Náttúrufræðingurinn

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Náttúrufræðingurinn - 1995, Side 46

Náttúrufræðingurinn - 1995, Side 46
and breeding distribution of the North At- lantic gannet Sula bassana and an assess- ment of the changes which have occurred since Operation Seafarer 1969/70. Nature Conservancy Council. Research and survey in nature conservation. No. 4. Þorsteinn Einarsson 1954. Talning súlunnar í Eldey. Náttúrufræðingurinn 24. 158-160. Þorsteinn Einarsson 1973. Súlubyggðin í Máfadrang við Dyrhólaey. Týli 3. 71-72. Þorsteinn Einarsson 1987. íslenskar súlu- byggðir og saga þeirra. Náttúrufræðingurinn 57. 163-184. SUMMARY NuMBERS OF GANNET (SuLA BASSANAj IN lCELAND 1989-94 Icelandic gannet colonies form two separate groups, a southwestern group of Eldey and four isles in the Vestmannaeyjar, and an east- em group of three recently established colo- nies, Raudinupur, Skomvik and Skrudur. Cen- suses of all gannet colonies in Iceland were made in 1989 and 1994, using aerial photogra- phy. In addition the three East Coast coloriies were covered in 1992 and Skmdur in 1987. Colonies were photographed at altitudes of 100-300 m using a handheld 6x6 cm camera, with a 250 mm lens and positive colour film. Three colonies on tops of islands, Eldey, Sulnasker and Geldungur, were photographed vertically at altitudes of 200-600 m using a 80 mm lens. Counts were generally made directly from the film under a dissection microscope, each site being marked on an acetate overlay as counted. The total number in the southwestem group (Table 1) remained at about 22000 sites in 1983-89 but increased to about 23000 in 1994. Repeated observations and photography showed that non-breeders on top of Stori- Geldungur in Vestmannaeyjar had been counted as breeders in 1983 and 1985. In this paper the fígures have been revised, resulting in totals for Geldungasker corrected to 1440 in 1983 (instead of 1594) and 1319 in 1985 (in- stead of 2249). At Sulnasker numbers in- creased from 3600 sites in 1983-85 to 4400 in 1994, corresponding to an annual increase of about 2%. This is the only significant change in numbers in the Vestmannaeyjar in 1983 to 1994, as no change occurred at Brandur, Hellisey or Geldungur. Numbers in Eldey were almost the same in 1994 as in 1983, al- though somewhat lower in 1985-89. Numbers in the eastem group increased from 1550 sites in 1984 to 2300 in 1994, corre- sponding to an annual rate of increase of 4.2% (Table 2), slightly less than the 6.8% up to 1984. The rate was similar in all the colonies, 4.0% at Raudinupur, 3.5% at Skoruvik and 4.4% at Skrudur. The increase at Raudinupur was mainly on the stack Karl, and at Skoruvik mainly on ledges in the cliff. The two separate cliff colonies at Skmdur had begun to merge in 1994. Counts and surveys of Icelandic gannet colonies after 1980,have always covered all colonies. Statements'(Wanless 1987, Lloyd et al. 1991) that a colony, Máfadrangur at Dyrhólaey was not included, are mistaken. Al- though gannets were reported as nesting on Máfadrangur in 1962 (Einarsson 1973), they have not nested there recently and only non- breeders have been recorded there in frequent surveys from 1974 on (Gardarsson 1989). PÓSTFANG HÖFUNDAR Arnþór Garðarsson Líffræðistofnun háskólans Grensásvegi 12 108 REYKJAVÍK Author's ADDRESS Amthor Gardarsson, Department of Biology, University of Iceland, Grensasvegur 12, IS-108 Reykjavik, Iceland. 208

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