, atlantic grey seals

18th July      Lots of Kittiwake and Guillimot chicks, pod of 8 dolphin  and pod of about 40 dolphin

24 August 2006  Common Dolphin 3 x pods 20 to 30 per pod, 2 sun fish

25 August 2006  Pod of about 30 common dolphin, altantic grey seals, diving gannets, sooty shearwater 1,