An unusual influx of Guillemot took place between January 19 and April 17, 1993 in inner Belgium. A total of about sixty individuals was observed, most often near the Scheldt river and its tributaries. Very exceptional is the (unconfirmed) observation of a Guillemot at Eupen (Liège) on 30th January. Most individuals were immature and weakened. At the same time, a spectacular increase in density of Guillemots was observed in the whole southern part of the North Sea, following a remarkable SW-migration on 25th and 26th January. From the last days of January onwards, after successive severe storm gales, large numbers of dead or deadly weakened Guillemots started to wash ashore on all the beaches along the southern edge of the North Sea. These birds were predominantly young individuals, unoiled and starving. No alarming concentrations of polluents could be detected in their bodies. Auk-wrecks like the one described here are known to occur more often in the North Sea since the eighties, probably because of changes in food-supply, leading to death in unfavourable conditions (storm-weather). The influx of Guillemots inland might be an attempt to escape from this situation. |
