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MORAY FIRTH MONITORING
WI NTER 1992/3
RICHARD J. EVANS
MAY 1993
N. SCOTLAND REGIONAL OFFICEETIVE HOUSEl BEECHWOOD PARK. INVERNESS
MORAY FIRTH MONITORING
WINTER 1992/3
RICHARD J. EVANS
A report by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birdsto BP Petroleum Development Ltd.
RSPB North Scotland Regional Office,Etive House,
Beechwood Park,Inverness IV2 3BW
May 1993
CONTENTS
Summary 31. General Introduction 5
~2. Seaduck Monitoring
2.1 Introduction2.2 Study Area2.3 Methods
2.4 Results 62.4.1 Scaup2.4.2 Eider2.4.3 King eider 72.4.4 Long-tailed duck2.4.5 Common seater2.4.6 Velvet seater2.4.7 Surf seater 82.4.8 Goldeneye2.4.9 Red-breasted merganser2.4.10 Goosander2.4.11 Red-throated diver2.4.12 Black-throated diver 92.4.13 Great northern diver2.4.14 Slavonian grebe2.4.15 Red-necked grebe2.5 Discussion 103. Seabird Use of the Inner Firths 143.1 Introduction3.2 Study Area3.3 Methods
3.4 Results3.4.1 Inner Dornoch Firth3.4.2 Cromarty Firth3.4.3 Inverness/Beau1y Firth 153.5 Discussion
4. Co-ordinated Wader and Wildfowl Counts 154.1 Introduction4.2 Study Area 164.3 Methods4.4 Results4.5 Discussion 175. Geese and swans 17
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 20References
SUMMARY
1. 1992/3 was the twelfth successive winter of seaduck monitoring in theMoray Firth as part of the BP/RSPB Beatrice Field Environmental MonitoringProgramme. Counts of seaduck, divers and grebes were undertaken monthlyfrom October 1992 to April 1993.
2. The highest monthly total of all seaduck species occurred in November,when 17,351 birds were recorded.
3. Scaup numbers peaked in February at 394.
4. Eider were recorded in their highest numbers in October when 2355 werepresent.
5. The peak monthly total of long-tailed duck was recorded in November,when 11 246 were present, including 6392 between Burghead and Culbin, 2000in the Riff Bank/Inverness Firth area and 2000 in Spey Bay. The "bestestimate" population index for the winter was 12 170.
6. Common scoter numbers peaked at 2197 (including apportionedunidentified scoter) in March and around 2000 were present throughout thestudy period.
7. Velvet scoter numbers peaked at 1106 in March, the highest numberrecorded in the Moray Firth since 1984/5.
8. There were ten records of surf scoter, involving a minimum of two malesand one female.
9. Goldeneye peaked at 1209 in February and the main site was theInverness Firth where birds are drawn to the Longman sewage outfall.
10. Red-breasted merganser numbers were lower than in 1991/2, peaking at1651 in February. The Riff Bank was again the most important site.
11. Goosander numbers on the Beau1y Firth were low for the fourthsuccessive year, peaking at 300 in February.
12. Red-throated diver numbers peaked at 423 in October, withprogressively fewer being recorded as the winter progressed.
13. Black-throated diver numbers peaked at 13 in November and December,and were below average at all regular sites.
14. Great northern diver numbers peaked at 40 in February, largely due toan influx into Burghead Bay.
15. The peak monthly total for slavonian grebe was 60 in December and themost important single site was the Cromarty Firth, with 27 birds inFebruary.
16. At least 2 Red-necked grebes were present between October andDecember, and a single bird was present in March.
17. Counts of seabirds in the inner firths were undertaken each month. Nomajor influxes were recorded and numbers of all target species (cormorant,shag, guillemot and razorbill) were low.
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18. Assistance was given to the network of volunteer counters taking partin the British Trust for Ornithology's Birds of Estuaries Enquiry countsand the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's National Wildfowl Count scheme (bothschemes part funded by RSPB and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee).Data on wildfowl and wader numbers were collated at RSPB's Inverness officefor forwarding to the BTO and Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and a monthlynewsletter was produced for the counters.
19. Assistance was given to volunteer goose counters and to ScottishNatural Heritage researchers in gathering improved data on numbers of swansand geese in the Moray Firth area. Data were collated at RSPB's Invernessoffice and were copied to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust as well as SNHgoose workers.
20. The Moray Firth area currently (1988/9 - 1992/3) supportsinternationally important wintering numbers (at least 1% of the north-westEuropean population) of the following species (in order of importance):greylag goose (25%), pink-footed goose (7%), whooper swan (5%), wigeon(5%), redshank (4%), bar-tailed godwit (4%), red-breasted merganser (2%),turnstone (2%), curlew (1%), teal (1%), oystercatcher (1%), ringed plover(1%0 and purple sandpiper (1%).
21. The Moray Firth currently holds nationally important wintering numbers(1% of the British population) of the following species (in order ofimportance): long-tailed duck (39%), velvet scoter (23%), slavonian grebe(13%), common scoter (11%), goldeneye (7%), goosander (6%), scaup (4%),eider (3%), greenshank (3%), dun1in (3%), red-throated diver (2%), black-throated diver (2%), mute swan (2%), she1duck (2%), pintail (1%), tuftedduck (1%), knot (1%) and mallard (1%).
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1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1992/3 is the twelfth successive winter that wintering seaduck have beenmonitored in the Moray Firth as part of the Beatrice Field environmentalmonitoring programme undertaken by RSPB for BP Petroleum Development Ltd.
This report covers the period October 1992 to April 1993 and includes:
1.
2.
3.
2.
2.1
Results of monthly seaduck counts in the Moray Firth, from Helmsdaleto Spey Bay.
Results of monthly seabird counts in the inner firths.
Summary results of co-ordinated wader and wildfowl counts carried outas part of the British Trust for Ornithology and Wildfowl andWetlands Trust Birds of Estuaries Enquiry/National Wildfowl Counts.
SEADUCK MONITORING
Introduction
2.2
The history of monitoring wintering bird populations in the Moray Firth hasbeen detailed by Akers (1989 and 1990).
Study Area~
The study area extends from Helmsdale in the north to Spey Bay in thesouth-east and includes the Dornoch, Cromarty, Beau1y and Inverness Firths.The area follows that previously described by Mudge and Aspinall (1985) andis divided into twelve standard count sections (Figure 1).
