What's the most unusual bird you've seen on a seawatch? (1 Viewer)

M Cowming

Well-known member

• Oct 10, 2004

• #1

Hi guys,

This topic may have been done before but I am interested to hear your experiences nonetheless. The reason i ask is because, granted, we all know certain birds migrate, we all see them on land be they rare, uncommon or common but have you seen any arrive "off the sea" and if so what?

Yesterday, my mate and I went to our local headland to search for passerines. It was very windy with very little about so we decided to do a short sea watch. Nothing interesting was passing and it was blowing a gale. Next thing I picked up this "big brown bird" on the horizon, coming in low over the water. The first thing I thought was Bonxie! However, with every wing beat, it was apparent that this bird was no Bonxie. It got closer and closer, heading straight into the bay away to our left. Next thing it turned 90 degrees and headed straight for us.

As the bird was approaching the headland it soared and wheeled a couple of times before disappearing behind us. The bird was a superb Short-eared Owl. Of course, not a major find but great for our County and was a county tick for us both. Basicly, it was just a surreal and magic 5 minutes which was totally unexpected.You could say that the "wow factor" was alive and well for those few minutes til the bird disappeared.

I would like to hear of your experiences!!!

Kind regards,

 

Andrew

wibble wibble

• Oct 10, 2004

• #2

I can picture you jaw dropping when you realise it is an Owl not a Bonxie!

The strangest I have had is not that strange really. A Garganey flying east at Portland Bill. You just don't expect them flying at sea.

 

James Eaton

Trent Valley Crew

• Oct 10, 2004

• #3

The strangest creature I saw at sea wasn't a bird, but a mammal. It was at Pendeen a few years ago. My frined and I were seawatching when I caught sight of what looked like a whale, we watched this for over 10 minutes, I wasn't noting down a description of its shape. We were completely baffled by its strange, seemingly, black and white colouration. Having come up with all kinds of species of whale it could be it turned upside down to reveal 4 long legs. At this point we realised its identity - a Fresian Cow!

 

Julian Sykes Wildlife

Jules Sykes

• Oct 10, 2004

• #4

I think a Ringtail Hen Harrier being mobbed by gulls as it came ashore at Fife Ness ranks highly, have also had Long and Short eared Owls coming 'in off', your right they are great especially when they rest on the rocks right in front of you. Friends of mine had a White tailed Eagle a couple of yaers ago at the same seawatching site (that's what dreams are made of!!!).

 

C

Cuckoo-shrike

Well-known member

• Oct 10, 2004

• #5

Strangest one I ever had was a Barn Owl well out over the sea off St Ives during a sea-watch, last seen heading into Carbis Bay.
Andy

 

TonyC

Well-known member

• Oct 10, 2004

• #6

A waterlogged Woodcock coming in low off the sea off Lindesfarne. It then crash-landed onto the beach and lay exhausted for about 20 mins before waddling off.

 

D

David Bryant

Registered User

• Oct 10, 2004

• #7

Most interesting thing I ever saw was a flock of thrushes (Redwings and Fieldfares) coming in towards Cley some years back. To the amazement of the gallery, quite a few of them landed on the sea! After a minute or two, they took off again and resumed their journey!

 

David FG

The Big Dipper

• Oct 10, 2004

• #8

I too have seen a Woodcock - coming in at Sandwich Bay.

 

Jasonbirder

Jason-occasional-twitcher

• Oct 10, 2004

• #9

Has to be Hoopoe - I picked one up flying straight towards me on a seawatch at Selsey Bill - it flew almost over my head and disapeared inland - quite a change from the Arctics and Bonxies i`d been counting !!!

 

Mike Pennington

Registered Member

• Oct 10, 2004

• #10

James Eaton said:

The strangest creature I saw at sea wasn't a bird, but a mammal. It was at Pendeen a few years ago. My frined and I were seawatching when I caught sight of what looked like a whale, we watched this for over 10 minutes, I wasn't noting down a description of its shape. We were completely baffled by its strange, seemingly, black and white colouration. Having come up with all kinds of species of whale it could be it turned upside down to reveal 4 long legs. At this point we realised its identity - a Fresian Cow!

Click to expand...

I had a fridge going north past Fetlar once!

All time best seawatch has to be the Wallcreeper seen coming in off the sea on the Isle of Wight (wasn't me I hasten to add).

