Just in time for the annual fledging event, known as the 'Lummensprung', our team visited Helgoland again this year to meet Elmar Ballstaedt and gather information on recent developments. Every year in June, the common guillemot (Uria aalge) chicks leap courageously from heights of up to 60 metres into the North Sea, where their parents are already waiting. From their very first moment in the water, the chicks are excellent swimmers and divers. They follow their parents out to the open sea, whilst the breeding season of the northern gannets (Morus bassanus) is still in full swing.
There is encouraging news from the colony: populations of both Morus bassanus and Uria aalge are recovering following the avian influenza outbreak of 2022/23. The number of breeding pairs is increasing once more – for Morus bassanus, by approximately 100 pairs compared to the previous year. Recent blood analyses of affected individuals continue to show antibodies against the virus, suggesting a degree of resistance. Furthermore, the striking black eye coloration that many birds exhibited after surviving the disease appears to be fading or disappearing entirely.
Several previously infected birds have been equipped with transmitters to track their migratory routes. On the accessible plateaus, some Morus bassanus individuals now bear a conspicuous green marking on their heads for identification purposes.
However, the primary hazard at the Lummenfelsen breeding cliffs and the Lange Anna stack remains: dolly ropes. Again this year, Uria aalge and Morus bassanus became entangled in these plastic filaments. Unfortunately, no improvement is in sight; the fishing industry continues to resist criticism and changes regarding the use of dolly ropes. Consequently, we again observed birds acutely entangled and struggling for survival this year. Regrettably, this struggle is too often unsuccessful.
We will return in 2026.
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