Last week I headed to Forvie National Nature Reserve on the River Ythan, just north of Aberdeen for some easter scat collection. I think this place is one of the best sites in Scotland to view grey seals without causing any disturbance. Managed by Scottish Natural Heritage, Forvie is well known for its dune systems and sea birds but more recently has become an important haul out site for grey seals.

On Wednesday last week Annabel Drysdale (SNH) and I headed out to the reserve to meet BBC Radio Scotland Out of Doors presenter Mark Stephen. We headed out onto the beach on the south side of the River Ythan and counted 500+ seals. Mark was blown away by the numbers of seals hauled out and we all three had a lovely chat about grey seals, what they eat and the Forvie Reserve. You can listen to the intervew on iplayer.

To get the best views of the seals head for Newburgh on Ythan Golf Club and walk past the boat shed down onto the beach. The best time is usually low tide and you can be among the many beach walkers and seal watchers enjoying some beautiful Scottish Wildlife without causing any disturbance.

Many thanks to Mark for the photos, I had a camera malfunction on the day!

I’ve been based in the lab a lot recently and trying to remember what it was like to be out in the field. Its been quite some time since I started my scat collecting days, but I’ve dug out some pictures of my time working as a technician at the University of British Columbia, Canada.

I spent many, many weeks working in a lab in Vancouver, but enjoyed three wonderful weeks of scat collection around the BC coast. We were collecting scat from Steller sea lion haul-out sites, a species in significant decline through some of their range.
And though we worked hard, we did manage to take some time out to relax and enjoy the amazing places we visited. After all, its the fieldwork that sees us through the months in the lab and the years sitting behind a desk at our computers.

Check out the Marine Mammal Research Units website to see how the Steller sea lion work continues and what other interesting research goes on in the Pacific North West.

Deep Blue is a joint project between the Sea Mammal Research Unit, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and Edinburgh Zoo with the aim of developing an online public education project about Scotland’s marine ecology. It is funded by a Scottish Government science engagement grant and the site has just been launched in February 2012.

The website enables people to track seals off the coast of Scotland. It also contains marine life, science and conservation information; resources for teachers; marine news items and marine events listings.

The Seal Diet Project is highlighted under Ecosystem Science and you can read about a day in the life of some of Scotlands marine scientists.

The home page has a very cool map tool which you can use to see where greay seals which were tagged in Orkney have travelled to!

The team headed south again a few weeks ago to sample the Wash on the North Norfolk Coast. Donald was joined on the train journey south by Annika Samnee. Annika is a student at the University of Bielefeld in Germany, and has been on a 5 month stint at the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) on the Erasmus programme. Annika has been helping out doing various data entry work, and has been a great help to us in the laboratory processing and sampling some of the thousands of scat samples we have. However after a few months of computer and lab work she was keen to come out and experience some field work, and we were more than happy to have here come along on the poo hunt!

Donald and Annika were met in Kings Lynn by Layla Curtis, who had travelled up from London. Layla is an artist and friend who Donald met when he travelled to South Georgia when working for the British Antarctic Survey. Layla was commissioned and funded by the Arts Council of England to produce a piece of work on her travel to Antarctic and the surrounding region, the work she produced relevant to this work can be viewed at her Polar Wandering website.

The three keen scat searchers met up with Simon and Jamie from the Kings Lynn\'s Conservancy Board, who have the local knowledge to get us to the seal haul outs in the maze of sand banks that make up the Wash. The first day was a bit wet and overcast, while we had better sunny weather on our second day of sampling. We did find large numbers of mainly harbour seals hauled out at various sites over the 2 days, however just because there is lots of animals it does not always follow that be loads of scats left! After extensive searching of various sites with over a 100 animals we often only came away with a few scats. This did lead to both Annika and Layla commenting how they were surprised that we didn’t find more scats, and that it was often difficult to spot the few rare scats that were present. Did make Donald think it’s not as easy as people often assume this seal poo hunting lark! However not to be disheartened, the team stuck to our task and came away with just shy of 30 scats from our wandering all over the sand banks, so was another successful poo hunting mission. Big thanks to Annika and Layla for your help, and your photos! Also thanks to the team at King’s Lynn Conservancy Board, and especially to Jamie and Simon. We could never find our way around without your help and keeping me right where each site was located, although as they said they could tell me anything and I would believe them, sure I can trust you guys though!

No boating today due to the fresh to strong breeze still coming from the south east making us think the crossing to Stronsay may not be the best idea. However the sun was shining and we still went sampling, driving and walking being our method to access the haul out sites. First we headed to one of the most easterly points on the Orkney Mainland, Skaill on Deerness. We found numerous harbour seals sheltering from the wind in rocks here, and came away with numerous scats, also getting to enjoy the view out to Copinsay, but feeling kind glad we were not getting bumped about on the lively looking waves.

