A year of highs and lows for our research on stranded marine animals

2019 was a year of achievements for Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s (CWT) Marine Strandings Network (MSN); Our annual MSN conference attended by the highest number of people since its establishment in 2004, a new What’s App system was formed to communicate with volunteers which has revolutionised the way we deal with stranding reports making the process infinitely easier and smoother, and finally the Trust started work with Defra and CEFAS on SW cetacean bycatch pilot project which aims to gather bycatch evidence and trial mitigation devices with local fishermen. But it was also a year of continued sadness as a shocking number of marine animals continued to strand around our coastline.
Records of stranded marine organisms have been collected in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for many years, the earliest record being logged from 1354. To date, the Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Strandings Network (CWT MSN) database holds over 9,000 records, comprising data relating to stranded cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), seals, turtles, birds, cephalopods, fish (including sharks), seeds, hydrozoa, molluscs, echinoderms and crustaceans.

Castle beach: Common dolphin, photo by CWT MSN

In 2019, 247 cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises and whales) stranded - the second highest figure in 15 years (the highest being 250 in 2017). These carcasses reported to CWT MSN are either examined in-situ by trained volunteers, or via post-mortem examination by a veterinary pathologist affiliated to the University of Exeter (UofE) Cornwall Campus. Of the 247 cetaceans which stranded in 2019, 33 were sent for post mortem, and a quarter of these were found to have the cause of death as bycatch.

In addition to studying the animal by post mortem, we can also gather invaluable information on the cause of death from bycatch by looking at certain external injuries on the beach for all species, not just those that undergo post mortem examination.

Rissos calf floating in sea off Mounts Bay

To do this the MSN developed a tool called the Bycatch Evidence Evaluation Protocol (BEEP), where detailed photographs of the carcasses are taken and assessed to identify and record signature injuries and features identified as being associated with bycatch and entanglement in fishing gear. This protocol has been developed from 25 years of experience and is continuously tested and developed to improve the accuracy of bycatch detection. Of all 247 cetaceans which stranded in 2019, 43% were assessed on the beach by BEEP which identified that nearly a third of the animals were defined as cause of death by bycatch.

Cornwall…holiday destination for international seals!

Seals never cease to surprise us with their behaviour and this year has been no exception! 
In 2019, we have had seals from a huge area visiting Cornwall arriving from all directions!

On 25th March on one routine survey at a single haul out site in West Cornwall we photographed seals visiting us who have previously been identified in four counties (Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset) and four nations (England, France, Wales and Ireland). This was the first day that we knowingly had a seal from Ireland…a beautiful rehabbed juvenile male grey seal from Seal Rescue Ireland 200km away.

West Cornwall Sue Sayer juvenile male seal from Ireland

Later in the year, we had a mind-blowing discovery from grey seal photos that were sent to us by Lara Howe of the Manx Wildlife Trust. Isle of Man (IOM) seal number 079 turned out to be a seal we have known in Cornwall since 2001!

Cornwall IOM seal (Tulip belle) Lara Howe and Sue Sayer

Amazingly this adult female (known as ‘Tulip belle’ to us) has commuted between Cornwall and the IOM multiple times as she has had four pups 450km+ away from us on Manx territory!

Just recently, the lone kayaker, Rupert Kirkwood, sent us photos of a common seal hauled out in the River Fowey. A seal with an unfamiliar tag meant some detective work was required with various rehab organisations. Fortunately, the Seal Rescue ‘WhatsApp’ group came up trumps and within minutes the seal had been identified as Micky! Incredibly this young male seal had only been released in Holland on 03/10/19 and by 05/11/19 had swum to Cornwall, 660km away!

Rupert Kirkwood photo taken on the River Fowey

So, if you spot a sleeping seal, please admire from a distance. It could have just arrived after a very long journey, so leave it to sleep peacefully! Who knew seals in Cornwall are so well travelled!

Volunteering for Marine Life in the Helford VMCA!

Helford VMCA have small but effective groups of volunteers who can regularly be seen on shore and at events on the Helford. Helford Marine Conservation Group coordinate and share tasks with Plastic Free Helford (part of the Surfers against Sewage plastic free initiative) and Clean Ocean Sailing, an independent group of intrepid water based litter collectors who row, kayak and sail to the most inaccessible coves and islands around the coast of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Busy litter pickers

Plastic pollution in the Helford is an ongoing problem (as it is everywhere) especially after an Easterly wind. In 2019 we had a few! Generally speaking a sheltered stretch of water, the Helford River Boats ferryman Ian Wells told me they were up to around nine cancellations this year due to weather conditions. The effects of the wind on the water can bring in quantities of plastic much of it breaking down into small pieces. I guess that is a positive, that we then have the opportunity to remove it as it is left on the shoreline by the outgoing tide.

 A bucket of small plastic

Carol Hurst, coordinator for Plastic Free Helford categorises and weighs all we collect and the last count bagged 9.4 Kgs of general waste, 2.4kgs of Council recycling and 14.1 Kgs for the Ocean Recovery Project.
Clearly there is a need to keep plugging away at this job, it can be a nice social event though, some fresh air, a sense of achievement and the chance to catch up with friends and make new ones.
Another task with no end in sight but nevertheless essential is the regular tapping of the Non Native Invasive Pacific Oyster when they appear on the rocks and slipways. There is also a good crop to be found on the beaches attached to small stones and shells or ‘cultch’ as they call it. There is a small but growing market for these ‘wobbly’ Oysters, the misshapen or odd sized are now being used in restaurants as the environmental benefits of using these is becoming apparent.

