European Storm-Petrels

[plaxtonman]

Hello all,

I'm keen to catch up with European Storm-Petrels this year. Can anyone advise dates for public ringing sessions on the north-east coast (Borders to Flamborough)?

Also I note there is quite a heavy passage of this species passing Workington at the moment. Is this typical, how long will it last, is there a 'best time of day or tide', and how far out are the birds likely to be? Where in Workington does the watching take place?

Sorry for all the questions, when I have info I will post!

Thanks, Steve 'Plaxtonman'

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Steve,

I don't know much about Workington or about ringing sessions but I would say that wherever you go your best chance of Stormies is either early morning (and I mean as close to dawn as possible) or evening. In favourable conditions (as there seem to have been the last few days) you probably have a decent chance at other times of the day too.

[tom mckinney]

Hi Steve,

Try Heysham Harbour. In appalling weather they sometimes get blown into the harbour and occasionally show fantastically close from the harbour wall.

I always get Storm Petrels from Gwennap Head at Porthgwarra in Cornwall in late July/August and often the best conditions seem to be a calm flat sea but with the light wind coming from the SW - as Andrew says get up early.

[Reader]

Hi Steve,

Try Heysham Harbour. In appalling weather they sometimes get blown into the harbour and occasionally show fantastically close from the harbour wall.

I always get Storm Petrels from Gwennap Head at Porthgwarra in Cornwall in late July/August and often the best conditions seem to be a calm flat sea but with the light wind coming from the SW - as Andrew says get up early.

Hi Tom

I can confirm Gwennap Head at Porthgwarra in Cornwall myself and certainly if you do the Pelagic on the Scillonian then the day before is an ideal day to visit this spot, as not only Stormies can be seen but a fair few Shearwater species as well.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

On Birdguides - if you're able to nip out this evening:

Storm Petrel ringing: tonight at Filey Brigg meet on the Brigg at 22.00 or call 07720 769 473 to confirm

[Stephen Dunstan]

Steve,

Workington is a better bet then Heysham unless it is really blowing. They aren't on passage there, they are on feeding visits from the Calf of Man. Visit sooner rather than later, but it is an annual event and should continue for a couple of weeks.

Stephen.

[plaxtonman]

Thank you all for the advice. I happen to be in Cumbria this Saturday so may give Workington a shot. Feeding trips from the Calf of Man - understood - does this mean they come in with the tide, or just any time of day? Is it obvious where to stand at the harbour?

Steve Plaxtonman

[Stephen Dunstan]

Steve,

I think high tide is best, but they linger around the lobster pot area offshore at other times. I have only watched the site from a boat, but if you ask on the Birding Cumbria yahoo group you would soon find out where best to stand. With over 200 tonight it probably doesn't matter as long as you are looking out to sea!

Stephen.

[peteh]

I was interested to see the number of Storm Petrels passing Workington reported on birdguides today.
It said they were going South. So if they are heading to the Calf of Man like you suggest Stephen. Do you think I would be able to see them curling round my local patch (Langness, SE tip of the IOM) ?
I have looked on many evenings recently and havent seen any so far.
Would I be needing really strong Southerlies to push them right against the Peninsula?
Or are these big amounts of Stormies likely to going somewhere else?

Thanks
Pete.

[Stephen Dunstan]

Pete,

I may have over simplified but they are generally considered to be non breeders, and ringing studies have shown non breeders tour colonies at this time of year. If anybody is particularly interested I can summarise the points raised on Birding Cumbria so far.

If they feed between here and the Isle of Man and go back to the colonies at night that might be why you don't see them Pete, but there is a bit of guesswork going on here.

Stephen.

[plaxtonman]

Brilliant numbers of Storm-Petrels passing Workington today, approximately 150/hour over lunchtime. Close in as well, scope helped but easily visible with binoculars.

Thanks again to everyone who helped, and to the birders who helped us today at Workington.

