[Rare Bird Alert]

Breaking news from Rare Bird Alert: Little Shearwater in County Clare.


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[Xenospiza]

Little? Barolo's or Boyd's? (though if you like lumping, all North Atlantic little shearwaters incl. Audubon's should be the same thing...)

[dan pointon]

Apparently it was distant so I doubt any racial ID has occured!

[Sancho]

Originally Posted by dan pointon

Apparently it was distant so I doubt any racial ID has occured!

Reported as Baroli on Ibis.

[garry1366]

Originally Posted by Sancho

Reported as Baroli on Ibis.

Reported to me as not one by someone who was there!

[jogresh]

A quite staggering adrenaline rush on seeing this on our third trip to the Bridges! After 2 fairly quiet days of not seeing a great deal this was seen well mid-range for a minute or so with a large movement of Manxies. About 15 British, Irish, Dutch and German birders connected including several with previous experience of the species. Will no doubt be back again next year. Just wish the Mizen Yellow Warbler had turned up a couple of days earlier...

[garry1366]

Originally Posted by jogresh

A quite staggering adrenaline rush on seeing this on our third trip to the Bridges! After 2 fairly quiet days of not seeing a great deal this was seen well mid-range for a minute or so with a large movement of Manxies. About 15 British, Irish, Dutch and German birders connected including several with previous experience of the species. Will no doubt be back again next year. Just wish the Mizen Yellow Warbler had turned up a couple of days earlier...

Do any of the other "about 15" think it was one tho cos I heard they didn't!

[Woodchatshrike]

Classic birder I heard from a mate etc but was'nt there myself. Why is there all this bitching? Don't start these arguements in public. Let the records folk iron out these issues.

[jogresh]

All of the people i spoke to were perfectly happy with the I.D. including several people who've seen the species before. I can understand people who didn't see the bird having doubts but rest assured we'd got our "eye in" after 2 days of staring at Manxies. It gave good views and there's no way we'd have claimed it unless 100% definite. The first thing noticed was the white face, immediately followed by the head position being "different" - difficult to pinpoint in exactly what way on a moving bird but very noticeable. Next thing was the larger proportion of white on the underwing, then an appreciation of its size, then the very different jizz, then the way it arced its' wings below the line of its body, then its fluttery way of flapping, then as Marc got on it, he immediately pointed out its much slower speed than the several thousand Manxies we were watching, before he got the pale trailing edge to the secondaries. All in rapid succession obviously.

[garry1366]

Originally Posted by jogresh

All of the people i spoke to were perfectly happy with the I.D. including several people who've seen the species before. I can understand people who didn't see the bird having doubts but rest assured we'd got our "eye in" after 2 days of staring at Manxies. It gave good views and there's no way we'd have claimed it unless 100% definite. The first thing noticed was the white face, immediately followed by the head position being "different" - difficult to pinpoint in exactly what way on a moving bird but very noticeable. Next thing was the larger proportion of white on the underwing, then an appreciation of its size, then the very different jizz, then the way it arced its' wings below the line of its body, then its fluttery way of flapping, then as Marc got on it, he immediately pointed out its much slower speed than the several thousand Manxies we were watching, before he got the pale trailing edge to the secondaries. All in rapid succession obviously.

Sounds like a perfect description!!!

[lewis20126]

Originally Posted by garry1366

Sounds like a perfect description!!!

Of a Baroli's (Macaronesian). Nice.

[Rich Bonser]

Certainly sounds like a text book description. Good stuff.

The Dutch guys (not all of their team saw it) got onto it as it was heading away from them. I also let them know it was an IRBC description species and an extremely rare bird, so hopefully they'll be doing something for it.

I was on site at Bridges in 2006 when one flew by after coming in at an angle avoiding all us crowd on 'the headland' - I got an empty, galling feeling that lasted a while. This year for some reason, having not seen this bird, I left the Bridges with that feeling never setting in.

As somebody on site aptly put it, claiming a Little Shear is either a nail in your coffin or a feather in your cap...

