This months watch will take place from the headland at Burghead. This will be great as on the same day there will be a pictish festival ,workshops on basket making, oatcakes and stories of ye old days. when Picts were roaming abooot. and not watching dolphins bow riding the bows of viking longships

sad news came via Charlie Phillips today of a dead Common dolphin, female and possibly with calf in area. Bob Ried of the SAC has the animal and will find out how this fine animal died. On a more possitive note ,if you want to see more on the bottlenose dolphins regarding photo ID visit www.ketosecology.co.uk/ACC.htm
this is a report on the work by Caroline Weir and is great for us with other ID work. lets hope other cetacean groups do like wise in the future.

What seems to be a mother and calf harbour Porpoises have been found stranded and sadly dead in Cullen bay. The animals were found on the sunday and monday of this week. Many thanks to Steve Findlay for his prompt work and to Bob at the SAC.

Some great sightings of bottlenose dolphins and Minke whales this week, despite some dodgy weather its been grand. Off to Portgordon boat raft race day with the stall and to watch doreen guide the 1315 ferret race home safely .
Working on the newsletter, its nearly there and putting a boat trip on the Puffin together.
pete

What a burden this is living by the coast.
here we were today trying to have our lunch when 30+ dolphins pass bye the back of the house, good job it was salad eh. then at 8pm just sitting down for dinner or is that our tea. a group of six dolphins catch our eye . and now we here while George and Doreen were here for a cup of tea last night at about the same time 3 minke whales were feeding just outside there caravan site. ah well im away to make a sarnie maybe see an Orca.
pete

Pete and Alan are just back from the Shetlands.
they had a mixed trip, with some 5 species seen and some great puffins and gannets .
but also the frustration of being in calm waters and thick fog. a full report will be in the forthcoming newsletter.

Alan and Pete are off to the shetlands the morn . off on the Hascosay ( georges boat)
will let ye ken how we gat on.
Sightings have been good this last few days with Dolphins and minke whales all being encountered. weather nae bad so no complaints there.

Two groups of 15+ Bottlenose dolphins seen off Lossiemouth . Also one Minke whale in area.
watched till 12pm.( seen on saturday 27th)

I would like thank all who turned up for the NWDW watchs and those who have sent me sightings, without which it would not have been a success. Inspite of difficult weather for a few days I think the data gathered gives a representative snapshot of cetacean activity along the south Moray Firth coast. Bottlenose dolphins were seen from Chanonry to Whitehills. Harbour porpoise were seen, but not in the quantities I envisaged. I expected maybe a few more minkes, but at least some were seen. Sightings of 40+ common dolphins (highlight for me) and 2 orca (Pete) just goes to show what else might be out there if only we all spent more looking. Alan.

Severel members of the group linked up with the Sea Watch Foundation to take part in the final watch at Findochty as part of the NWDW week. In a fine warm sunny day we met up at the church and was greeted byea fine clear and calm sea. many birds were in hurries from Portknockie to Finechty but the early part of the watch revealed no sightings. Then aharbour Porpoise was sighted and a second was soon seen all of a sudden a Minke whale was seen just a few hundred mts away from the shore heading east and in this fine water easy to pick out. all in all a great watch with bottlenose dolphins seen later at the bow fiddle and not forgetting the 40+ BNDs that Alan had seen off Lossiemouth this afternoon.
Over on the east coast kevin reported a fine day as well with 1 harbour Porpoise off the mouth of the River Don. 10+ Minke whales along the coast and 21 BNDs seen off the harbour at Aberdeen.
Lets hope the Firth is now back to normal after the boat race.
will be looking forward what tomorrow brings us
Pete