• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

North Sea Thread (1 Viewer)

Hawks

Attached are photos taken recently by a friend on another platform. They had six Kestrels and a Peregrine, all at the same time.
 

Attachments

  • Kestrels resize.jpg
    Kestrels resize.jpg
    101.7 KB · Views: 119
  • Kestrel resize.jpg
    Kestrel resize.jpg
    263.8 KB · Views: 119
  • Peregrine resize.jpg
    Peregrine resize.jpg
    347.6 KB · Views: 111
Migration continues.

Definitely much quieter here than last month, but still a few migratory birds coming through. Eight Starlings yesterday, with five seen today (may be overnighters though). Then this morning I had my first offshore Fieldfare of this calendar year. Saw many hundreds last year, but I think with the way my rota has fallen, I missed the main FF transit over the last three weeks. Also, present this morning were a couple of Blackbirds.

On the seabird front, we have a flock of over 300 Herring Gulls that have moved in, sitting on the sea to the lee of the platform. These in addition to the 50+ resident GBBGs. Single Gannet also noted flying by.
 
Winter Cometh

Very little on the move out here. An owl was remorted to me yesterday, but no exact ID made (probable S-EO) and I did not get a sighting. Still a few Starling and Blackbird around, but it looks like Winter's grip is tightening.

Large flock of gulls on the water tonight. Mainly Herring Gull from what little I can see through the dark.
 

Attachments

  • Starlings Nov.jpg
    Starlings Nov.jpg
    42.5 KB · Views: 73
No migratory activity now. Large flock of gulls gathering at the platform each night, then mostly dispersing at first light. Carried out a count this morning, as although dark, they were close in to the lights. Estimate 600+ Herring Gulls with 100+ GBBs.
 
Gull Menu

And here is why we are so popular with gulls of late.
 

Attachments

  • Fish resize 1.jpg
    Fish resize 1.jpg
    516.1 KB · Views: 88
  • Fish resize 2.jpg
    Fish resize 2.jpg
    541.4 KB · Views: 75
Nothing but Herring and GBB Gulls over the last week. That was until today when three Kittiwakes turned up. Might not sound like much, but we don't get too many Kittiwakes.

Picture of one attached
 

Attachments

  • Kittiwake resize.jpg
    Kittiwake resize.jpg
    472.8 KB · Views: 78
Herring Gull Raft

Trip just about over. Home on Friday, with finding Snow Bunting in Fife on the agenda. Just carried out a Herring Gull count of a large raft of birds alongside the platform. Well over one thousand present, and that with the raft disappearing into the darkness.
 
Five thirty this morning, with the wind down to 12 knots, and the sea around the platform was carpeted in Herring Gulls. Tried to count, but far too many moving birds. Conservative estimate wass more than 1,400 birds. Went back out at sunrise, and hardly a bird to be seen.

Now just waiting on a flight out of here.
 
Common Scoter

Back offshore for the next three weeks. Was not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised this morning by being greeted by four Common Scoter. First time recorded at this platform, so quite chuffed.

Pictures are not great, but it was all I could do to stand up in the 50mph + wind, no mater hold the camera steady.
 

Attachments

  • Common Scoters 1.jpg
    Common Scoters 1.jpg
    480.4 KB · Views: 76
  • Common Scoters 2.jpg
    Common Scoters 2.jpg
    403.4 KB · Views: 81
  • Common Scoters 3.jpg
    Common Scoters 3.jpg
    458.8 KB · Views: 87
Oooh!! What a great Christmas present for you Paul. Sorry, though, to hear you're away from your family for the whole holiday.

I hope you have as great a time as you can while working.
 
Iceland Gull

Following yesterday's four Common Scoter, a little later in the day, we had my first ever Iceland Gull. This first winter bird was swooping around with a bunch of Kittiwake in the high winds. It did land on the water once, but was gone by the time I was able to return with a camera.

There is still a significant Herring Gull presence here. Sixty plus yesterday, and plenty still around this morning. Hopefully the IG will hang around also to allow further viewings.

The Common Scoter were still with us as darkness fell. I am informed that they have been here for at least four days prior to my arrival.
 
Storm Barbara

The four Common Scoter were still present yesterday morning. They were sitting there in the teeth of storm Barbara like Mallards on the village pond. 80mph + winds and 6 metre waves don't seem to have phased them in the slightest. They seem to avoid the gulls by staying upwind of the platform.

Downwind of the platform, over 120 Herring Gulls were sitting in the slightly calmer water. There were a few GBBGs mixed in, and unusually, especially for this time of year, what looks like a LBBG.

About 8 Kittiwakes counted soaring about on the disrupted air currents downwind of the platform, but no sign of the Iceland Gull seen the day before.

A single Gannet also noted passing by.
 
Storm Barbara.

Winds now gusting to over 90 mph, but three of the Common Scoter still present, and still looking very comfortable on stormy waters.
 
Christmas Day.

Christmas day count now completed. Still two Scoter present along with the more usual fifty plus Herring Gulls, five GBBG and six Kittiwakes. Wind and wave has died down a bit, but Storm Conor heading our way tomorrow.

Happy Christmas to you all.
 
Happy Christmas to you Paul.

A little breeze here, but the clouds are moving very fast. It's awful dark too.
 
Extreme bird watching - Storm Conor

Currently winds up to 100 mph with 40+ ft waves, but there are still birds out there, including two Common Scoter. The flock of Herring Gulls have moved on, leaving only 3 stragglers. 5 GBBGs counted. 3 Gannets seen sitting it out on the surface, but 7 Kittiwakes still in the air - They are incredible flyers! One moment they look like paper tissues being turned upside down and inside out by the wind. The next moment they come charging past like little jet fighters. Could Kittiwakes be the best flyers in the bird world?
 
Well I've always admired them Paul. It'd be a toss-up for me between them and Fulmars though.

We have snow here this morning - whether it is in Fife or not, I don't know.

Hope you enjoyed the day yesterday and got lots of nice pressies.
 
Well I've always admired them Paul. It'd be a toss-up for me between them and Fulmars though.

We have snow here this morning - whether it is in Fife or not, I don't know.

Hope you enjoyed the day yesterday and got lots of nice pressies.

The Fulmars are up there with the Kittiwakes in flying terms (no pun intended). We had a large flock resident last Spring and they were amazing to watch.

A little snow back in Fife I am told, but we generally don't get much where we are unless it's an East wind that brings it. Pressies all opened prior to leaving - I couldn't wait till the middle of January. Hope you had a good one.
 
Turnstone turn up.

I had to revise yesterday's Herring Gull count from three to forty plus. I spotted the flock from a higher vantage point a bit further out than usual.

It was while counting the gulls, that a Turnstone flew into view. This is a very scarce visitor offshore, and my platforms first record. A little bit sad in a way. The poor thing was battling away in the high winds and was a long way from where it was supposed to be. I can only imagining that the strong gales from the West have picked it up on the Scottish coast and blown it offshore.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top