Happy seawatching

Rich

[henerz1]

Postpone the coffin building Jogresh, that feather is firmly placed in your cap. Top find, cheers for that one! Once onto it, a few Manxies kindly sped by in the background highlighting the size difference and slower speed which was a lot more obvious than I dreamt it would be.
Some of the break-off groups of birders were alerted to the presence of the bird very quickly and good details of location were given but it seemed to work it's way out as it went left. Just wonder why everyone doesn't sit together in a big clump, surely a better way for everyone to pick up the mega's. We noticed over several days that logs from the different groups were widely different. I'm sorry for everyone who didn't get onto this little mega.
Sorry I couldn't get you a Wilson's Jogresh but we'll fix that one day! Good fun checking out those hundreds of stormies for one though.
Out of interest are many bridges birders going for the Yellow Warb?
Cheers. Henerz.

[davidearlgray]

Originally Posted by jogresh

All of the people i spoke to were perfectly happy with the I.D. including several people who've seen the species before. I can understand people who didn't see the bird having doubts but rest assured we'd got our "eye in" after 2 days of staring at Manxies. It gave good views and there's no way we'd have claimed it unless 100% definite. The first thing noticed was the white face, immediately followed by the head position being "different" - difficult to pinpoint in exactly what way on a moving bird but very noticeable. Next thing was the larger proportion of white on the underwing, then an appreciation of its size, then the very different jizz, then the way it arced its' wings below the line of its body, then its fluttery way of flapping, then as Marc got on it, he immediately pointed out its much slower speed than the several thousand Manxies we were watching, before he got the pale trailing edge to the secondaries. All in rapid succession obviously.

Did the bird fly like a Common Sandpiper as that usually the tell tale sign you have got a Little Shearwater!
Cheers,
Dave.
http://davidearlgray.blogspot.com

[James Lowther]

Originally Posted by davidearlgray

Did the bird fly like a Common Sandpiper as that usually the tell tale sign you have got a Little Shearwater!
Cheers,
Dave.
http://davidearlgray.blogspot.com

is that so?.....

in that case there's been a few little shearwaters frequenting the muddy margins at lodmoor the last few weeks!!

[davidearlgray]

Hi James, I did say fly like a Common Sand!?!
Also the head action sounds good as the one's I have seen in Biscay(10 at the last count)usually show this behaviour.
Cheers,
Dave.

[James Lowther]

ah so there are other vital ID clinchers then??
;-)

[Blakeney Resident]

Originally Posted by jogresh

All of the people i spoke to were perfectly happy with the I.D. including several people who've seen the species before. I can understand people who didn't see the bird having doubts but rest assured we'd got our "eye in" after 2 days of staring at Manxies. It gave good views and there's no way we'd have claimed it unless 100% definite. The first thing noticed was the white face, immediately followed by the head position being "different" - difficult to pinpoint in exactly what way on a moving bird but very noticeable. Next thing was the larger proportion of white on the underwing, then an appreciation of its size, then the very different jizz, then the way it arced its' wings below the line of its body, then its fluttery way of flapping, then as Marc got on it, he immediately pointed out its much slower speed than the several thousand Manxies we were watching, before he got the pale trailing edge to the secondaries. All in rapid succession obviously.

sounds brilliant, good description and it has the 'immediacy' factor well done jogresh

[garry1366]

Originally Posted by pomskua

sounds brilliant, good description and it has the 'immediacy' factor well done jogresh

Hi Pom,
What's the "immediacy factor"?

I'm just curious as you live in Sheringham and the reputation that place has for seabird records !!!!!!

[Blakeney Resident]

Originally Posted by garry1366

Hi Pom,
What's the "immediacy factor"?

I'm just curious as you live in Sheringham and the reputation that place has for seabird records !!!!!!

i just think you either a cynic or not, its a good description but not textbook (as in copied out of a textbook) as has possibly been inplied and it feels like he was actually there as the Little Shearwater went past and describing what he saw (which incredibly may well have been the case) If its being backed up by another 15 other people then this kind of excitement should be encouraged rather than treated with suspicion. The 'immediacy factor' is quite simply the (purely subjective feeling) that what someone is saying rings true, the fact there is a personal enthusiastic description, (something you don't always see on the forum) i feel strongly enhances the credibility.


as far as Sheringham goes i know there is scrutiny, but i just try to be as open as possible and write descriptions so people can judge for themselves(see description of juv Long-tailed Skua on Norfolk thread) at the end of the day there will always be cynics so i'll just continue to enjoy the contentment i get from finding common and scarce birds

i also think that the Sheringham bunch are doing a fantastic job (it hasnt been watched this regularly or intensely for years) keep it up lads.

