Number of Dead Birds Floating on the Water.

[Sandy]

On Monday, 05/09/2022, we set off from Plymouth towards Salcombe, but as there was far more east in the wind than forecasted changed our plans and visited Fowey. Surprised at the numbers of dead birds floating in the water, mainly gulls and gannets. A few were spotted in the river.

On returning to Plymouth on Thursday yet more were spotted. Has anybody else noticed a marked number of dead birds?

 

[johnalison]

There is an item in today’s paper about bird ‘flu in the West Country and it sounds as if you have witnessed its effects.

 

[Derek ide]

Yes more dead floating gannets than I have ever seen before on my cruising in Brittany and the West Country in previous years.
I think it is probably the effects of Avian flu.

 

[[2574]]

The Sound of Jura has been littered with dead birds all summer, ghastly sight. Avian flu I’m told.

 

[Canopy Locked]

Moray Firth - lots of dead sea birds - understand avian flu - not great - hopefully the populations will recover with some immunity

 

[blush2]

Dartmouth harbour website has a notice to mariners advising how to report dead birds which may have had bird flu

 

[jdc]

This summer, all up the east coast of the UK, especially between Flamborough and Duncansby Heads, we saw scores of dead gannets (this was in July). The Farne islands particularly bad.

Fewer on the W coast I think, although that was later, in August, so we may have missed it at its worst, but even this week we saw a dead gannet in Falmouth Bay. Never seen anything like it before. Nearly always gannets, Auks seemed to be doing fine.

 

[boomerangben]

Bird flu has been quietly devastating certain sea birds all year. My sister lost her flock of free range hens to it before Christmas, along with many other farmers, various SNH and RSPB islands have been closed because of it and the Solway was littered with dead birds last winter. Seems it’s getting worse

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Saw a distressing number of dead gulls and gannets going round the Mull of Kintyre this summer. Didn't see any guillemots though, perhaps they sink.

 

[Yealm]

Yes, noticed dead gannets around the SW coast.

Another random sad thing is the leaf blotch thing, seems to badly affecting all the horse chestnuts..

 

[johnalison]

Yes, noticed dead gannets around the SW coast.

Another random sad thing is the leaf blotch thing, seems to badly affecting all the horse chestnuts..

Horse chestnuts have been suffering for some years. I can’t remember the actual cause but it causes premature ‘autumn’ and reduced conkering but I think doesn’t kill the tree. I’m not sure of the nautical connection though.

 

[Halo]

Loads of dead birds due to avian flu

Loads of dead crabs and lobsters on E coast S of Hartlepool allegedly due to dredging out the Tees and disturbing old chemical pollution

Loads of dead horse Chestnuts

1 dead Monarch - God Rest Her

Too much death at the moment !!

 

[westhinder]

Lots of dead seagulls on the Dutch and Belgian coasts as well, same cause: avian flu

 

[Iliade]

Please don't approach dead seabirds; Zoonosis of bird flu is not unheard of and at least one person has become infected with the current strain (Alderney placed under 'poultry lockdown' as bird flu cases rise | ITV News)

Apparently this could be an extinction event for our skuas and is very bad for the Channel Island birds (gannets, kittiwakes etc. The puffins seem to have largely left before it really kicked off thankfully)

 

[Bodach na mara]

We also saw several during our cruise from the Clyde to Tobermory and back in July. I wondered how to report sightings but realized that any report I could give would be useless given the strong tides in the area.

 

[Iliade]

You could report to the local Wildlife Trust. They will know enough about the tides to factor them in.

 

[harvey38]

There's been a lot of dead gulls around Ramsgate over the Summer but not so many of late, it's certainly not had an impact on the numbers there......

 

[johnalison]

However severe, one would hope that from the wildlife point of view there are sufficient numbers of partially resistant birds for species to recover, as rabbits did after myxomatosis, preferably rather quicker. It is bad news for poultry farmers of course, and for the price of our food.

 

[guernseyman]

Maybe we should ask Trump about the offshore wind turbines!

 

[Sandy]

Maybe we should ask Trump about the offshore wind turbines!

I am interested to know what use that would be. Can you give a more detailed post?