Pipefish and birds

[Julian Bell]

The last few years there seems to have been an explosion in the numbers of pipefish - both in the north east of England and here in Norway. Birds always seem to have a struggle to swallow them - but they seem to be one of the dominant prey items these days.

I've put some record shots of a few species eating these strange looking fish here (http://www.naturalbornbirder.com/articles/pipefish.html).

Is it the same everywhere now? Last time I was in the UK in summer of 2006 there were LOADS of pipefish on the beaches - something I had rarely experienced earlier, despite "Living" on the beach AND being interested in fish.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I noticed this a lot when I was over in Lewis (Western Isles) last autumn, although I haven't seen so much here in northeast Scotland (possibly because I've not been paying enough attention). I remember seeing Common Gulls struggling with some hugely long ones!

[IanF]

I even saw the odd Tern last year taking them back to nests. Maybe a sign of lack of sandeels. Cormorants and Gulls were feeding on them too.

[StuartReeves]

Hi Julian,

In short, there have been exceptional numbers of Snake Pipefish around in recent years, for reasons which aren't really understood. However, this increased abundance isn't neccesarily good news for seabirds. See :

http://www.ices.dk/products/CMdocs/2006/C/C0606.pdf
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/press/releases/2006/pipefish.asp

Cheers,

Stuart

[AStevenson]

Pipefish do appear to be a lot more common out round the Outer Hebs and NW Scotland in the last couple of years - St Kilda puffin productivity has been affected by them being a major food item - chicks can't swallow them and choke.

Yet big gulls seem to scoff them - even they struggle with larger ones. Dunno whether it's a general increase in numbers that's making them a food item for smaller seabirds or whether it's a relative lack of sandeels, sprats etc. at critical times. Auks on Mingulay last summer from what I saw were bringing in sandeels/sprat type fish.

Cheers,
Andrew

[dafi]

I noticed this a lot when I was over in Lewis (Western Isles) last autumn, although I haven't seen so much here in northeast Scotland (possibly because I've not been paying enough attention). I remember seeing Common Gulls struggling with some hugely long ones!
its mayby that more are being caught with fall of sand eels numbers.So making them a lot more visable as a preay item. Not a verry fleshy or palitable fish.We were finding them discorgded from time to time after close bonxi attacks on guilimots and razor bills on the west mainland cliffs. Im shure thay would have prefered fleshyer sand eels though. However shags and cormrants have allways been happy to swallow them down. Im not shure but i think thay grow to three feet. That may be a fishermans tail though.

[tom tams]

I was on the Tynemouth long sands, Northumberland today and there were lots of pipefish being washed up, many of them still alive, and not a gull in sight to take advantage of this free meal !!!

[dafi]

Hi Julian,

In short, there have been exceptional numbers of Snake Pipefish around in recent years, for reasons which aren't really understood. However, this increased abundance isn't neccesarily good news for seabirds. See :

http://www.ices.dk/products/CMdocs/2006/C/C0606.pdf
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/press/releases/2006/pipefish.asp

Cheers,

Stuart
From the look of this report we are seeing a huge change an the ballance of the sea out there, the watter getting warmer types of plancton changing over a huge area. Lots reports of cod moveing further north have been about and it seems the same way with the sand eels . Pipe fish on the rise. I hope its more encouraging than it seems