[garry1366]

Originally Posted by pomskua

i just think you either a cynic or not, its a good description but not textbook (as in copied out of a textbook) as has possibly been inplied and it feels like he was actually there as the Little Shearwater went past and describing what he saw (which incredibly may well have been the case) If its being backed up by another 15 other people then this kind of excitement should be encouraged rather than treated with suspicion. The 'immediacy factor' is quite simply the (purely subjective feeling) that what someone is saying rings true, the fact there is a personal enthusiastic description, (something you don't always see on the forum) i feel strongly enhances the credibility.


as far as Sheringham goes i know there is scrutiny, but i just try to be as open as possible and write descriptions so people can judge for themselves(see description of juv Long-tailed Skua on Norfolk thread) at the end of the day there will always be cynics so i'll just continue to enjoy the contentment i get from finding common and scarce birds

i also think that the Sheringham bunch are doing a fantastic job (it hasnt been watched this regularly or intensely for years) keep it up lads.

Fair enough, but when assessing a record if very well known and respected birders say they couldn't see anything different about the bird then that has to be taken into account. Unfortunately they don't post on here and it would be unfair to drag them into it by naming them.

By the way can you confirm a rumour that's been going round in Yorks that long tailed Skua is just the local Norfolk name for Arctic Skua?

G

[henerz1]

Originally Posted by garry1366

Fair enough, but when assessing a record if very well known and respected birders say they couldn't see anything different about the bird then that has to be taken into account. Unfortunately they don't post on here and it would be unfair to drag them into it by naming them.

By the way can you confirm a rumour that's been going round in Yorks that long tailed Skua is just the local Norfolk name for Arctic Skua?

G

After brief views from the group near the ampitheatre, then loosing the bird, I pegged it over to the bridge brigade to try and see the L.Shear again but wasn't successful over there whilst staving off some minor coronary circulation problems! A shearwater was latched onto by some including myself but after zooming in we couldn't see anything different about it because we were looking at a Manxy, flying alongside a few more Manxies, and most agreed this wasn't the L.Shear. So it seems the bird might have worked it's way out by then being harder to see rather than not being present at all.
I noticed occasionally (and have also in previous years) that the contour of the rocks sticking out further at the bridge-end tended to push birds out further by the time they reached this point.
Henerz.

[Blakeney Resident]

Originally Posted by garry1366

By the way can you confirm a rumour that's been going round in Yorks that long tailed Skua is just the local Norfolk name for Arctic Skua?

G

oh ok that means ive seen about 350 Long-tailed Skuas this year then

[cachinnans]

Originally Posted by jogresh

then as Marc got on it, he immediately pointed out its much slower speed than the several thousand Manxies we were watching, before he got the pale trailing edge to the secondaries.

sounds like views were ideal. From what I heard, it is utterly untrue that there were "thousands" of Manxies passing at that time on the day. In fact, there were reportedly very few at all?

Not sure the Irish got onto it either?

[marcbuzzard]

Unbelievable! Some birders never cease to amaze me. Some of the comments above show the worst part of birding in Britain.

Fantastic find Jogresh and well done for having the guts to call it out.

That morning we had watched thousands of Manxies passing south - a huge movement. However not as many as us Welsh birders see regularly off our coast (i.e. 10,000 per hour in July and August). Manxy is a bird that all our group are very familiar with and some have even worked with. Yes, the movement had tailed off but several were still moving through, including the five that this bird was loosley associating with.

Once onto the bird, it was a classic with all the features, flight pattern and jizz exactly as they sould be. Unfortunately the bird was staright out when first called and any birders getting onto it late saw the bird moving away from us. I phoned the group some 400 yards further west, but only got through to someone as the bird was disappearing out of our view, so had probably passed them.

Everyone sitting in our group, made up of Welsh, Dutch, German and a couple of Irish lads were all perfecly happy ( as were he 10+ of those who didn't see it, as you couldn't fake our reaction and the hyperventilating state Jogresh was in). Many of us have had experience of Little in the past.

Within minutes, individuals from the group sitting further down the coast started interigating those who saw it, with negative vibes all around. Such a shame as it took the shine off seeing a cracking bird.

Our group loves going to the Bridges each year and will continue to do so for years to come. The birding is great and the social side superb. I just hope that the silly comments above, based entirely on hearsay, doesn't put any one off going there in the future and certainly not stopping them sticking their necks on the block and shouting a biggie.

Spot on Jogresh - superb find! Keep it up