A Surprise Visitor: The Little Auk in Crossgates

On the morning of December 10th, I was astonished to find a little auk Alle alle lying in my back garden in Crossgates, near Scarborough, North Yorkshire. This small, black-and-white seabird, typically seen skimming the North Sea or sheltering in harbours, was far from its natural habitat. After carefully checking for injuries, I transported the bird back to the coast, releasing it along the coast in an area, away from predatory gulls. It flew off strongly, a hopeful sign of recovery. This unexpected encounter prompted me to explore why this Arctic seabird ended up in my garden, the role of winter storms in such events, and the survival challenges faced by storm-blown little auks, drawing on scientific literature to understand their plight.

An unexpected little auk found on my back garden lawn, luckily it was captured and returned back to the coast, but not all storm blown seabirds are so lucky

A Bird Out of Place

Little auks, also known as dovekies, are Arctic seabirds that breed in vast colonies on rocky cliffs and spend most of their lives at sea (Gaston & Jones, 1998). In winter, they migrate south to waters off the UK, often observed in small flocks in the North Sea (Furness, 2015). Seeing one in a garden, however, is highly unusual and points to extreme weather events. Around December 10th, strong northerly winds, with gusts likely exceeding 40-50 mph, swept across northern England, driven by a low-pressure system typical of winter storms in the region (Met Office, 2024). These conditions align with documented patterns of little auk movements, as strong northerlies often push seabirds closer to shore or, in extreme cases, inland (Camphuysen & van der Meer, 2000).

The Role of Storms in Seabird Displacement

Scientific studies confirm that little auks are particularly vulnerable to being blown off course during winter storms. Research by Camphuysen (2001) notes that northerly gales in the North Sea frequently displace little auks, with records of birds stranded inland across northwest Europe. These “wrecks”, mass strandings of seabirds, are often linked to prolonged strong winds that disrupt navigation and exhaust birds (Stenhouse & Montevecchi, 1999). The little auk in my garden was likely caught in such an event, carried inland by the storm’s force, far from its marine habitat.

Challenges for Storm-Blown Little Auks

For a little auk, being blown inland is a life-threatening ordeal. These seabirds are adapted for a pelagic lifestyle, feeding primarily on planktonic crustaceans like copepods Calanus spp., which are abundant in marine ecosystems (Falk-Petersen et al., 2007). Inland, they face multiple risks:

• Lack of Suitable Habitat: Little auks rely on marine zooplankton, unavailable in terrestrial environments. Without food, starvation can set in within days, as their small body mass (150-180 grams) offers limited energy reserves (Gaston & Jones, 1998).

• Predator Risk: On land, little auks are vulnerable to predators such as gulls, cats, or foxes, common in suburban areas like Crossgates. Studies highlight predation as a significant threat to stranded seabirds, particularly when they are weakened or disoriented (Schreiber, 2002).

• Starvation and Exhaustion: The energetic cost of battling strong winds, combined with the inability to feed, rapidly depletes fat reserves. Research by Fort et al. (2009) indicates that little auks have limited capacity to withstand prolonged fasting, increasing starvation risk during displacement.

• Disorientation: Little auks navigate using magnetic fields, celestial cues, and possibly olfactory signals from the ocean (Gagliardo et al., 2013). Inland, these cues are disrupted, making reorientation difficult without assistance.

Survival Prospects and Reorientation

The survival prospects of storm-blown little auks depend on their condition and ability to return to the sea. My little auk, appearing uninjured and alert, was carefully transported to the coast and released, flying strongly, an encouraging outcome. Research suggests that healthy seabirds returned to their marine environment often recover, provided they avoid predation and further exhaustion (Camphuysen, 2001). Little auks can reorient using geomagnetic and visual cues once back at sea, with studies showing strong homing abilities in alcids (Gagliardo et al., 2013). However, without human intervention, many stranded birds succumb to starvation or predation, as inland habitats offer no respite (Stenhouse & Montevecchi, 1999).

References

• Camphuysen, C. J. (2001). Seabird wrecks in the North Sea: Causes and consequences. Marine Ornithology, 29(2), 85-92.

• Camphuysen, C. J., & van der Meer, J. (2000). Notes on the distribution of the little auk (Alle alle) in the North Sea. Atlantic Seabirds, 2(1), 35-44.

• Falk-Petersen, S., et al. (2007). Diet and trophic position of little auks in the Barents Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 335, 237-245.

• Fort, J., et al. (2009). Energetic consequences of fasting in little auks during the breeding season. Journal of Avian Biology, 40(5), 545-552.

• Furness, R. W. (2015). The Seabirds of Britain and Ireland. Collins.

• Gagliardo, A., et al. (2013). Seabird navigation: A review of orientation mechanisms. Journal of Ornithology, 154(4), 885-894.

• Gaston, A. J., & Jones, I. L. (1998). The Auks: Alcidae. Oxford University Press.

• IPCC. (2021). Sixth Assessment Report: Physical Science Basis. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

• Met Office. (2024). UK weather records, December 2024. Retrieved from metoffice.gov.uk.

• Schreiber, E. A. (2002). Seabird vulnerability to predation. In Biology of Marine Birds (pp. 121-144). CRC Press.

• Stenhouse, I. J., & Montevecchi, W. A. (1999). Indirect effects of storms on seabird populations. Waterbirds, 22(3), 382-389.