Next it was across Churchill Barriers, constructed by Italian prisoners of war during the 2nd World War (POW) to stop German u-boats entering Scapa Flow and scuttling the Allies fleet that was based here. We had a quick tourist stop off at the small but impressive Italian Chapel to allow me to have a quick look around and grab a few pictures, very impressive what the Italians POWs constructed to worship in. The next site was on Burray, we parked the car at the cemetery at Southtown, hearing and then seeing a motocross racing going on along the links. We walked away from this out towards Burray Ness, spotting the full skeleton of a harbour porpoise washed up on the beach. We found a haul out with both harbour and grey seals present and came away with over 20 scats. It was great day to walk and see more of the Orkney mainland, and we went back via the impressive Stones of Stenness and Ring of Brodgar, even if the rain had started to fall was great to be able see and touch such impressive, mysterious and old structures, could never get so close at Stonehenge! This American has loved her time in Orkney, even the very early morning ferry ride back to the mainland was impressive, seeing the sun rise over the awesome Hoy coastline and spotting 4 minke whales!

The weather affected our plans today, with a strong breeze coming from the south-east we decided that we wouldn’t be able to carry out the planned trip to Stronsay. However we learned a long time the importance of being flexible in this work, and having a back-up plan, just like the original A-team! So we headed to Stromness and headed across Hoy Sound to the west coast of Hoy, we got calm seas and shelter from the wind here, being protected by the Hoy Hills, biggest peaks in Orkney. We hit a few sites that were not my favourite spots on Orkney, being very slippery making it treacherous to walk on, I have to admit I was slipping on my bottom a fair bit, but Donald showed his prior practice at moving over the slippy rocks, he had the agility of Gollum out of Lord of the Rings as he hopped from one keply rock to the next! We came away with 17 of the precious scats!

Unfortunately we also found so much marine debris washed into the Geo of Hellia, that we were able to fill the boat with all the plastic, polystyrene and other rubbish we collected here. We then went a bit further down the west coast of Hoy, being treated to spectacular scenery made up of numerous waterfalls and sheer cliff drops. We could see the fog was being to form so made the decision to end today sampling a little early and head back to Stromness before we lost all visibility.

We had perfect conditions today for sampling, with the water F-L-A-T flat! We went to North Ronaldsay, Sanday, Little Greenholme, Papa Westray, Westray, Tres Ness, Loch Ness!! Ok those last two aren’t Orkney Islands as far as I am as aware, but was getting a little confusing where we were. Thankfully Simon seemed to have a full grasp on where we were the whole time, or that was the impression he gave me at least!

The white sand beaches of Sanday were breathtaking, making this a very apt name for the island! While on North Ronalsday we had a near miss with a stampede of intertidal North Ronaldsay Sheep! These sheep have adapted to eating seaweed, which has resulted in them having a very unique tasting meat, and much sought after wool for all you knitters out there. The sound of their feet on the flat stones as they came round a corner towards us created a racket that even Simon heard on the boat. we got more of a fright than the seals, who just stayed hauled out and hardly moved a muscle as the sheep cantered past them!

The sea state had picked up a bit for the crossing from North Ronaldsay to Papa Westray, but nothing Selkie and us couldn’t handle. Was impressive to see the easterly swell crashing into the cliffs and caves around Westray. Dusk was beginning to set when we finally returned to the slip at Finstown, having been sampling for 9 hours and having covered just a peddie 80 natitical miles, returning with a massive haul of over 130 scats!

Alicia has been getting in the zone and penned the last of the updates covering our trip to Orkney, thanks for that Alicia!

Low tide was early afternoon, allowing Donald a bit time to catch up on data entry and make plans for the next few days. The morning off gave Simon time for a visit to the dentist to see to his troublesome sore tooth, what a lucky boy he was! Alicia probably had the most fun, spending the morning sightseeing in Kirkwall and managed to see St Magnus Cathedral, the Earl of Stewart Palace and a couple charity shops. Donald and Alicia both did manage to pick up some shiny white trainers to wear over our drysuits to improve our ability to scuttle over the rocks looking for scats, Donald thought he had a bargain with a pair at £6, but Alicia out did him with a pair for 50 pence! After a spot of lunch we launched the boat at and departed the Kirkwall slipway and headed to Shapinsay Island and other nearby skerries.

