European Storm-Petrels (1 Viewer)

[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 Bay

Indeed: 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 miss

That'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