2.3 Methods
A full account of methods is given by Akers (1989). Counts of winteringseaduck, divers and grebes were made from standard count points, positionedto ensure complete coverage of the coast without overlap. Counts were madeon an opportunistic basis according to the weather conditions, but everyeffort was made to survey sections in geographical sequence and to completecoverage of the whole Moray Firth as quickly as possible each month.
The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's winter period for wildfowl counts extendsfrom September to March. In 1992/3 in the Moray Firth counts werecompleted each month between October 1992 and April 1993 in order to checkfor spring concentrations of seaduck. For most species one daytime countper section per month in good conditions was regarded as adequate.Supplementary counts of scaup, goldeneye and goosander were made attraditional sites and additional data for slavonian grebe, goldeneye andsawbi11 ducks were collected during the co-ordinated wader and wildfowlcounts.
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Because of the difficulties involved in counting long-tailed duck (they aresmall, cryptically coloured and can feed further off-shore than otherseaduck species), monthly totals of daytime counts are not the mostaccurate means of estimating the true population level. Additional surveyswere undertaken from vantage points on land for birds flying to or fromnight-time roost sites, of which three are known in the Moray Firth,although checks are made at other sites. These are in Burghead Bay, whichdraws birds from both east and west and which is counted from Findhorn andfrom Burghead; over the Riff Bank, counted from Chanonry Point and holdingbirds which feed in the Inverness Firth as well as in the Riff Bank sectionitself; and off Brora, generally drawing birds from further north.
Counts of roost-flighting Long-tailed Ducks were assigned to the standardsections in which they are assumed to be feeding (eg. birds flying intoBurghead Bay from the west are assigned to the Culbin section), but wereonly included in the monthly totals if the roost count exceeded the daytimecount for the section. Five main long-tailed duck areas were identified(Figure 2), incorporating from one to three standard count sections andmonthly totals were calculated for these larger areas. An index figure(corresponding to the "best estimate" peak total given in previous reports)for the winter was calculated by taking the peak monthly total for each ofthe five larger areas and summing the area totals.
2.4 Results
The peak total for all seaduck (sum of the peak total for each speciesregardless of month) for 1992/3 was 20,458, roughly 1000 fewer than in1991/2.
2.4.1 Scaup Aythya marila
Total scaup numbers in the Moray Firth peaked in February at 394. Atindividual sites, peak numbers occurred in different months, 193 in theCromarty Firth in February, 98 in the Dornoch Firth in April and 50 in theInverness Firth in March (Figure 3).
2.4.2 Eider Somateria molissima
Eider numbers in the Moray Firth in 1992/3 peaked at 2355 in October, when1145 were present on the coast of east Sutherland (Helmsdale to the OuterDornoch Firth). The highest area total occurred on the Morayshire coast(Culbin to Spey Bay) in January, when 1388 were recorded. (Figure 5).
Numbers on the Sutherland section dropped rapidly between the October andNovember counts. It seems that the area is still important for eider inthe autumn, but that it no longer holds large numbers of eider into themid-winter period.
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2.4.3 King eider Somateria spectabilis
Two drakes were recorded, one on the Sutherland coast and one on theMorayshire section.
2.4.4 Long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis
The highest monthly total (including daytime and roost counts) for theMoray Firth was 11,246 in November, when 6392 were present in the Burghead-Culbin section, 2000 were in the Riff Bank/Inverness Firth section and 2000were in Spey Bay. Numbers off the east Sutherland coast peaked at 1597 inDecember (Figure 7).
The index ("best estimate") for the whole winter (calculated by summing thepeak monthly totals for each section) was 12,170.
Roost counts at Brora in December detected a southerly movement of around1000 birds and a boat survey with SNH staff in February located a roostingarea approximately 5km south east of Go1spie, which drew birds both fromthe north, where daytime counts had not located large numbers of birds; andfrom the south, where a large group of birds was visible in very calmconditions east of Dornoch Point.
2.4.5 Common scoter Melanitta nigra
Peak numbers of common scoter occurred in March when 2197 were present(including apportioned unidentified scoter). Numbers were remarkablystable throughout the study period (range 1990 - 2197, Figure 9).
The four main sites were as usual Spey Bay (1080 April), Burghead Bay (1080October), Culbin (572 January) and the outer Dornoch Firth (375 March).
For the fifth successive spring, a male of the east Siberian and northAmerican race M. n. americana was recorded off Dornoch and what waspresumably the same bird was present in Burghead Bay between October andMarch. This is presumably the returning individual first seen off Culbinin 1988/9 and 1989/90 (Akers 1989 and 1990).
Velvet scoter Melanitta fusca
Peak numbers occurred in March, when 1106 were present ~(includingapportioned unidentified scoter). There was also a slight autumn peak,before numbers dropped a little over the mid-winter period.
The main sites were as usual the same as those for common seater: BurgheadBay (814 November), Spey Bay (410 March), the outer Dornoch Firth (398April) and Culbin (118 January).
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2.4.7 Surf scoter Melanitta perspicillata
There were ten records involving a minimum of two males and one female.
All records are given below:
26 Oct 92 1 male Burghead Bay26 Nov 92 1 male Burghead Bay20 Dec 92 1 male Culbin28 Jan 93 1 male Culbin23 Feb 93 1 male Burghead Bay24 Feb 93 1 male & 1 female Culbin10 Mar 93 1 male Culbin26 Mar 93 1 male Burghead14 Apr 93 1 male Culbin
I male Spey Bay28 Apr 93 I male & I female Brora
2.4.8 Goldeneye Bucephela clangula
Goldeneye numbers peaked in February at 1209, when 816 were present in theInverness Firth, 212 were in the Cromarty Firth and 135 were in the innerDornoch Firth. No other site held more than 60 birds (Figure 13).
2.4.9 Red-breasted merganser Mergus serrator
Red-breasted merganser numbers peaked in February when 1651 were presentthroughout the Moray Firth, when 781 were present in the Riff Bank section,510 in the Inverness/Beauly Firth and 149 in the outer Dornoch Firth. theCromarty Firth held 185 in November and Culbin 268 in April.
The peak monthly total for the BoEE unit "Inner Moray Firth" (Beauly Firth,Inverness Firth, Riff Bank and Culbin) was 1315 in February.
2.4.10 Goosander Mergus merganser
Goosander numbers peaked at 300 in February. All records came from theBeauly Firth, with the exception of a few single figure counts from theInverness Firth and the inner Dornoch Firth.