Do not disturb! Watch seals well - admire from a distance

The Lizard natural attractions are its wild coastlines and amazing marine life, including our globally rare grey seals. A glimpse of a seal makes a holiday. In Cornwall this summer, disturbance hit record levels with seals at one site being subjected to 10 stampedes caused by walkers in 70 minutes and 13 boat visits in 85 minutes– spooking seals into the sea every seven minutes!

Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust (CSGRT) are members of the Seal Alliance (SA), a UK partnership protecting seals across England, Wales and Scotland. CSGRT’s Katie Bellman and Sue Sayer have written a new SA report ‘Please Do Not Disturb!’ documenting serious incidents at critical sites where seals rest, socialise, pup and moult. Shocking films show the growing harm we’re having. Disturbance is always a waste of energy, sometimes it results in serious injury and occasionally it’s fatal.

At activity hotspots like the Lizard, CSGRT’s amazing volunteer ‘ID Hub’ teams help to monitor the overlap of people and seals, that can result in chronic disturbance by motorised vessels, kayaks, paddle-boarders, wildlife tours, anglers, walkers, dogs, drones, planes, helicopters and photographers.

Seal Alliance (SA) wants legal protection of seal habitats and met with DEFRA to act before it is too late. Most disturbance is unintentional, so a NATIONAL MARINE WILDLIFE CODE OF CONDUCT is urgently needed to raise public awareness. With many complex challenges facing our marine environment, disturbance is unusual – the solution is SIMPLE – we all need to ADMIRE FROM A DISTANCE. CSGRT’s ‘Watch seals well’ guide shows you how!

Published: Nov 2019
Author: Sue Sayer, Director Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust (CSGRT)

Romano-British settlement at Boden, near Manaccan

Meneage Archaeology Group - The excavation of a Romano-British settlement at Boden, near Manaccan.

Following the excavation of an Iron Age fogou and Bronze Age house MAG are currently focussing their attention on two areas of apparent Romano-British date, where finds suggest activity between circa AD50 – AD200. Chronology is tentative at this stage, pending specialist analysis of finds and scientific dating.

Romano-British structure

Excavated features include the remains of a stone structure with the appearance of a stone rubble foundation or collapsed wall. Material accumulated over this ‘wall’ has produced large quantities of pottery and part of an amphora (large jar for transporting oil or wine) imported from Spain. A series of postholes associated with the wall suggest an associated timber structure, one of which contained a fragment of granite rotary quern for grinding wheat. Part of the wall covered a steep-sided pit containing numerous sherds of pottery, burnt stones and large fragments of charcoal, representing in situ burning.

The digging team on 2019 Day 1 - Romano-British structure in the foreground

Fragment of rotary quern for grinding wheat

Amphora handle imported from Spain

C-shaped enclosure with central stone-lined pit

To the south are two steep-sided gullies forming a ‘C’ shaped enclosure surrounding a deep pit lined with large stones, possibly ‘robbed’ from the fogou entrance. The function of the pit is unclear but it is hoped that analysis of the soil samples will shed some light. Finds from the central pit and gullies include pottery thought to be Late Iron Age or Romano-British in date (late 1st century BC to 1st century AD) including cordoned wares and Trethurgy-type storage jar sherds (possibly 3rd century AD). Also in the pit were fragments from another rotary quern and a stone spindle-whorl. Part of a stone mould for manufacturing a pewter dish was also recovered (two smaller fragments have been found from deposits nearby). Only three other moulds of this type exist in Cornwall, from St Just, Tintagel Castle and St Mary’s, Scilly.

Dragonflies on The Lizard

It may seem odd to some of you that there is an article in Autumn about Dragonflies on The Lizard however there are still some on the wing. Furthermore there is a chance of a particular Dragonfly species in any month of the year. About 10 years ago a friend of mine (Andy Pay) found three Vagrant Emperor Dragonflies at Windmill Farm – these records represented the 18th, 19th and 20th records nationally. Since that time Vagrant Emperor sightings have become more common – though still rare. I have seen 14 individuals at Windmill Farm – 7 of which were this year (2 of them in October).

Male and female Vagrant Emperors

So when is the best time to look out for these wonderful insects? Vagrant Emperors are a migratory species that can travel a long distance – they mainly reside in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. The most likely time they travel this way is when we have had a period of strong southerly winds. They are about 6cms long and generally the body is beige/brown in colour with a blue patch on the second abdomen segment (this is the part of the dragonfly behind the wings). See https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/vagrant-emperor/.
The most likely species that you could confuse this with is Lesser Emperor (these are rare on The Lizard – in fact I have only seen 3 of these at Windmill Farm). Lesser Emperors are slightly bigger (7cm) with Green Eyes, darker body and a much brighter blue saddle (second segment) and fly between May and June. To be fair if you see any medium-large dragonfly in the period from December to March it is likely to be a Vagrant Emperor. Therefore keep your eyes open! Windmill Farm is one of the few places in the UK that you can see 3 species of different Emperor dragonflies.

Lesser Emperor (male)

Emperor (male)

Windmill Farm is a great place to find Dragonflies – there are still a few on the wing now. These species are Common Darter, Red Veined Darter, Emperor, Southern Hawker, Common Hawker and Migrant Hawker.

Published: Oct 2019
Author: Dougy Wright