Site of the Month: Ardrossan – Brodick Ferry Crossing (September 2023)

Not so much a site this month as a journey. There are a number of ferry crossings in SW Scotland, all of which offer wildlife recording opportunities, but Ardrossan-Brodick is the longest route that is entirely within the SWSEIC recording area.

A range of seabirds can be seen on the crossing, with Gannets Morus bassanus virtually guaranteed, sometimes at very close quarters. Autumn offers the best chance to see other species such as Manx Shearwaters Puffinus puffinus and Storm Petrels Hydrobates pelagicus.

Calm conditions provide the best opportunity to record whales and dolphins. Potentially, almost any species could be seen, but most likely are Harbour Porpoises Phocoena phocoena and Bottle-nosed Dolphins Tursiops truncatus. There’s also the chance of seeing Basking Sharks Cetorhinus maximus. Tips on cetacean watching from ferries can be found on the CalMac website.

Peter Norman

SWSEIC Project Officer