It has been confirmed for the first time that storm petrels are breeding on the Isle of May National Nature Reserve (NNR), according to NatureScot.
NatureScot, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the Isle of May Bird Observatory have suspected there may be a colony on the island since 2019 when storm petrels were first spotted displaying and calling.
It has taken time to effectively monitor the species due to its nocturnal nature. The team have been using a variety of techniques to survey areas of the island, including playing a recording of the bird’s calls over potential nest holes in the hope of eliciting a response.
After several efforts, a bird was finally heard calling underground during daylight hours when they could only be incubating or brooding a chick. This suggests that the birds are indeed breeding on the island.
‘It is a very exciting find and amazing to be able to prove what has been suspected for a few years’
Storm petrels are small oceanic birds that breed in the UK during the summer months but spend their lives out at sea. The vast majority of the population can be found on remote islands, especially in the north and west of Scotland.
UKCEH researcher Ella Benninghaus said: “Since storm petrels were first detected on the Isle of May in 2019, it has been an exciting but frustrating three years. We carried out some playback surveys with no success last year, but we were determined to try again this year.
“Sure enough, as I was lying on the ground I heard the storm petrel call back to me very quietly. It is a very exciting find and amazing to be able to prove what has been suspected for a few years.”
Storm petrels tend to come ashore under the cover of darkness and proceed to nest underground so are rarely seen by humans. They then raise one chick before departing. Also, they are usually heard singing at night, which makes the birds so interesting to observe.
Mark Newell, of UKCEH, added: “To confirm the presence of these mystical, magical birds 200 miles from the nearest known colony is one of the highlights of my many years on the isle.”