Maggie Sheddan
@gannetrocks.bsky.social
Landing guiding on Bass 24years and The May for many . Happy place seabird islands and 🚢
Together, this points to a hierarchical strategy: memory picks the general area, and social information helps refine and maintain it. By establishing the mechanisms by which gannets occupy space, this framework can robustly predict responses under climate and offshore wind farm scenarios. 4/5
New paper! We simulated foraging trips of Northern gannets at Bass Rock to decipher what information individuals use to keep returning to the same foraging patches. Memory was the strongest driver, but it wasn't the whole story. 🧵👇 doi.org/10.1186/s404... 1/5
Happy #WorldSeabirdDay! We look forward to seeing all the data our SMP participants collect on seabirds later in the season #Seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
Wonderful to work with such a great group of co-authors including @jwejeglinski.bsky.social @jasonmatth.bsky.social @keithchamer.bsky.social @kirstyfranklin.bsky.social @claudiatapiah.bsky.social @liamlangley1.bsky.social @gannetrocks.bsky.social @lucy-wright.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social
We built a hotel for roof-breeding kittiwakes on Røst and share our first experiences in a paper now published in SEABIRD, with recommendations for those attempting a similar project. High attendance but few breeding attempts in the first year. doi.org/10.61350/sbj... 📷 T Anker-Nilssen
Plenty of Kittiwake chicks now hatching across the Isle of May
#Bass so many chicks this week Chipping, hatching, hello world and that first delicate feed . + a young one the morning after the electric storm that hit the Bass.Just the beginning of gannet nurturing until late Sept/Oct @seabirdcentre.bsky.social. A 1st! 10 consecutive landings Thanks Seafari!
Our June 2026 newsletter has arrived in your inbox! 💌 We learn about the importance of @biosecuritylife.bsky.social and rescuing grounded shearwaters as well as celebrate 40-years of @smp-seabirds.bsky.social! Plus the usual Seabirder Spotlight, paper releases and some exciting news! 🗞️ #seabirds
#Bass at last first chick spotted by @sue-lewis.bsky.social last night ! Many still incubating but egg loss has been of concern this season due to predating gulls and carrion crow ! @seabirdcentre.bsky.social
The first chick of the season was spotted this evening, though I am sure there are a few others tucked away. Thanks to the Scottish Seabird Centre for the amazing cameras.
Want to know what it’s like going ON the Bass Rock? Thanks to the @seabirdcentre.bsky.social, I got to find out. And you can too. This’ll be in print in the Alba section of The Times Scotland tomorrow. www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/...
A love letter to the gannets of the Bass Rock
This important colony in the Firth of Forth is so big it turns the island white in nesting season. But it’s under threat from a wind farm bigger than Edinburgh
thetimes.com
#Bass Gannets maintain nests all season forming crater-like mounds protecting eggs & chicks. HPAI in 2022 combined with storms many sites were washed away. 4yrs on its fascinating observing unusual nest reconstruction techniques including penguin-like pebble base forming an outer ring .
An innovative new bird-tracking project has been launched in Scotland to help demystify the migratory secrets surrounding the familiar Rock Pipit:
Pioneering Rock Pipit study launches in Scotland
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is now being used in Fife, Scotland, to study Rock Pipit migration. Additionally, the system recently picked up the migratory movements of a Blackbird from Norway.
bit.ly
Our detection dog Reid has been helping check for rats in cargo going to Bass Rock for lighthouse restoration for @nlb-uk.bsky.social. These checks are important to help protect the large Northern Gannet colony on the island from invasive predators. #NatureRestorationFund @naturescot.bsky.social
Another new year job opportunity! Join the Isle of May @ukceh.bsky.social team in #Edinburgh, studying six species of #seabird 🦅🐣🕊️🐧🐤🐦 ceh.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/CEH_Ca... Deadline is 16th January. #ecology #seabirds #scotland
Avian Ecologist
Salary - £31,942 - £33,898 Depending on experience Hybrid working (50/50) Location: Edinburgh Closing date: 16th January 2026 We are looking for an enthusiastic Avian Ecologist to join our team in Edi...
ceh.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
#Bass intense wing flapping after a shower a few weeks back. The power, & strength building muscles for that first flight to the sea. where once crash landed tooheavy to take off They must learn to fish. Many now airborne and looking healthy @seabirdcentre.bsky.social
The recently published Lothian Bird Report 2022 and Isle of May Bird Observatory Bird Observatory Annual Report 2023 are now in stock at Waterston House. #BirdingLothian
1/ GPS-tracking of three gull species from the Isle of May, Scotland revealed overlap in foraging habitats during the breeding season, but differences in where the three species foraged, and their preference for landfills, urban and coastal habitats. 📖 bit.ly/GullStudy #Ornithology 🌍
New paper on avian flu in seabirds from an Edinburgh Uni PhD student published! Edinburgh University has been working on the Isle of May with UKCEH and other partners to investigate the effects of this virus among seabirds. Read about it here: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Asymptomatic infection and antibody prevalence to co-occurring avian influenza viruses vary substantially between sympatric seabird species following H5N1 outbreaks - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Asymptomatic infection and antibody prevalence to co-occurring avian influenza viruses vary substantially between sympatric seabird species following H5N1 outbreaks
doi.org
There’s still time to apply for our Assistant Bird Warden position! 🗓️ Deadline THIS FRIDAY 🐦 see below for more details 👇 @manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social #ukbirding
Calf of Man Bird Observatory@calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · last yr.🦆🔭 Join our Team! We’re looking for a passionate ringer & birder to join our friendly team as Assistant Bird Warden! The role will involve monitoring autumn migration through daily census and bird ringing. To find out more 👇 www.mwt.im/jobs/calf-ma... 🗓️ Applications close Friday 18th July
#Bass This young chick is trying to regulate its temperature with gular fluttering in the heat. @seabirdcentre.bsky.social
🚨EAST COAST #TASMANIA🚨 If you live in this area, we need your help checking for #BeachedBirds Send us your data (date, location, photos) via DM or email (AdriftLab@gmail.com) Currently getting reports of Australian #Gannets - photos essential to confirm species ID #CitizenScience #Birds #seabirds
#Bass wonderful to see the intensity of new pairs bonding. They have to build trust,learn to stay at their territory while the partner leaves to feed. This 'pair' have another new pair beside them. No nests Will they stay the season? A new page for the rock @ScottishSeabirdCentre excting !
2 June. A Forth Seabird Group count day off North Berwick ended up with the amazing spectacle of 4 Orcas midway to the Isle of May. Too close for my 400m at times!
ORCA! Read the updated blog about yesterdays amazing encounter of Killer Whales off the Isle of May and thanks to Robert Melville for the images. the link: isleofmaynnr.wordpress.com
Although these figures are estimates (so should be treated with caution) these results suggest that the gannet population has not yet started to recover from the impact of the avian flu outbreak in 2022.
The 2024 Bass Rock Gannet Count is complete✅ A high-resolution drone survey - carried out in partnership with @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social School of Geosciences, @ukceh.bsky.social & @edinburghnapier.bsky.social in July 2024 - provided a detailed new look at the Bass Rock gannet colony. 📷©️G Macvean
