In December 2023, the Migratlane-telemetry team learned how to capture wintering birds at sea with Ramunas Žydelis and Julius Morkunas, Lithuanian experts who came to spend a few days in the Rade de Brest. With the help of a museum boat (CRESCO) and its pilot Julien Guillaudeau, the operation was a success, as 7 divers were captured at night and fitted with OT-20D GPS devices which record their geographical position, flight altitude and dive depth. The photo above shows an equipped Arctic diver about to be released.

Building on this success and learning experience, we repeated the experience in Douarnenez Bay in January 2024, thanks to the boat and crews of the French Office for Biodiversity. Despite the bitter cold, this time we equipped 17 birds in 5 nights: guillemots, razorbills and a great-northern diver. One of them, a guillemot, has already left to visit the south of England. Another went to the foot of the cliffs of the Pointe du Raz, perhaps already spotting a ledge to nest on?

Thank you to all participants, pilots, crews and helpers on those cold Breton nights! We’ll be back in Quiberon Bay in February.