Tips and hints for seawatching?

[MikeMules]

Hi all, I'm going to give seawatching a go this coming winter (not that it feels like it at - it's 26 oC at the moment). I've never been proper seawatching, just the odd hour here and there. (A little bit in Scotland over Christmas and last week I saw Arctic Jaeger and Yellow-nosed Albatross off Point Hicks (East Gippsland, Australia)).

What advice do people have for me (apart from "don't do it!")? I am interested in scanning techniques, equipment (especially those things that bring a little bit of comfort such as chairs etc...), weather conditions.

Thank you in advance for your replies

Cheers, Mike

[Jane Turner]

OK... here goes.

1. Get really comfortable, you will need time to get your eye in, and if you are not comfortable you'll not concentrate.

2. Find a balance between sitting comfortably and sitting too high - wind shake is a huge enemy...

3. Use as wide a field of view as possible - I never seawatch with large magnification..... its better to watch a bird fly though a static scope then reposition and do the same again than to try and track a moving bird...too much judder. A still crisp image is more use than a juddery big one!

4. Try and find a feature to watch... eg a buoy and wait for things to come to you.. you miss stuff by scanning I find... (again a wide field of view is important since you have more chance of a careening bird coming up in your view!)

5. Try and get a bit of height but not too much - say 20-30 feet above the water... its a different skill watching off cliff tops and I'm not good at it! I like to have the whole depth of the sea in a single field of view.

6. Take a friend to talk to and to take turns in just staring at a fixed spot on the horizon and scanning about.

7. Agree terms for getting each other onto things... near far, left right, buoy 1, etc. I've got a Petrel... where.. at sea.... in front of a wave.. etc doesn't help!

8. Consider using an eye patch to avoid headaches

9. Choose conditions when there has been and onshore wind for a few days, ideally one where the wind is 45 degrees to the coast and is a head wind for passing birds (this tends to bring birds in closer to land)

10 Until you really have your eye in on jizz (an this takes years) concentrate on close birds first, or accept that you will have a lot of unidentified birds.


er that will do for now :)

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A few points off the top of my head:

1. Get comfortable. Either take a chair if you can or find a comfy looking rock.
2. Use as wide an angle of lens as possible to scan
3. In most situations that I've ever seawatched in there tends to be a bias in the direction that the birds move in (e.g. in the east of Scotland most birds are seen moving north). Try to work out the bias and scan against it. That way you should make sure you 'catch' most things in good time.
4. Try to avoid looking into the light
5. Early morning and late afternoon/ early evening are usually best, with the most birds moving
6. In most situations onshore winds are likely to be the best, although there are local complexities. If you're not sure then try a few different sorts of conditions.
7. Try to choose somewhere that 'sticks out' into the sea
8. Ideally you should be sitting at a height of maybe 20 - 30 metres above the sea (rough estimate). If you're too low then the birds will go behind waves all the time and if you're too high then your view of the sea becomes too vast to deal with.
9. Get to know the common seabirds where you are. In most situations I've seawatched there tend to be a small number of species that dominate.
10. Remember that not every bird you see out to sea will be a 'seabird'. Non-seabirds can often be the trickiest things to identify

Okay that's my ten, but I'm sure others have a few more tips!

[Steve G]

Don't underestimate the comfort factor. Others may take pride in their masochistic tolerance but I feel that given the nature of seawatching (95% utter boredom & 5% exhilaration) long periods will be spent without much happening-better that you endure these spells in comfort.
Apart from the obvious of a raised viewpoint on a good headland where passage is likely you need to have some shelter from the elements, a soft seat (portable or natural), a thermos flask, a bulk box of Mars bars & an indwelling catheter. If bird movement is poor -a hipflask containing a good Islay malt can start to make things happen! ;)

[Jane Turner]

My word that was consistent! My best non seabird was a Hen Harrier, surrounded by about 50 Leach's Petrels!

[Jane Turner]

Don't underestimate the comfort factor. Others may take pride in their masochistic tolerance but I feel that given the nature of seawatching (95% utter boredom & 5% exhilaration) long periods will be spent without much happening-better that you endure these spells in comfort.
Apart from the obvious of a raised viewpoint on a good headland where passage is likely you need to have some shelter from the elements, a soft seat (portable or natural), a thermos flask, a bulk box of Mars bars & an indwelling catheter. If bird movement is poor -a hipflask containing a good Islay malt can start to make things happen! ;)

I do most of my seawatching out of my bedroom window :) I've been in phone contact with someone on the low tide edge - so 3/4 of a mile closer to the birds, and been able to see and identify 10x more birds simply because I was warm, still and sat in a big comfy chair!

[Andrew Whitehouse]

If you seawatch on your own I would also recommend the use of a personal stereo. It's helpful for the 95% of the time that Steve mentions.

[Steve G]

I do most of my seawatching out of my bedroom window :) I've been in phone contact with someone on the low tide edge - so 3/4 of a mile closer to the birds, and been able to see and identify 10x more birds simply because I was warm, still and sat in a big comfy chair!
I'm sure that seawatching from you bedroom window might also reduce the 95% boredom factor. :eek!:

[Jane Turner]

I don't know what you are suggesting? Unless its listening to the stereo... sipping claret or being brought hot buttered tea cakes and tea on demand!

