Bob Swann, project administrator returned to Canna from 28th July to 5th August in order to complete the seabird monitoring work and to continue checking the rat monitoring lines.
Following the dreadful 2005 breeding season on Canna birds appear to have fared much better in 2006, with most showing higher levels of breeding output, though there was still some evidence of food shortages.
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2004
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2005
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2006
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Fulmar
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0.6
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0.3
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0.5
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Shag
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1.2
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0.7
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1.2
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Great B-B Gull
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0.3
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0.1
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0.2
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Herring Gull
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0.2
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0.1
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0.2
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Kittiwake
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0.8
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0
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0.5
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Highland RG data gathered under contract to JNCC
The table above shows the average number of young per monitored pair. Gull success remains low, mainly due to lack of fish discards. Kittiwake success was much better than 2005, indicating more fish available (especially later in the summer, most failures were early on). Shag breeding success showed a marked improvement on 2005, mainly due to birds in boulder colonies doing well, possibly as a result of reduced rates of predation. Fulmars also appeared to do much better than in 2005 as did auks, particularly razorbills.
497 bait stations on the monitoring lines were checked by Bob, and a further 249 by NTS volunteers Rachel Lowe and Lindsay Buchanan, who visited Canna from 7-11th August. All were clear with no sign of rat teeth marks.
As reported in the last progress report mice were released back onto Canna on 11th July and since then have been monitored by two students from Napier University by trapping within the main release area in the woods at the East end of Canna for one week post release. Several animals were re-caught with all showing an overall weight loss, which was to be expected, but otherwise individuals were looking healthy. Further trapping was undertaken from 31st July-9th August at the main release site and also at the boulder fields along Tarbet road, where the second half of the colony had been released. Animals caught have all been at or above the original mean release weight and appear to be doing well. A litter of newly born mice were discovered in a trap at the second site. Trapping intensity and frequency will now be reduced to allow animals to settle and/or disperse. A second main release is now planned for early September.
Bob Swann, Project administrator
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