SATURDAY CRITTERS - Ailsa Craig Island (Part 12)

Our time is nearly up on the island of Ailsa Craig and as I walked round a small part of it,  I found a lot of Lesser Black backed gulls with their chicks.  You could barely see the chicks even though they were as large as the adults but blended 

in well to the rock colours as you can see from this first 2 shots below.

The rocks had this amazing patterns of lichen on them and when I looked at the Lighthouse, I could see that the mist was soon going to surround Ailsa completely again.  We were fortunate when arriving at Ailsa that the mist had lifted for us to see the bird sanctuary.

An old generator

Time to go and we had to be careful walking down the jetty due to half of it being missing and the other half covered in slippery green seaweed.

Common Seal

Last views of some of the birds and Seals on the island. 

 Time to say goodbye to them all.

This Grey Seal was watching us leave this amazing island.

CLICK HERE if the video does not appear below.  

I hope you enjoyed this post. 

I have 3 more posts to show you before the series ends.

I am linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS.

Many thanks for visiting and to all those who leave comments.

Seals at Copeland Island

When I visit the Copeland Island, I always see Seals, usually both Common and Grey seals. These are photographs I took in June and I will give you some information about them so that you can distinguish one species from the other.

Common or Harbour seals are brown, tan, or gray, with distinctive V-shaped nostrils and has more of a pug nose. An adult can attain a length of 6.1 ft and a mass of 290 lb. Blubber under the seal's skin helps to maintain body temperature. Females outlive males (30–35 years versus 20–25 years).

Common seals stick to familiar resting spots or haulout sites, generally rocky areas (although ice, sand and mud may also be used) where they are protected from adverse weather conditions and predation, near a foraging area.

Males may fight over mates underwater and on land. Females bear a single pup after a nine month gestation, which they care for alone.

Pups can weigh up to 35 lb and are able to swim and dive within hours of birth. They develop quickly on their mothers' fat-rich milk and are weaned after four to six weeks.

On the other hand, the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus, meaning "hooked-nosed sea pig") is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a large seal of the family Phocidae or "true seals". It is the only species classified in the genus Halichoerus. Its name is spelled gray seal in the US; it is also known as Atlantic grey seal and the Horsehead seal.

 It is a large seal, with bulls reaching 8.2–10.8 ft long and weighing 370–680 lb; the cows are much smaller, typically 5.2–6.6 ft long and 220–420 lb in weight. Individuals from the western Atlantic are often much larger, males reaching 880 lb and females weighing up to 550 lb.

I hope now you can distinguished the Grey from the Common seal by its straight head profile, nostrils set well apart, and fewer spots on its body.  Bull Greys have larger noses and a less curved profile than Common seal bulls. Males are generally darker than females, with lighter patches and often scarring around the neck. Females are silver grey to brown with dark patches.

This Grey Seal is sharing these rocks with a Lesser Black backed Gull.

I am still on my journey home and am now on the last leg and have  a little bit of free internet at Heathrow Airport, hence I am able to put on this post which I had in draft.

Thanks you for visiting.

Many thanks for comments you left on any of my posts.

Mew Island in March - Birds and Seals

A few days ago I posted about my trip over to the Copeland Bird Observatory Island  CLICK HERE and also I told you I would later post about me visiting Mew Island on the same day.  Well I am doing that today as I will be back on Copeland this weekend and I am sure I will have many more photographs to show you when I return!  There was only the Scientists, Norman and myself made the trip that day and Philip with his boat came to the other jetty on this occasion to pick us up.

Norman walking down to the jetty.

 While waiting for the scientists to arrive at the jetty, this was the view from the boat.

These are Common, Black headed and Herring Gulls  All nest on these islands.

Off we go again.  

You can see the new jetty in the background that had been erected over the winter months, thanks to 4 very brave people in terrible conditions.

On the cliffs I saw the Fulmar had paired up for breeding already.

Seals basking on the rocks.

Nearing Mew Island

This is the channel that Philip skillfully brought the boat through to reach Mew's jetty.  We could see the bottom through the water and it was not too far away!!!

This is my first view of the lighthouse as we walked up the path.  

You can just see a little house with a red door where a warden stays most weekends to look after the island.

He had a Woodpecker as a door knocker.

                             Eider Ducks that also nest on the islands.

The other side of the lighthouse.  

There was a helicopter pad just off to the left of this photograph.

 This tiny building was once used for keeping flags in before 

the lighthouse was automated.

Another disused building however I do not know what this one was used for.

I found this island was very different to the Bird Observatory Island and I will show you a few shots of its landscape.

These are Curlew and Gulls that lifted when I got near to them.

There were many more black Rabbits on this island 

than the other Copeland Islands.

 There were many more pools of fresh water on this island.

 After a couple of hours, it was time to leave, pick up the rest of the members on the Observatory Island and head back to Donaghadee harbour.  As you came see the mist was rolling in and the journey back was not as calm as the one out.

Seals basking on the rocks with the occasionally 

'looking up' to have a look at us.

 Both pairs of Fulmars.

 I think the Gulls were pleased that we were leaving their island.

I hope you enjoyed seeing Mew Island and visiting my post today.

Many thanks for leaving comments on any of my posts.