[Steve G]

I don't know what you are suggesting? Unless its listening to the stereo... sipping claret or being brought hot buttered tea cakes and tea on demand!
Woops, maybe skating on thin ice here!
The stereo, claret & hot buttered scones all sound good; perhaps you can package this up & offer it up as a seawatching weekend -worth about £450 assuming you can deliver the birds (need to include some Skua species & a Phalarope or two). ;)

[MikeMules]

Thank you all for your advice - I probably won't have a chance to go out for the next fortnight, but when I do, I'll heed your words. Particularly those about comfort!!

Thanks, Mike

[Jane Turner]

Woops, maybe skating on thin ice here!
The stereo, claret & hot buttered scones all sound good; perhaps you can package this up & offer it up as a seawatching weekend -worth about £450 assuming you can deliver the birds (need to include some Skua species & a Phalarope or two). ;)

Can guarantee Leaches Petrel and a fighting chance at 4 skuas, Sabs etc

[Birdspotter]

A lot of good advice on offer but one of my favourites is a radio, it helps with the boredom and besides theres nothing better than listening to your team thrashing the opposition just as the ad Pom is passing through.

[Brian Stone]

Lots of similar ideas. Couldn't agree more with the wide angle lens and stability. Set the tripod as low as possible as definitley with the central column not extended. A good fluid head helps to follow birds without too much shake.

With practice I have managed to use my bins balanced on top of and in line with the scope (one of the reasons I use a straight scope) which gives you a really stable wide image. Then if you pick up something a small movement of your head and you are immediately on it with the scope.

Work out which direction most of the birds are coming from and concentrate mainly on an area of sea in that direction to give yourself the maximum time on unfamiliar bird, which should hopefully then be getting closer. Nothing worse than trying to identify the rear end of something that looks exciting as it becomes a dot in the distance.

Don't forget to keep checking very close to where you are positioned, especially if you have an elevated position. This is a common mistake at St Ives where birds have come right into the bay and pass by the island hugging the cliff. Seen Sabs Gull and Long-tailed Skua here like this.

BTW my best non-seabird was Montagu's Harrier so another similarity there.

[Nancy]

Mike, I guess you will be going out from port Fairy or Portland. Unless things have changed greatly from when I was a regular on those trips you will need a really good set of wet weather gear including sea boots. I mean real yachties gear not just a raincoat!
Forget about seats; you will be standing and racing from one side of the boat to the other; there will be seats inside if you really want to sit down.
Get some good seasick pills and take one the night before as you go to bed and again in the morning as soon as you wake up.
Keep off alcohol the night before.
Have an alternative in mind in case the trip is cancelled if the weather is rough, you will not know untill that morning when you are already there.
Don't bother about taking pics at first and forget about tripods, you will be so busy trying to keep track of all those fast flying birds you will be totally gobsmacked!
The birds come really close and hang around the boat so you will get really good views
But you will have a fantastic time and will find a 'lifer' every 5 minutes (for the first trip anyway)
Hope I haven't put you off but it is better to BE PREPARED. Wish I was going too but I'm off to Byron Bay next week on my annual migratation.

[CJW]

I got the impression that Mike was going to be land-based, Nancy.
Some excellent advice in this thread guys, this is what the forums should be about. Nice one :clap:

[Nancy]

Ooops! Mike I just assumed you were going on the pelagic boat trips so I withdraw all of the above. But why don't you go on a pealgic? And do take all the advice offered by other people above.
Best place near Melbourne is Cape Schank when the wind has been southerly for a few days. It's an easy walk out there now since the board-walk has been installed but access off that is now forbidden (but don't go at the weekend or during school holidays). You can get Shy, Grey-headed, Black-browed, Yellow-nosed, Wandering, Royal and maybe even a Bullers Albatross there. Then there are the Great Petrels, Skus or Jaegars and the smaller pertels. Cape Liptrap is good too and Port Phillip Bay from Sorrento and Portsea can give you decent views of Shearwaters..... Fluttering and Huttons as well as Short-tailed, White-faced Storm-Petrels during the breeding season and possibly some of the rarer Terns. (You really ought to go on a pelagic trip and you would see ten times as much in a fraction of the time).
Anyway, I wish you joy!!!

[Stephen Dunstan]

A lot of good advice above. Depending where you are never underestimate the value of flat calm mornings. A lot of birders only bother when there is a strong onshire breeze, but calm days can be really good for movements of divers, grebes and ducks. Calm conditions are also good for cetaceans.

Stephen.

[Stevie babe]

Don't forget other sea creatures such as whales, dolphins, sunfish, sharks and fish jumping the surface while searching for birds. Also migratory passerines coming off the sea, and butterflies & dragonflies etc. If 95% of seawatching for birds is a nothing these other activities help make up for it. Check out the Cornwall Wildlife trust website ( www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk ) and their marine mammals pages as an example of some of the other potentials in sea watching including pelagics

Stevie Babe

[Stephen Dunstan]

Stevie babe,

Yes, that's what I meant when I said try flat calm days for cetaceans. ID'ing most fish and all dragonflies would be a challenge though.

Stephen.