NatureScot Research Report 1074 - North Orkney proposed Special Protection Area (pSPA) - inshore wintering waterfowl survey 2017/18
This report describes a shore-based survey in winter 2017/18 of seven species of waterfowl within the North Orkney proposed Special Protection Area (pSPA). Five complete counts between November and March confirmed the high and continued importance of these waters to these birds, many of which migrate to Orkney from more northerly breeding grounds to overwinter. The peak numbers recorded included over a fifth of the GB wintering populations of Slavonian grebe, great northern diver and long-tailed duck, 10% of velvet scoter, 1.5% of the Northern European population of European shag and over 1% of GB wintering populations of common eider and red-breasted merganser. The report includes distribution maps of these species within the North Orkney pSPA.
Pages: 49
Published: 2018