2.4.11 Red-throated diver Gavia stellata
The highest monthly total of red-throated divers was 423 in October, when261 were present in Spey Bay. The outer Dornoch Firth held 128 inDecember, the Culbin Bars held 102 in November, Burghead Bay held 101 inNovember and the Inverness Firth held 87 in February.
Overall, recorded numbers declined steadily throughout the winter, althoughthis may have been partly as a result of bad weather making divers moredifficult to detect on choppy seas.
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2.4.12 Black-throated diver Gavia arctica
Black-throated diver numbers peaked at 13 in November and December, when 10were present in the outer Dornoch Firth (November) and 4 in Burghead Bay(December). Spring numbers were low, with only 4 recorded in the outerDornoch Firth in March and none in April.
2.4.13 Great northern diver Gavia immer
Great northern diver numbers peaked at 40 in February, when 32 were presentin Burghead Bay. 10 were present in the outer Dornoch Firth in January andSpey Bay held 5 in October.
2.4.14 Slavonian Strebe Podiceps auritus
The highest monthly count of Slavonian Grebes was 60 in December, when 19were present in the outer Dornoch Firth. The Cromarty Firth held 27 andthe Inverness Firth in February and Burghead Bay held 19 in November(Figure 19).
2.4.15 Red-necked Strebe Podiceps grisegena
There were seven records involving a minimum of two birds. Singles werepresent in the outer Dornoch Firth and in Burghead Bay from October toDecember and again in the outer Dornoch firth in March.
2.5
2.5.1
Discussion
Scaup
Scaup numbers have remained fairly stable in the Moray Firth throughout theperiod 1977/8 - 1992/3 (Figure 4). The mean annual peak for the MorayFirth for the five winters 1988/9 - 1992/3 is 430, approximately 4% of therevised population estimate for Great Britain (Kirby et al. in press).Each of the three main scaup sites in the Moray Firth has held in excess of110 birds for the last five winters and all three sites (Edderton Bay, theCromarty Firth and Longman Bay in the Inverness Firth) are thereforenationally important for wintering scaup.
2.5.2 ~Eider
Peak eider numbers since 1977/8 have remained fairly stable, fluctuatingbetween 2000 and 3000 (Figure 6). The mean peak total for the five winters1988/9 - 1992/3 is 2261, around 3% of the GB wintering population (Kirby etal. in press).
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The two most important sections of coast are the east Sutherland coast fromHelmsdale to Dornoch and the Morayshire coast from Culbin to Spey Bay.Annual changes in numbers at these two sites follow overall Moray Firthchanges closely (Figure 6). Five year means for east Sutherland andMorayshire are 1379 and 1060 respectively, making both sites nationallyimportant for wintering eider.
Peak numbers on the east Sutherland coast have declined significantly overthe period 1977/8/2 - 1992/3 (Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient rs =-0.544, n = 16, p < 0.05), while numbers on the Morayshirecoast haveincreased significantly over the same period (rs = 0.629, n = 16, p<0.05).
2.5.3 King eider
King Eiders are regarded as scarce but regular visitors to the Moray Firth,particularly the Outer Dornoch Firth. In recent years the frequency ofmid-winter records here has declined, coincident with reduced use of theeast Sutherland coast by eider in mid-winter.
2.5.4 Long-tailed duck
The Moray Firth is the most important wintering site in Britain and Irelandfor wintering long-tailed ducks. The mean peak monthly total for the fiveyears since 1988/9 is 8998, approximately 39% of the most recent GBpopulation estimate (Kirby et al. in press).
Peak monthly totals should be regarded as absolute minima. Long-tailedducks (along with divers and grebes) are susceptible to being under-recorded by land-based counts in less than perfect conditions. Dusk anddawn movements between roosting and feeding areas are not always reliable,either due to poor weather conditions or to birds moving when it is toodark for observers to distinguish the birds. However, improved accuracywould probably involve increased coverage and resources.
"Best estimate" totals for the Moray Firth have fluctuated considerablyover the years (range <6000 to >22,000 for years with complete coverage,Figure 8). Site usagewithin the Moray Firth has varied from winter towinter, although the most consistently important area has been the Burghead- Culbin section, including the Burghead Bay roost. The roost certainlydraws birds from feeding areas off Culbin and Burghead and during Novemberand December 1992 many birds appeared to be flying to roost from the north-east, possibly from feeding areas over the Guil1am Bank and in shallowareas off the East Ross peninsula, where large flocks of long-tailed duckswere detected by NCC boat surveys during 1984/5 (Mudge and Aspinall 1985).The Burghead Bay roost is not currently thought to draw birds from feedingareas over the Riff Bank.
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2.5.5 Common seater
Common seater numbers peaked in March at 2197, but numbers were remarkablystable throughout the winter, with the monthly total never dropping below1990 (2.4.4 above). Overall peak numbers were slightly below the mean forthe last five winters (2504 birds - 11% of the GB wintering population),but peak numbers at Spey Bay, Burghead Bay and Culbin were all aboveaverage.There was some redistribution of common seoter between sites as the winterprogressed, with Burghead Bay being the most important site in the earlypart of the winter and Spey Bay being the most important site in thespring. Numbers in the outer Dornoch Firth peaked in March, but the springbuild up at this site was not as pronounced as in the two previous years.
It is ten years since the Moray Firth held internationally importantnumbers of common scoter (Figure 10), although each of the four main sitesin the area holds nationally important numbers. The decline in numbers inthe Moray Firth seems to be part of a wider and perhaps long-term declinethroughout Britain and Ireland (Kirby et al. in press).
2.5.6 Velvet seater
The Moray Firth as a whole is the second only to St. Andrews Bay inimportance for wintering velvet seoter (Kirby et al. in press). During1992/3, numbers were above average both for the Moray Firth as a whole(mean 1988/9 - 1992/3 = 705, 23% of the GB wintering population) and forall four of the main sites. The seasonal pattern of abundance was broadlysimilar to that for common seoter, with Burghead Bay the most importantsite in the early winter and numbers in Spey Bay and the outer DornoehFirth peaking in the spring.
Like common seoter, velvet seoter numbers dropped sharply in the early1980's (Figure 12) and although velvet scoter numbers peaked at over 1000for the first time in eight years, the population level is still well belowthat recorded in the early years of the Beatrice Field environmentalmonitoring programme.
