Isle of May seabird studies 1991

1991 was the sixth year of NCC (now JNCC) support for ITE's monitoring of breeding success. adult survival and food of species other than large gulls on the Isle of May NNR (one of the key sites in JNCC's Seabird Monitoring Programme). Most species has at least a moderately successful season in 1991. after a particularly poor season in 1990, but kittiwake success was again very low. Auks, shags and kittiwakes fed largely on sandeels, but kittiwakes may have had difficulty in obtaining sufficient quantities of sandeels for chicks. There was also evidence from several, species that conditions early in the season were unfavourable for breeding and that conditions improved later. Adult survival rates of shag. kittiwake, guillemot and razorbill were high, but puffin survival again appeared to be 1ow. Observations of colour-ringed kittiwakes demonstrated the importance of pre-laying checks when assessing adult survival rates.