Beached Bird Surveys, June – August 1990 (NSO)

Summer surveys were scarce, as usual. Counts were received from the Frisian coast (Sexbierum-Koehool, DS, May and June) and the mainland coast Noord-Holland (St Maartenszee-Camperduin, Wbr, May-Aug). Eiders predominated the Frisian surveys, with very few casualties being oiled. The May surveys from Noord-Holland failed to report any oiled birds. Fulmar (3), Bar-tailed Godwit (2) and Herring Gulls (9) were found this month on the 8km stretch. June produced more birds, including 5 Fulmars, 1 Gannet, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and 13 Herring Gulls. One Fulmar was oiled, the Gannet and a Herring Gull were found entangled in nylon thread. The July surveys produced three more cases of entanglement in nylon thread (1 Oystercatcher, 2 Herring Gulls). Two more Fulmars, a Gannet, some more Herring Gulls, a Black-headed Gull, a Common Gull and the first two Kittiwakes were reported. Two birds (Herring Gull and Kittiwake) were oiled. In August there were 1 Fulmar, 2 Gannets (both entangled in nylon), Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls (unoiled, 1 Herring Gull entangled in nylon thread) and the first juvenile Kittiwake. Strandings of plastic pellets were recorded on 7th and 10th of June and on 6th July in Noord-Holland, on 10th August a considerable quantity of paraffine washed ashore (Wbr). Significant oiling of the beach in Zuid-Holland (more precisely south of Den Haag) was reported in early September (GG). Of some 1000 Herring Gulls on the beach and on breakwaters nearly one-third became oil-fouled, mainly on head and neck.