As with common scoter, the Moray Firth no longer holds internationallyimportant numbers of velvet seoter, although all of the four main siteswithin the firth still hold nationally important numbers. Again likecommon seoter there is evidence to suggest a wider and possibly long-termdecline in velvet seoter numbers in Britain and Ireland (Kirby et al. inpress).
2.5.7 Surf seoter
Surf seoter is an annual visitor in small numbers to the Moray Firth, witha tendency to peak in the spring in some years. In 1992/3 surf seoterswere recorded in all months, although probably no more than three birdswere involved.
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2.5.8 Goldeneye
Numbers for the Moray Firth as a whole and for the three main sites allpeaked in February, a typical pattern for recent winters. The InvernessFirth is now the prime site in the Moray Firth and the birds feed in thevicinity of the Longman sewage outfall.
Peak numbers for the Moray Firth have exceeded 800 for the last eightwinters and 1,000 for the last five (Figure 14). The Moray Firth isnationally important for goldeneye, holding on average 1033 birds for theperiod 1988/9 - 1992/3, or 7% of the UK wintering population and is thethird most important site in the UK after Lough Neagh and the Firth ofForth (Kirby et al. 1991).
2.5.9 Red-breasted merganser
The Moray Firth is the only site in Britain and 'Ireland to holdinternationally important numbers of red-breasted merganser (Kirby et al.in press): the five year mean peak total for 1988/9 - 1992/3 is 1890 birds(Figure 16), approximately 2% of the north-west European and 20% of theBritish and Irish wintering populations respectively.
The peak count for the Inverness/Beauly Firth was above the average of thelast five winters, but counts elsewhere, including the peak monthly totalof 1651 (February) were below average. The weather was possibly a factor,affecting the accuracy of the counts: the Riff Bank has been the mostimportant site within the firth for the last five winters, normally showinga December or January peak of 1000+ birds, but during 1992/3 weatherconditions during January and February were poor and the maximum count madefor the Riff Bank was 781 birds in February, some 300 lower than the meanfor the last five winters.
2.5.10 Goosander
Goosander numbers in the Beau1y Firth were extremely low for the fourthwinter running (Figure 17). Numbers of other piscivorous bird speciesusing the Beau1y Firth were again low, reinforcing the supposition that thefood supply for these birds is low (Akers 1990, Evans 1991 and 1992).
The five year mean for peak numbers of goosander in the Beauly Firth up toand including 1992/3 was 577 birds, well above the qualifying level fornational importance (average 50 birds), but below the level forinternational importance (1250 birds, Kirby et al. 1991). Until1990/1,the Beauly Firth was the only internationally important site for winteringgoosander in Britain.
2.5.11 Red-throated diver
Peak totals for sections within the Moray Firth and for the firth itselfhave been fairly stable over the period 1984/5 - 1992/3 (with the exceptionof 1987/8 when there was a marked influx into Spey Bay in the late autumn -Figure 20). The 1992/3 peak total of 423 birds was exactly the same as thefive year mean peak for 1988/9 - 1992/3.
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During 1992/3, overall numbers peaked in October and declined as the winterprogressed and numbers peaked during the early winter at all sites with theexception of the Inverness/Beauly Firth. Peak numbers were above averageat all the main sites, again with the exception of the Inverness/BeaulyFirth.The Moray Firth as a whole holds nationally important numbers with around2% of the estimated autumn total for Britain and Ireland (Parrack 1986a)and the December mean of 241 is also around 2% of the wintering populationestimate for Britain and Ireland (ibid).
2.5.12 Black-throated diver
Black-throated diver numbers in the Moray Firth normally peak at around 20- 35 in February - March, with the most important sites being the outerDornoch Firth and Burghead Bay:Numbers were well below average during 1992/3 (Figure 21) and the peaktotal of only 13 birds occurred in November and December. The outerDornoch Firth was the only site where numbers reached double figures.
The mean peak total for black-throated divers in the Moray Firth for thefive years 1988/9 - 1992/3 is 29, just over 2% of the British winteringpopulation (Parrack 1986b).
2.5.13 Great northern diver
Great northern divers tend to stay further off-shore than other diverspecies and as a result may well be under-recorded in the Moray Firth. Thepeak total of 40 birds for 1992/3 was 66% above the mean for the period1988/9 - 1992/3 (24 birds; Figure 21), largely due to an unusually highcount of 32 birds in Burghead Bay in February. Numbers at the other mainsite, the outer Dornoch Firth were about average.
Great northern divers are generally commoner on the west coast of Britainand Ireland than the east (Parrack 1986c) and numbers recorded in the MorayFirth are usually well below the 1% qualifying levels for nationalimportance. This winter's relatively high count brings the five year meanpeak for 1988/9 1992/3 close to the 1% level for Great Britain (28 birds,Parrack 1986c).
2.5.14 Slavonian grebe
Slavonian grebe numbers are easy to underestimate, as they can be difficultto see in less than perfect counting conditions because of their size andcolouration. Nevertheless, peak monthly totals for the Moray Firth for thepast five years give a mean population figure of 51 (Figure 22),approximately 13% of the British wintering population estimated by Chandler(1986).
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2.5.15 Red-necked grebe
Red-necked grebes are annual winter visitors to the Moray Firth in verysmall numbers. The British wintering population is too small (c. 135birds, Chandler 1986b) for the 1% qualification level for nationalimportance to have any meaning for this species.
3.
3.1
SEABIRD USE OF THE INNER FIRTHS
Introduction
The Inverness/Beauly Firth, the Cromarty Firth and the inner Dornoch Firthcan hold important concentrations of seabirds in winter. The present studycontinues work undertaken in previous winters, from 1981/2 to the present(Mudge et al. 1984, Parsons et al. 1988, Akers 1989 and 1990, Evans 1991and 1992).
Target species were cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, shag P. aristotelis,guillemot Uria aalge, razorbill Alca torda and kittiwake Rissa tridactyla.Other species may also occur, but only occasionally and usually in smallnumbers, for example, fulmar Fulmaris glacialis, gannet Sula bass ana ,little auk AIle aIle and skuas Stercorarius spp ..
3.2 Study Area
The Inverness/Beauly Firth and Cromarty Firth area boundaries and countpoints were described by Mudge et al. (1984) and those for the innerDornoch Firth by Mudge and Aspinall (1985).
3.3 Methods
Counts were made from the standard count points (3.2 above) and werecarried out monthly, at the same time as the seaduck counts for the innerfirths. All birds were identified to species if possible, but when shagcould not be separated from cormorant or guillemot from razorbill they wererecorded in a category separate from birds positively identified.