We headed across to the water, past the impressive Balfour Castle and into Balfour village, were we picked up long term Shapinsay helper and great friend of the project, Kenny Meason near the Baufour Castle. Kenny is farmer on Shapinsay and extremely knowledge local naturalist, historian and general fount of knowledge on anything connected related to Shapinsay. Prior to our arrival in Orkney, Kenny had collected 70 seal scats over a 3 and a bit month or so period. So he boarded the boat with these and a smile, joking that be glad to get his freezer space back for his frozen dinners! He told us stories and history of Shapinsay. He took us by home of Washington Irving’s parents and around to the west side which were covered with amazing cliffs, caves, nesting birds and seal haul outs. He even showed us a rock formation that looked like the profile of Margret Thatcher with her hair curls and all, we then seen an amzing cave called ‘The Cathedral’, which was very apt name for it given shape of the arches. After checking right round Shapinsay, we headed across into Deer Sound and did our last search of the day at Bay of Work. We had an amazing day on the water seeing some spectacular scenery and all enjoying Kenny company, great to have you out again Kenny, and thanks for all your help.

Lots of seals hauling out while they moult is good news for the scat collection team in Shetland. We’ve counted a fair few seals on Mousa and along the southeast Shetland coastline and collected 80 scat so far! For Shetland this is an amazing scat haul, but in my professional poo opinion it is quantity not quality.

During the moult, harbour seals tend to haul-out for longer than at other times of the year and can be reluctant to go in the water. We are seeing more harbour seals on land and higher up the shore than we have seen before in Shetland and this means we have a greater opportunity for collecting scats.

This trip I have brought along Luke O’Connor, an undergraduate at St. Andrews University who will be working on his honours project this year with myself and Phil Hammond.

We’ve ducked around the Shetland coast for a few days and the weather is proving challenging. We are trying to avoid the fog and the high winds but there is always shelter somewhere and where we find the shelter we find the seals.

So we didn’t have far to travel to launch the boat today, the slipway is around 500 metres from our very comfortable apartment at Atlantis Lodges in Finstown. We were soon steaming out of the Bay Of Firth and into Wide Firth, and then swinging west between Gairsay and Rendall, were we spotted our first group of harbour seals. Then it was past Tingwall and into Woodwick Bay, finding a group of harbour seals on the southern tip of the bay and group of grey directly opposite them on the north side. It was then into Eynhallow Sound, passing the impressive The Broch o Gurness, at Evie. This settlement here was believed to have been built between 100BC and 200BC. We found small groups of harbour seals dotted along the slab rocks below Burgar between Buckquoy and Point of Hisber, disappointingly though we didn’t find any scats here, even though Donald and Alicia covered the ground scouring the area looking.

We next crossed the impressive swell that is a feature of Eynhallow Sound, Selkie surfing the waves gracefully!! We spotted large numbers of seals hauled out in the Fint in Eynhallow, as we got closer it became clear was around 20 grey seals huddled together next to the waterline with waves tickling their bellies! Further back up near the highwater line, we counted just under 40 harbour seals all high and dry and more spread out over the flat rocks. With all 3 of us out the boat and scuttling over the rocks searching we found a mother-load of 62 scats. Four of them were next to the shoreline where the grey seals had been hauled out, so we are pretty sure these were from the grey seals, so kept these separate from all the other samples which we expect to be harbour seal scats. The DNA analysis on scats we collect, being carried out by Iveta Matejusova and her team up at the Marine Scotland laboratory up in Aberdeen, will give us a definite answer to who laid that turd!

After loading ourselves and all our samples back into Selkie we steamed back east along Eynhallow Sound, scanning the south coastline of Rousay. We did spot decent numbers of harbour seals hauled out here, but didn’t manage to find any scats on the kelpy low lying rocks. After passing through Wyre Sound we swung north into Rousay Sound and checked the east coast of Rousay. After a quick circle of Holm of Scockness, and then a u-turn round Kili Hom we steamed down the east side of Egilsay. Was across Gairsay Sound next and round Sweyn Holm, then jumping off at North Head of Gairsay to search an area where we had spotted both grey and harbour seals. Was a bit strange to not see the massive numbers of grey seals at Sweynholm and Gairsay that had been here when we were last up in Orkney back in April time. We then steamed back south towards Finstown, being lucky enough to spot our second Double Rainbow of the day, was very emotional and we are still trying to figure out the significance of it! We did our last searches at Damsay and Holm of Grimbister after spotting some harbour seals hauled out here.

We ended a very successful day by meeting up with our work collegues and friends Callan Duck and Claire Brett for a very tasty dinner at the Barony Hotel. They have been up in Sanday for last few days, hugely enjoying the Sanday Soulka Festival. They had been kind enough to pop out to Holms of Ire on Sanday and do a spot of seal scat collection for us, bagging over 25 scats for us and smuggling them off the island in the back of their car. The transfer of the smelly goods was all done in a secluded, dark and deserted car-park, all seemed very cloak and dagger must be said, but sure Callan and Claire were relieved to not get them stinking out their car anymore!