 

D

Darrell Clegg

Well-known member

• Oct 10, 2004

• #11

James Eaton said:

The strangest creature I saw at sea wasn't a bird, but a mammal. - a Fresian Cow!

Click to expand...

I had a brown cow complete with yellow ear tag from the Plymouth - Santander ferry a few years ago. I also had a Bittern crossing the Bay of Biscay on the same trip.

Darrell

 

Last edited: Oct 11, 2004

Chigrl

What she was to gorillas, I am to chihuahuas

• Oct 11, 2004

• #12

Nothing in this world surprises me anymore. But the strangest creatures I've ever seen is humans. No offense meant, just my observations.

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Oct 11, 2004

• #13

I've also had Short-eared Owl 'in off'. Goldcrests are fairly startling too. I remember being told of a Water Rail landing on the Scillonian, and even trying to land on people's heads!

 

V

very boring banned member

New member

• Oct 11, 2004

• #14

Well, not exactly my observation, and not actually when birding, but fishing out on the Bothnian Sea a friend of mine saw a hummingbird. It later appeared to be an escapee from a cargo ship.

I once saw Asio flammeus coming right over from Sweden. Have also watched three Alces alces swimming over kilometres of bay.

The most curious creature appeared to me on Sappi Island. We were seawatching by morning, as we noticed gulls attacking the sea about one kilometer away. It looked like a seal, but was a bit smaller, and we knew that gulls don't care about seals. When it little by little came closer, we found it being a Lutra lutra! The most odd thing was, that it was not heading for the land, but seemed just to migrate on open sea by swimming southwards (and the seawater temperature was less than 10 C). Eventually, it turned and swam into the island.

 

Docmartin

Thought Police

• Oct 11, 2004

• #15

I also had Short-eared Owl 'in off' at Flamborough. A Willow Warbler off the sea and on to rocks at Cape Clear. A Ruddy Shelduck was a good 'seabird' too. There must be others. Cheating, cos I wasn't seawatching, but I've also had Richard's pipit fly in from the sea, land on a rock and take off again (N Wales).

 

B

Bluetail

Senior Moment

• Oct 11, 2004

• #16

Chigrl said:

But the strangest creatures I've ever seen is humans.

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I was on the Scillonian one October when one of these was spotted floating past about halfway between Penzance and St Mary's. Didn't see it myself though; heard about it when I came up from below.

 

Docmartin

Thought Police

• Oct 11, 2004

• #17

Bluetail said:

I was on the Scillonian one October when one of these was spotted floating past about halfway between Penzance and St Mary's. Didn't see it myself though; heard about it when I came up from below.

Click to expand...

There's another Meinertzhagen story where he was on the coast at Haifa (eastern Med) and saw what he assumed to be a Monk Seal in the distance on the beach. So he stalked it and was about to take aim, when it got up and revealed itself as the wife of one of his senior officers, skinny dipping while her husband looked on.

 

B

Bubbs

Well-known member

• Oct 11, 2004

• #18

Late April 1996: Whilst seawatching from the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, a very distant cloud was observed through heat haze some miles away.

Possibly waders; Garganey perhaps; one hour later we were surrounded by 13,000 White-winged Black Terns, and very reluctant to make a bolt for it over the Negev Desert. Over the next two days an estimated 40,000 passed through.

18th April 2001 1730hrs: 2,500 White Storks in a single huge flock. Plus on several other days; Good numbers 'in off' of Steppe Eagles, Steppe Buzzards, Pratincole sp, Purple and Grey Herons, etc. All about to 'shoot through' the Negev Desert. No stranger sight in the desert though than Long-tailed, Arctic, and Poms, going north.

JB

 

Last edited: Oct 11, 2004

snowyowl

Well-known member

• Oct 11, 2004

• #19

We had a SEO come in off of the sea last Thursday. Flew in over our heads to land behind us.
That same day there were Peregrines and Merlins out over the sea harassing migrating Blue Jays, Robins and Pine Siskins. I gave an account of the day under the "Reports from Home and Away"
In the spring, at the same location, A. Kestrels and Merlins were flying in a t arate of one every 5 - 10 minutes. Really great to watch them come in over the water.

 

jurek

Well-known member

• Oct 11, 2004

• #20

I saw Short-eared Owl coming from Sweden, too.

Not exactly seawatching, but wild boar tracks coming from the sea in Poland. They must have swim 10+ km of shallow sea between Hel and Rewa, with one sandbar as the possible resting point.