3.4
3.4.1
Results
Inner Dornoch Firth
The only seabirds recorded in the inner Dornoch Firth were cormorants,numbers peaking at 7 in October.
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3.4.2 Cromarty Firth
Peak totals were: cormorant 23 (October); shag 3 (February); guillemot 18(February); razorbill 6 (February).
3.4.3 Inverness/Beau1y Firth
Peak totals were: cormorant 130 (January); shag 2 (October); guillemot 13(October); razorbill 14 (October); auk sp. 48 (October). Large numbers(lOO's) of auks were reported to have moved into the Inverness Firth pastChanonry point during bad weather in the late winter, but the birds did notstay in the firth long enough to be counted once the weather had improved.
3.5 Discussion
Seabird numbers in the inner firths during 1992/3 were the very low.Cormorant numbers in the Inverness/Beauly Firth like goosander showedlittle sign of recovery and no large counts of auks were made, possiblyindicating that stocks of fish of suitable size/age class are still low,following the pattern of recent winters (Akers 1990, Evans 1991 and 1992).
Reports of large numbers of auks flying into the Inverness Firth reiteratethe importance of the inner firths as a bad weather refuge for someseabirds. However, the pattern of use of the inner firths, particularly byguillemots and razorbills is markedly different from that recorded duringthe late 1980's when counts of auks in the Inverness /Beauly firthregularly exceeded 1000 birds.
4.
4.1
CO-ORDINATED WADER AND WILDFOWL COUNTS
Introduction
(BoEE)
The Birds of Estuaries Enquiry (BoEE) is carried out nationwide by anetwork of volunteer counters for the British Trust for Ornithology and theWildfowl and Wetlands Trust
Counts of waders and wildfowl have been undertaken in the Moray Firth since1969 and both Prater (1981) and Symonds and Langslow (1985) demonstratedthe importance of the Moray Firth for wintering shorebirds and wildfowl.
Coverage of the Moray Firth since 1985/6 has been co-ordinated from RSPBNorth Scotland Regional Office in Inverness, where the results werecollated before being checked by the local BTO representative and forwardedto the BTO and WWT for inclusion in the national BoEE records.
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4.2 Study Area
Coverage extended with some breaks from Brora in the north to Buckie in theeast. The firth was divided into six main sections, from north to south:
1) Brora - Dornoch Point [with a gap between Brora and Golspie]
2) The Inner Dornoch Firth [Dornoch - Carbisdale - Tarbat Ness]
3) The Cromarty Firth
4) The Beauly Firth
5) The Inner Moray Firth [Inverness Firth to Findhorn Bay]
6) Rocky Shores [Wilkhaven - Rockfield; Balintore; BurgheadHopeman; Lossiemouth; Spey Estuary;Portgordon - Buckie]
4.3 Methods
The firth was divided into 55 small sections for counting purposes and oneor more of these sections was assigned to one of more than 40 volunteercounters. For each co-ordinated count, each section was counted on thesame rising or high tide. Counts were normally made with binoculars andtelescope, but precise methods varied according to the preference of thecounter or the dictates of the site. Count dates were 11th October, 13thDecember, 10th January and 7th February. Any section missed or poorlycounted on the specified date was counted again as soon as possibleafterwards.
High tide counts do not adequately cover whooper swan, greylag goose andpink-footed goose which use agricultural land and freshwater sites withinthe coastal zone. These species are discussed further in Section 5(below).
4.4 Results
Monthly species totals for the Moray Firth are shown in Table 1 and peakannual totals for the five winters 1988/9 - 1992/3 are shown in Table 2.BoEE counts produced totals of 48 416 wildfowl (excluding seaduck) and43 879 waders for 1992/3.
Numbers of mute swan, oystercatcher, bar-tailed godwit and curlew were atleast 5% higher than their respective means for the five year period, whilenumbers of teal, mallard, pintail, purple sandpiper, dunlin, redshank andturnstone were all between 10% and 20% lower than their respective meansfor the same period.
16
4.5
4.5.1
Discussion
Internationally Important Species
Between 1988/9 and 1992/3 the Moray Firth held at least 1% of the north-west European (wildfowl) or East Atlantic Flyway (waders) populations ofthe following species (in order of importance): greylag goose, pink-footedgoose, whooper swan, wigeon, redshank, bar-tailed godwit, turnstone,curlew, teal, oystercatcher, ringed plover and purple sandpiper.
4.5.2 Nationally Important Species
Between 1988/9 and 1992/3 the Moray Firth held at least 1% of the Britishwintering populations of (in order of importance): dunlin, mute swan,she1duck, pintail, tufted duck, knot and mallard.
5. GEESE AND SWANS
The Moray Firth area holds large numbers of whooper swans and greylag andpink-footed geese, particularly during the autumn (greylag goose andwhooper swan) and spring (all three species). The birds are not confinedto coastal habitats, but use agricultural land and freshwater sites in thelow-lying coastal zone of the Moray Firth, as well as saltmarsh andintertidal areas on the coast itself.
Daytime wildfowl counts on coastal sites (BoEE counts, Section 4 above) andfreshwater sites (National Wildfowl Counts, organised by the Wildfowl andWetlands Trust) tend not to cover these species adequately, but theWildfowl and Wetlands Trust organises additional counts for these speciesduring the autumn (October and November). The absence of national goosecounts in recent springs led to a lack of data on the status on pink-footedgoose in the Moray Firth area, as the species occurs in large numbers hereonly during the spring.
Spring counts in the Moray Firth area were made by local counters, assistedby the postho1der, in 1992 and 1993. Counts were made at key goose siteseach month during the winter of 1992/3 at the request of Scottish NaturalHeritage, who were researching goose use of agricultural land in the area.
Data gathered from these counts and from Wildfowl and Wetlands Trustreports have been incorporated into Table 2, which demonstrates theimportance of the Moray Firth coastal zone for greylag goose (on average25% of the Icelandic breeding population has used the area in the last fivewinters), pink-footed goose (7% of the Icelandic/Greenland breedingpopulation) and whooper swan (nearly 5% of the Icelandic breedingpopulation).
17
TABLE 1: Monthly totals of wi1dfow1(exc1uding seaduck) and wader speciesrecorded in the Moray Firth on Birds of Estuaries Enquiry counts 1991/2.
