Focus on...winter auks
07 Jan 2016
During summer, the four auk species that breed in Britain and Ireland are easy to see at their colonies. However, less is known about the winter distribution of these birds, especially Puffin. Technological advances in miniaturised tracking devices are beginning to shed more light on this mystery and a recent study (PDF) showed that some east coast Puffins disperse widely in the North Sea and even into the open Atlantic west of Ireland.
Given the recent intense storms and associated high swells in the Atlantic, feeding conditions are likely to have been very tough at sea and will have caused some mortality, particularly for younger birds. If you find a dead auk and want to record it, please use the appropriate activity code in the optional details section online.
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