Cooling Marshes, Kent, 7th December 2014

Friday 12 August 2011

“Kee-ee-waah!”

Pics from my recent trip to Seaford to assist with the RSPB’s annual south coast Kittiwake spectacular:
What it's all about: a recently fledged juvenile Kittiwake in flight, Seaford, 25/7/11
Note black 'collar' and prominent zig-zag markings on wing compared to an adult...
Adult Kittiwake (Larus tridactyla) with nests in background. It takes several years for a bird to reach adult plumage
"Kee-ee-waah!"- the distinctive sound of a busy Kittiwake colony. Sure, I'm no wildlife photographer and this photo is blurry and skewed but I like the sense of activity that it portrays. I also like the way the light is catching their tail feathers, showing off their almost-translucent quality.
I have a real soft spot for these birds and it was great to see large numbers of this beautiful, enigmatic gull gathered on the sheer cliffs at Splash Point once again. Nest counts earlier in the season estimated that numbers this year were up to an impressive 1130 nesting pairs. In comparison, last year the figure was put somewhere between 750-800 nests. This is clearly fantastic news given the trials this ocean-bound gull must endure throughout the year.
Compared to other pelagic birds, the Kittiwake must appear as a bit of an anomaly. Appearance-wise it has little in common with muscley albatrosses and wiry, long-winged shearwaters, but beneath the strikingly pale, un-blemished plumage lays an extraordinarily resilient bird. It’s amazing to think that any day now the Seaford Kittiwakes , both adults and juveniles, will leave their ledges and head out into the channel, following it west before eventually dispersing into the vast expanse of the north Atlantic Ocean. Once there, they’ll spend the harsh winter months dodging choppy waves and sweeping storms before many begin making the return journey to Seaford next February.
But these difficult conditions are probably of least concern to Kittiwakes. Unfortunately, despite the Seaford colony showing good numbers, others around the UK (particularly in Scotland) are in significant decline. Last year it was reported that three out of four Kittiwake nests in the UK failed, a shocking figure and one put down to a severe shortage of small fish in breeding areas. It's important to remember that Kittiwakes are not scavengers like other gulls and rely soley on sand eel, herring and other small fish for survival. With many Kittiwake colonies long established, the problem clearly lies in our marine habitats. This, by extension, means problems for many other species too.
There is some good news though- a legal framework is in place to establish Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in the UK by 2012 but it's still a long way off. The challenge is staying focused and making it happen. This RSPB blog has lots of interesting information about MCZs and you can sign a campaign to help seabirds like Kittiwakes here. Consider it a gentle reminder to the government and those designating stakeholder groups that disaffected punk kids are not our only problem.
I hope there'll be scenes like this for years to come:


(if this footage doesn't work on your computer -apologies. You'll just have to visit Seaford yourself next year!)

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