SPECIES/MONTH OCTOBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY
~ Mute swan 374 338 306 283Whooper swan 20 13 9 73Pink-footed goose 5 1 313 1364Greylag goose 1916 5254 1658 1462Canada goose 3 22 18 10She1duck 34 654 879 1296Wigeon 30067 28053 18637 8686Teal 4229 3853 3727 1659Mallard 3348 3695 4548 2620Pintail 84 317 114 147Pochard 0 0 0 8Tufted duck 265 570 864 141
Oystercatcher 10923 11356 9294 10687Ringed plover 940 467 487 599Golden plover 416 0 0 31Grey plover 81 9 3 10Lapwing 1389 514 405 1778Knot 559 455 1702 2997Sanderling 92 23 39 54Purple sandpiper 0 274 368 417Dun1in 2045 7885 10252 9128Ruff 1 0 0 0Snipe 8 2 1 11Black-tailed godwit 0 1 0 0Bar-tailed godwit 2801 2238 3890 4528Curlew 4019 3350 2398 5823Green sandpiper 0 1 0 0Redshank 5365 4717 5104 5076Spotted redshank 1 0 0 0Greenshank 12 0 1 2Turnstone 1168 658 927 968
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TABLE 2: Peak and mean peak totals for wildfowl (excluding seaduck) andwader species recorded in the Moray Firth area 1988/9 - 1992/3, togetherwith mean percentages of British and north-west European populations of thespecies. Data include BoEE counts and supplementary goose, swan andwildfowl counts where relevant (*= species with supplementary data).
SPECIES/WINTER 88/9 89/90 90/1 91/2 92/3 MEAN %UK %EUR
Mute swan 290 303 316 313 374 319 1.8 0.2
Whooper swan * 429 1792 1115 421 398 831 13.8 4.9
Pink-f. goose * 20191 12108 10000 14866 13444 14122 7.1 7.1
Greylag goose * 28710 18686 31679 19189 29894 25632 25.6 25.6
Shelduck 1273 1519 1354 1231 1296 1335 1.8 0.5
Wigeon * 25727 34012 36471 42249 30266 33745 13.5 4.5
Teal * 4269 4657 5857 4430 4236 4690 4.7 1.2
Mallard * 5751 5124 5693 6253 4699 5504 1.1 0.1
Pintail 359 244 682 279 317 376 1.5 0.5
Tufted duck 673 921 957 812 864 845 1.4 0.1
Oystercatcher 10256 9961 10746 11140 11356 10692 3.8 1.2
Ringed plover 559 403 839 542 565 578 2.5 1.2
Golden plover 205 721 427 851 31 447 0.2 -
Grey plover 55 45 48 65 9 44 0.2 -
Lapwing 1788 1403 1184 1173 1778 1465 0.1 -
Knot 4429 1695 2511 3102 2997 2947 1.3 0.8
Sanderling 40 64 101 105 54 73 0.5 0.1
Purple sandpiper 495 548 680 462 417 520 3.3 1.0
Dun1in 14648 9972 13661 13412 10252 12389 2.9 0.9
Bar-t. godwit 2987 2821 4711 3642 4528 3738 6.1 3.7
Curlew 3837 4378 3187 6469 5823 4739 5.2 1.4
Redshank 6019 5399 5952 6117 5104 5718 7.6 3.8
Greenshank 12 16 14 10 2 11 3.0 -
Turnstone 1062 974 1170 1277 948 1086 2.4 1.6
19
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I should like to thank the following:
BP Petroleum Development Ltd., for funding the work as part of the BeatriceField Environmental Monitoring Programme, particularly Gary Cranmer for hisenthusiastic support;
Frazer Symonds for piloting the SNH boat;
BoEE counters, especially Frazer Symonds, Bob Swann, Andrew Ramsay, JohnSmith, Arthur Shearer, Dave Galloway, Bill Taylor and Martin Cook forproviding additional bird data;
Gordon Rae of Forest Enterprise for allowing access by car to the foreshoreat Culbin, Burghead Bay and Spey Bay;
Colin Crooke for supervising the work and Dr Ron Summers and Dr Tim Stowefor their comments on the draft of this report.
REFERENCES
Akers PG (1989) Moray Firth Monitoring: Winter 1988/9. Unpubl. RSPBreport to BP Petroleum Development Ltd.
Akers PG (1990) Moray Firth Monitoring: Winter 1989/90. Unpubl. RSPBreport to BP Petroleum Development Ltd.
Aspinall SJ and Dennis RH (1988) Goosanders and Red-breasted Mergansersin the Moray Firth. Scot. Birds 15: 65-70
Aspinall SJ and Mudge GP (1986) Seaducks and Divers in the Moray Firth1985 - 1986. Unpubl. RSPB report to Britoil pIc.
Barrett J and Barrett CF (1983) Moray Firth Seaducks: Winters 1981/2and 1982/3. Unpubl. RSPB report to Britoil pIc.
Barrett J and Barrett CF (1985) Wintering Goldeneye in the Moray FirthScot. Birds 13: 241-249
Baxter EV and Rintoul LJ (1953) The Birds of Scotland. Oliver andBoyd, Edinburgh.
Campbell LH, Barrett J and Barrett CF (1986) Seaducks in the Moray Firth:a review of their current status and distribution. Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin.91B: 105-112
Chandler RJ (1986a) Slavonian Grebe, in Lack (ed.) (1986)
Chandler RJ (1986b) Red-necked Grebe, in Lack (ed.) (1986)
Evans RJ (1991) Moray Firth Monitoring: Winter 1990/1. Unpubl. RSPBreport to BP Petroleum Development Ltd.
20
Evans RJ (1992) Moray Firth Monitoring: Winter 1991/2. Unpubl. RSPBreport to BP Petroleum Development Ltd.
Harvie-Brown JA and Buckley TE (1895) A Vertebrate Fauna of the MorayBasin. David Douglas, Edinburgh
Kirby JS, Fearns JR, Waters RJ and Prys-Jones RP (1991) Wildfowl andWader Counts 1990-91. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge.
Kirby JS, Evans RJ and Fox AD (in press) Wintering seaducks in Britainand Ireland: populations, threats, conservation and research priorities.In press Aquatic Conservation, Marine and Freshwater Ecosystem.
Lack P (ed) (1986) The Atlas of Wintering Birds in Britain and Ireland.Poyser, Calton.Mudge GP and Allen DS (1980) Wintering seaducks in the Moray and DornochFirths, Scotland. Wildfowl 31: 123-130
Mudge GP and Aspinall SJ (1985) Spring, Autumn and Winter Concentrationsof Seaduck and Divers in the Moray Firth 1984 - 1985. Unpubl. RSPB reportto Britoi1 p1c.
