My offshore patch

[david r]

Here is my observations from the F.P.S.O. Uisge Gorm ( central North sea ) where I spend approx. 182 days a year. It is approx. 240 mt long and has a beam of 40 mts.

29-5--03 1 Collard dove, 1 Racing pigeon, 2 Swallows, 1 House martin., 72 Fulmar, 3 Crossbills, 1 Garden warbler, 1 Willow warbler, 1 Chiffchaff.
30-5-03 165 + Fulmar ( fishing boats in the area ) 3 Crossbills, 1 Garden warbler, 1 Collard dove, 1 Willow warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Razorbill.
31-5-03 1 Swallow, 94 Fulmar, 1 Wheatear, 1 g.b.b.gull, 1 Collard dove.
1-6-03 1 Collard dove, 76 Fulmar, 2 Gannets.
2-6-03 2 Wood pigeons, 1 G.b.b.gull, 23 Fulmar, 2 Gannets, 1 Collard dove.
3-6-03 18 Fulmar, 1 Gannet, ( 1 Painted lady butterfly )
4-6-031 Gannet, 11 Kittiwakes, 17 Fulmar, ( 1 Red adrmral butterfly )
5-6-03 11 Fulmar, 1 Gannet, 5 G.b.b.gulls, 2 Swallows, 1 Tree sparrow, 1 Grear skua.
6-6-03 2 Tree sparrows, 14 Fulmar, 4 G,b,b,gulls, 3 Kittiwakes.
7-6-03 2 Tree sparrows, 1 Turtle dove, 1 Wood pigeon, 1 Gannet, 3 Fulmar.
8-6-03 2 Gannets, 2 Tree sparrows, 1 Grear Skua, 1 Wood pigeon, 2 Swallows , 1 Turtle dove, 1 Black redstart ( male )
5 Kittiwakes, 11 Fulmar.
9-6-03 2 Tree sparrows, 2 Turtle doves., 1 Blacxk redstart, 3 Kittiwakes, 14 Fulmar.
10-6-03 1 Turtle dove, 1 Swallow, 2 Tree sparrows, 7 Fulmar, ( 1 Red admiral butterfly ) 1 G. b.b.gull. 5 Lesser black-backed gulls.
11-6-03 1 Collard dove, 1 Tree sparrow, 2 Gannets, 32 Kittiwakes, 7 Fulmar, 2 Guillemots.

Dave

[Charles Harper]

Dave, this is fascinating. To humour an old landlubber, what is an F.P.S.O. and where is it? Does it move about? How far is it from landfall, with that mix of pelagics and passerines? Have you got lat-long coordinates? Are you stationed there 182 days in a row, or, how are your shifts distributed? Is that enough questions?

[Karl J]

Tree Sparrow & butterflies ......Excellent .... obviously as migrants they do cross the sea, I've just never heard of anyone seeing them doing it before

[david r]

Charles,
It is a Floating, Production, Storage & Offloading unit permanently moored to the seabed via a turret ( large swivel ) which allows it to swing through 360 degrees. We are in pos. 56, 01 N & 03, 11 E which is approx. 200 miles from Aberdeen, Newcastle & Stavanger and at the moment we are producing
( oil ) from 4 seperate fields. I normally do 21days on then 21 days off. Dave

[birdman]

That's brilliant, Dave.

It's amazing what you have seen, considering where your patch is!

I presume most of these are fly-bys? Any touch-downs???

[phyllosc]

Dave.

Does that make you a Rousterbout?

Dave

[Michael Frankis]

Is that the same two Tree Sparrows staying around? . . . and are they being fed?

Certainly seems a weird species to turn up out there, they're not usually thought of as migratory

Michael

[david r]

Birdman,
Some of the gulls may be flying past / round the unit most of the rest have landed on the decks and some stay a day or two. As things go offshore this was a relatively quiet period.
Phyllosc Dave,
Im the Deckforeman / H.L.O. ( Helicopter landing officer )

[david r]

Michael,
I take it that they were the same birds, they were seen to be catching moths and insects round the helideck, after a few days when they started to look a bit scruffy / dirty/ weak and did not seem as if they were going to leave I started leaving out a bit of bread for them.
On the 10th I saw a bird in the G.b.b. gull's bill, and though it did not look like a Sparrow, when I only observed the one on the 11th I feared the worsed. Dave

[Sal]

It certainly is a different kind of patch and your list is very interesting - such a mix and so many of them that one associates with land which is 200 miles away - surely these are not all migrants - what would make them fly so far out?

[david r]

Sal,
Besides the sea birds ( normal ) and t-sparrows which are rather unusual, the rest are normal migrants out there. I forgot to add 3 Minke whales swimming past on the 7th and a Ringed plover on the 8th.
Dave