Steve

[tom mckinney]

Well done Steve. You certainly picked the right day!

[plaxtonman]

Thanks Tom

I note from Birdguides that they have also been seen on the Lancashire coast, and from Manx, and the Lleyn Peninsula in Wales.

The (grim) prospect of a long late night (early morning) drive back from Filey is now gone from my mind!!

Steve

[Geoff Pain]

Hope they are still about tomorrow,off up to Workington myself for a look.

[Stephen Dunstan]

Thanks Tom

I note from Birdguides that they have also been seen on the Lancashire coast, and from Manx, and the Lleyn Peninsula in Wales.

Steve

Yes Steve, had some near Workington a couple of weeks back (off Whitehaven) and now had them twice on the local patch (Blackpool). Glad you had success - see anything else?

Stephen.

[plaxtonman]

Stephen

We had a couple of Bonxies, a juvenile Gannet and a Black Guillemot through. The guys who were watching had had a Sooty Shwater earlier in the day along with several Manxies. A couple of days back they had a Leach's drifting through with the Stormies.

Who says birders talk in code - if only I'd called them Tysties!!!

Steve

[Chris Mason]

Hi
If you felt like a holiday come down to Cornwall and i will give you details of pelagic trips where you should see the European Storm-Petrel as well as good views of other sea birds.

Chris

We will now be running a pelagic trip on sunday 8th August 2004 from Falmouth, just for anyone interested and who is not going on the scillonian pelagic that day. The aim is to get the same species off the Lizard as they get out past Scilly. I can be certain that there will be less sea sickness with us than on the Scillonian.
If interested please contact me through the forum.
Thanks all

Chris Mason

[Caulkhead]

Hi Chris,

I'm in St Just, not far from Penzance, in mid August for a week's family hol. Is there anywhere nearby that you can recommend for stormies?

It'd be very difficult for me to take a pelagic trip, but intend to slip out for early/late seawatches most days.

Cheers, Nick

[Bluetail]

Hi Nick

When the wind's north-westerly, Pendeen is the place to go, but the wind needs to be strong. You sit on the grassy slope just to the right of the lighthouse if I remember correctly.

In a south westerly wind(strong or light) try Porthgwarra. From the car park walk back out the way you came in and take the path to your right up the cliff edge to the point with boulders and watch from there.

At either of these places any stormies passing will be a fairly long way out and will look like gnats. You need a very keen eye.

[Caulkhead]

Thanks Jason,

That confirms my thoughts about the "famous" venues, but I wasn't sure about the favourable winds... very useful thanks.

I'm a (very) regular seawatcher at my local patch, St. Catherine's Point on the Isle of Wight (about 20 mins from home), so I know what you mean about "gnats"... its just that we don't get stormies very often within range.

Looking forward to the trip.

Nick

[Chris Mason]

Hi Chris,

I'm in St Just, not far from Penzance, in mid August for a week's family hol. Is there anywhere nearby that you can recommend for stormies?

It'd be very difficult for me to take a pelagic trip, but intend to slip out for early/late seawatches most days.

Cheers, Nick

Hi Nick

Its a shame you will not be able to do a pelagic (altough there is a lot for the family to do in Falmouth, from swimming, sun bathing and the town and headland, we also provide free car parking) If i can't persuade you you have also got St Ives Island where you can have a sea watch from in a north-westerly. This site has proved good for Cory Shearwater on a calm North-West breeze in an evening.

Hope you have good Hoiday

Chris Mason

[Jasonbirder]

Hi Caulkhead - i`ll be at Porthgwarra or Pendeen (depending on Winds!) every morning and evening from 14 - 20th August so perhaps you`ll bump into me!(Obviously need Great, Cory`s and Balearic Shear for my year list!)

I`ve never been very succesful from St Ives Island - I think you need a very particular set of Weather Conditions to drive the birds into St Ives Bay

Foe Stormies though the conditions don`t really matter - i`ve regularly had them in bright sunshine and flat calm from Porthgwarra - in the evenings they often follow the fishing boats back towards Penzance!

