Special passenger!

Lauren Peach details the amazing occurrence of an American Kestrel aboard a large cruise ship off the coast of Ireland.

IN my role as a cetacean surveyor, I was lucky enough to board P&O’s MV Aurora at the end of September on its journey back to Southampton, at the end of a month-long cruise of the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada. I embarked at St John’s, Newfoundland, on 27 September and disembarked on 3 October, with my entire time onboard spent at sea in the North Atlantic.

At some point during my second day onboard I noticed an American Kestrel flying around the ship. We were right out in the Atlantic Ocean at this point, more than 450 km east of St John’s. I did not manage to take a photo of the bird until the afternoon, though I remember seeing it when I first came out on deck that day. It remained with us over the next four days, performing laps of the ship and intermittently roosting on the roof and aerials. It seemed in good health as well, perching on balcony railings just feet from guests. These were all sea days crossing the Atlantic, so the bird could not have come aboard at another port and must’ve been out over the ocean.

The only thing I saw the kestrel predating upon was a large insect on the first day it was seen. It was last seen on 1 October, while transiting through Irish territorial waters some 280 km SSW of the Co Cork coastline.

In general, the surveys were pretty quiet for cetaceans across the open Atlantic, as the sea conditions were not the best. However, as we reached the European continental shelf on 1 October – the day that we last saw the kestrel – we were blessed with Common Dolphins, Long-finned Pilot Whales and a Fin Whale, as well as some unidentified whale species. Prior to me embarking, the guests had enjoyed wonderful sightings of mostly Humpback Whales up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

A few small passerines accompanied us for the journey but for the most part I was not able to identify them or manage any photographs. We had a Leach’s Storm Petrel on board at one point, plus some fly-by Canada Geese, and I recall seeing hirundines (though could not confirm species) and a European Robin (which only joined us in the last couple of days). A few other passerines flew over quite high, and none landed on the ship. The only species I took photos of were the kestrel and petrel. ■

The American Kestrel is thought to have made it aboard the ship in Newfoundland on 27 September, sticking on the vessel all the way until it reached Irish waters on 1 October.