Up at dawn two mornings running. The reason? To witness one of the great unsung migration movements in these parts. At this time of year hundreds and hundreds of Manx Shearwaters fly south past the westernmost tip of Islay on their way to the South Atlantic. Two half hour counts yesterday produced figures of 394 and 636. Today, in the company of three visitors from Holland, there were many, many more flying past. Yesterday there were clusters of four, five and six birds with the occasional ten or twelve. Today there were regular clusters of twenty to thirty birds speeding past, skimming the wavetops and showing that diagnostic flash of white then black, as they extract lift from the waves to accelerate.
Geolocation devices have recently revealed just how far and fast these migrants move. One was recovered off the coast of Brazil having completed a journey of over 9000km in about 13 days at a rate of approx 750km per day. They cover vast swathes of both the North and South Atlantic on their annual journeys.
Next spring they will return north to the small isles of Rum, Eigg and Muck to breed.
Keeping the Shearwaters company were hundreds of Gannets on feeding missions heading back to Ailsa Craig. The visitors were entranced. Showery weather did little to dampen the spectacle.
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