They are quite distant of course - but that just gives you plenty of opportunity to string a Wilsons if you didn`t make the Pelagic ;)

[Bluetail]

I`ve never been very succesful from St Ives Island - I think you need a very particular set of Weather Conditions to drive the birds into St Ives BayIndeed: a deep depression crossing Northern Ireland or thereabouts, so that, as the depression approaches, the south-west gales scoop the birds up the Bristol Channel and, as it passes and the gale on its rear edge veers north-west, it flattens them against the Cornish cliffs. Only way out then for tired birds is to sneak down the coast! The stronger the SW gale is and the longer it lasts, the better the birds will be. Don't often get the optimum conditions these days.

[StevieEvans]

Steve Plaxtonman.
I got a call at 21:30 yesterday night (while i was in the bath!) to say Stormie ringing was taking place at Hartlepool.
Sorry i couldnt get a message to you (this time ).

20 birds were ringed, the ringers allowing you to see & smell the birds.

They were brilliant!!, its years since ive been close to one.

Will let you know next time i get a message re same type of event.

Whitburn have been ringing too apparently.

Stevie Evans.

[Caulkhead]

Thanks Jason and Chris,

I'll be there from 13th - 20th so hope to see you on the headlands!

Cannot justify a pelagic this time... will have to arrange a "special" for that.

I've tried St Ives Island (had several hols in St. I) with varying success depending on the wind... Just want to try somewhere different (that's not a pun on St. Just :-))

Thanks for your help.

Not long now.

[Jasonbirder]

I do believe that some of the locals seawatch from Cape Cornwall itself (just down the lane from St Just) - I have tried it a few times myself, as for many years we took a cottage on the cape itself every summer, but never found it that productive compared to Pendeen or Porthgwarra...

Unless the particular conditions described by Bluetail (strong South-westerly followed by strong Northerly) arise i`d give St Ives a miss (and if they do you`ll be fighting for elbow room at St Ives)

I always try Pendeen if there is an element of North in the winds - Porthgwarra if its Westerly or an element of South in the winds, if its calm Porthgwarra is still worth a try for Storm Petrels and Balearic Shearwaters....

If its an easterly - well there`s always waders, crakes and aquatic warblers to search for eh ;)

[Bluetail]

Unless the particular conditions described by Bluetail (strong South-westerly followed by strong Northerly) arise i`d give St Ives a missThat's sound advice. The regulars' wisdom always used to be that you see greater numbers of birds at Pendeen, but the views are closer at St Ives. In the classic St Ives conditions I've had Poms and Arctic Skuas passing over and behind me and an out-of-control Leach's once nearly took my head off, but such conditions are rare these days. At Pendeen even an ordinary north-westerly (i.e. without preceding SW's) can still produce birds (where it won't at St Ives) and I've even had a decent seawatch there with the winds slightly south of westerly.


(and if they do you`ll be fighting for elbow room at St Ives)That's true!

[plaxtonman]

Haven't been able to get online for a while (technical issues!), but managed to get over to Workington a couple of weeks ago and had 100+ Stormies on passage very close in to the harbour! Excellent to see them so close and in daylight!

Stevie - that saves a late night! ;) Thanks for the offer, though.

Steve Plaxtonman

[Bluetail]

Is that normal up that way, or were there particular wind conditions driving them inshore?

[plaxtonman]

Hello Bluetail

Apparently not in such large numbers. I spoke to two local birders who had been watching the movement (which lasted around 2 weeks), and they said it was unprecedented.

The numbers were excellent on the day we went with 150/hour having passed since 0630 that morning. Proximity was also good with 50-100m being the typical range. Wind was moderate from the SW.

Having done some research on Birdguides it looked like they are seen from Workington at this time of year in limited numbers especially feeding around the Lobster pots.

Plaxtonman