Mudge GP and Cadbury CJ (1987) The Moray firth: its importance forseabirds and seaducks. RSPB Conservation Review 1: 51-55.
Mudge GP, Crooke CH and Barrett CF (1984). The Offshore Distribution andAbundance of Seabirds in the Moray Firth, 1982 and 1983. Unpubl. RSPBreport to Britoil pIc.
Parrack JD (1986a) Red-throated Diver, in Lack (ed.) (1986)
Parrack JD (1986b) Black-throated Diver, in Lack (ed.) (1986)
Parrack JD (1986c) Great Northern Diver, in Lack (ed.) (1986)Parsons SM, Aspinall SJ and Campbell LH (1988) Seabirds and Shorebirds inthe Moray Firth 1986/7. Unpub1. RSPB report to Britoi1 p1c.
Prater AJ (1981) Estuary Birds of Britain and Ireland. Poyser, Calton.
Swann RL and Mudge GP (1989) Moray Basin wader populations. Scot. Birds15: 97-105.
Symonds FL and Langslow DR (1986). The distribution and local movements ofshorebirds within the Moray Firth. Proe. Roy. Soc. Edin. 91B: 143-167.
21
FIGURE1: Horay Firth Seaduck Study Area, showing count sections.
FIGURE2: Moray Firth Long-tailed Duck areas
FIGURE 3: MORAY FIRTH SCAUPMONTHLYTOTALS 1992/3
FIGURE 4: MORAY FIRTH SCAUPPEAK TOTALS 1977/8 -1992/3
FIGURE 5: MORAY FIRTH EIDERMONTHLY TOTALS 1992/3
FIGURE 6: MORAY FIRTH EIDERPEAK TOTALS 1977/8 - 1992/3
FIGURE 7: MORAY FIRTH L-T DUCKMONTHLY COUNTS 1992/3
FIGURE 8: MORAY FIRTH LONG-TAILED DUCKBEST ESTIMATE PEAK TOTALS 1970/1 - 92/3
FIGURE 9: MORAY FIRTH COMMON SCOTERMONTHLYTOTALS 1992/3
FIGURE 10: MORAY FIRTH COMMON SCOTERPEAKTOTALS 1970/1 - 1992/3
FIGURE 11: MORAY FIRTH VELVET SCOTERMONTHLYTOTALS 1992/3
FIGURE 12: MORAY FIRTH VELVET SCOTERPEAK WINTER ESTIMATES197011 - 1992/3
FIGURE 13: MORAY FIRTH GOLDENEYEMONTHLY COUNTS 1992/3
FIGURE 14: MORAY FIRTH GOLDENEYEPEAK TOTALS 1977/8 - 1992/3
FIGURE 15: MORAY FIRTH R-B MERGANSERMONTHLY COUNTS 1992/3
FIGURE 16: MORAY FIRTH R-B MERGANSERPEAK TOTALS 1977/8 - 1991/2
FIGURE 17: BEAULY FIRTH GOOSANDERPEAK TOTALS 1964/5 - 1992/3
FIGURE 18: INV/BEAULY FIRTH CORMORANTPEAK WINTER TOTALS 1981/2 - 1991/2
FIGURE 19: MORAY FIRTH R-T DIVERMONTHLYTOTALS 1992/3
FIGURE 20: MORAY FIRTH DIVERSPEAK TOTALS 1984/5 -1992/3
FIGURE 21: MORAY FIRTH DIVERSPEAK TOTALS 1984/5 - 1992/3
FIGURE 22: MORAY FIRTH SLAVONIAN GREBEPEAK COUNTS 1985/6 - 1992/3
APPENDIX 1
OCTOBER 1992 Helms. Brora Golsp. Inn. E Ross Crom. Inv/B Riff Culbin B'hd. B'hd. Spey TOTAL-Brora -Glsp. -Dorn. Dor.F Fth. Fth. Bank Bars Bay -Loss. Bay
Seaup a a 3 a a 130 a a a a a a 133Eider 78 129 938 a 30 a a a 50 156 520 454 2355
Common Seoter a 4 310 a a a a a 400 982 27 269 1992
Velvet Seoter a a 3 a a 0 a a 30 416 0 5 454
Seoter sp. a a 160 a a 0 a a a 140 a 8 308
Long-tailed Duck a a 26 a 40 a 10 650 1200 1902 15 950 4793
Goldeneye a 0 0 32 a 11 75 0 a a 1 6 125
Red-br. Merganser a 63 66 31 a 84 119 460 93 6 a 15 937
Goosander a a a 5 a a 17 a a a a a 22
Red-throated Diver a 10 37 a 0 1 a a a 41 a 261 350
Black-throated Diver a a 6 a a 0 a a a 1 0 a 7
Great Northern Diver 0 0 0 a a 0 a a a 0 a 5 5
Diver sp. a 16 40 0 a a 0 12 a 5 a a 73
Slavonian Grebe 0 a 15 0 a 8 0 a a 9 a a 38
APPENDIX 2
NOVEMBER 1992 Helms. Brora Golsp. Inn. E Ross Crom. Inv/B Riff Culbin B'hd. B'hd. Spey TOTAL-Brora -Glsp. -Dorn. Dor.F Fth. Fth. Bank Bars Bay -Loss. Bay
Scaup 0 0 0 18 0 166 7 0 0 0 0 1 192Eider 69 61 163 0 89 12 0 0 116 13 348 669 1540
~Common Scoter 0 11 131 0 0 0 0 60 462 796 35 335 1830Velvet Scoter 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 41 656 0 50 749Scoter sp. 0 0 130 0 0 0 0 0 10 371 0 3 514Long-tailed Duck 250 378 189 0 0 33 360 1642 2440 822 3130 2002 11246Goldeneye 0 4 8 0 0 73 308 1 0 23 0 9 426
Red-br. Merganser 0 28 37 0 0 62 296 238 39 11 3 5 719
Goosander 0 0 0 0 0 0 135 0 0 0 0 0 135
Red-throated Diver 1 10 20 0 0 6 12 0 99 91 7 109 343
Black-throated Diver 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 13
Great Northern Diver 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 0 1 25
Diver sp. 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 3 3 15 0 0 25
Slavonian Grebe 0 0 2 0 0 17 3 0 3 19 0 0 44
APPENDIX 3
DECEMBER 1992 Helms. Brora Golsp. Inn. E Ross Crom. Inv/B Riff Cu1bin B'hd. B'hd. Spey TOTAL-Brora -Glsp. -Dorn. Dor.F Fth. Fth. Bank Bars Bay -Loss. Bay
Scaup 0 0 0 42 0 168 4 0 0 0 0 1 215
Eider 50 70 131 0 60 1 0 0 69 47 205 760 1393
Common Scoter 0 10 30 0 0 0 0 0 462 687 32 545 1756
Velvet Scoter 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 76 385 0 81 542
Scoter sp. 0 0 130 0 0 0 0 0 120 136 0 0 386
Long-tailed Duck 940 10 657 0 0 64 340 1265 2530 1300 66 295 7467
Goldeneye 0 0 7 97 0 67 341 1 0 51 51 1 616
Red-br. Merganser 0 0 56 8 0 185 108 445 9 7 0 9 827
Goosander 0 0 0 0 0 0 209 0 0 0 0 0 209
Red-throated Diver 0 10 12 0 0 4 37 7 47 88 7 34 366
Black-throated Diver 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 ~0 4 0 0 13
Great Northern Diver 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 0 0 21
Diver sp. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 0 0 6
Slavonian Grebe 0 0 19 0 0 16 8 0 2 15 0 0 60
APPENDIX 4
JANUARY 1993 Helms. Brora Go1sp. Inn. E Ross Crom. Inv/B Riff Cu1bin B'hd. B'hd. Spey TOTAL-Brora -Glsp. -Dorn. Dor.F Fth. Fth. Bank Bars Bay -Loss. Bay
Scaup 0 0 0 0 0 217 29 0 0 0 0 0 249Eider 118 64 119 0 89 0 0 0 138 99 220 931 1778Common Scoter 0 22 70 0 0 0 0 0 554 591 10 640 1887Velvet Scoter 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 116 676 0 46 847Scoter sp. 0 0 160 0 0 0 0 0 20 30 0 0 210Long-tailed Duck 120 140 337 0 13 5 12 650 1440 700 103 632 3446Goldeneye 0 3 18 106 9 118 557 9 0 12 50 16 898Red-br. Merganser 0 24 59 11 10 75 159 760 73 28 0 18 1217Goosander 0 0 0 0 0 0 300 0 0 0 0 0 300Red-throated Diver 6 63 46 0 4 0 0 4 61 28 13 61 286Black-throated Diver 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 8Great Northern Diver 1 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 16Diver sp. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 6Slavonian Grebe 0 0 7 0 0 1 0 0 0 8 0 0 16
APPENDIX 5
FEBRUARY 1993 Helms. Brora Golsp. Inn. E Ross Crom. Inv/B Riff Culbin B'hd. B'hd. Spey TOTAL-Brora -Glsp. -Dorn. Dor.F Fth. Fth. Bank Bars Bay -Loss. Bay
Scaup 0 0 0 60 0 293 41 0 0 0 0 0 394
Eider 68 15 47 0 67 1 0 0 90 164 31 722 1205
Common Scoter 0 15 124 0 0 0 0 7 311 683 0 390 1530
Velvet Scoter 0 0 22 0 0 0 0 0 54 630 5 115 826
Scoter sp. 0 0 170 0 0 0 0 0 80 210 0 140 600
Long-tailed Duck 1020 100 400 0 10 80 210 910 1360 463 65 180 4798
Goldeneye 8 4 2 135 0 212 816 4 0 0 24 4 1144
Red-br. Merganser 0 13 149 1 3 168 510 781 24 0 0 2 1651
Goosander 0 0 0 4 0 0 260 0 0 0 0 0 264
Red-throated Diver 0 7 27 0 8 0 80 7 36 47 5 46 263
Black-throated Diver 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 7
Great Northern Diver 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 32 0 2 40
Slavonian grebe 0 0 10 0 0 27 8 0 0 3 0 0 48
APPENDIX 6
MARCH 1993 Helms. Brora Golsp. Inn. E Ross Crom. Inv/B Riff Culbin B'hd. B'hd. Spey TOTAL-Brora -Glsp. -Dorn. Dor.F Fth. Fth. Bank Bars Bay -Loss. Bay
Scaup 0 0 95 0 0 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 145Eider 375 50 235 0 1 7 0 0 195 143 335 571 1912Common Scoter 0 0 310 0 0 0 0 0 241 429 139 825 1944Velvet Scoter 0 0 180 0 0 0 0 0 28 257 164 410 1039Scoter sp. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 260 0 0 320Long-tailed Duck 50 3 175 0 27 63 0 430 410 1390 61 50 2659Goldeneye 0 4 8 0 0 4'9 550 8 0 0 6 0 625Red-br. Merganser 0 3 19 0 0 140 97 75 169 2 0 6 511Goosander 0 0 0 0 0 0 135 0 0 0 0 0 135Red-throated Diver 2 22 55 0 8 0 0 0 ~30 10 1 7 135Black-throated Diver 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4Great Northern Diver 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0Slavonian Grebe 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 19
APPENDIX 7
APRIL 1993 Helms. Brora Go1sp. Inn. E Ross Crom. Inv/B Riff Cu1bin B'hd. B'hd. Spey TOTAL-Brora -Glsp. -Dorn. Dor.F Fth. Fth. Bank Bars Bay -Loss. Bay
Scaup 0 0 0 98 0 0 35 0 0 0 0 1 134
Eider 35 38 358 0 23 8 0 a 5 96 a 20 583
Common Scoter a 3 313 a a 0 a a 212 424 a 1080 2032
Velvet Scoter a a 330 a a a a a 41 81 a 295 747
Scoter sp. 0 a 130 a a a a a a a a a 130
Long-tailed Duck 90 65 664 a 2 175 3 1950 930 518 a 672 5069
Goldeneye a a a 2 a 37 63 4 a 0 0 0 106
Red-br. Merganser 0 a 40 3 0 58 31 48 268 5 a 7 460
Goosander 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 a a 0 a 0 a
Red-throated Diver 0 0 7 a 0 0 0 a 47 11 0 24 89
Black-throated Diver 0 0 0 a 0 0 0 0 0 a 0 a a
Great Northern Diver 0 a 1 a 0 0 0 a 2 0 a 2 5
Slavonian Grebe 0 0 5 a a a 0 a 0 4 a 0 9
