North Sea Thread (5 Viewers)

[Gander]

LOL Paul, he must be able to read!!

I'm just hoping there are a Razorbill and a Lttle Auk out there, who also read the post, and are on their way to prove me wrong. :t:

 

[Gander]

Having a laugh!

For example, in twenty five years, I've only seen one Cormorant. No Shag. No Razorbill. No Little Auk.

A few days after posting the above, our first ever Shag turns up. What are the chances?

These birds are having a laugh. Following the Shag that turned up yesterday to prove me wrong, today, only my second Cormorant in 25 yrs has shown up.

 

[markspirito]

The slow crawl towards autumn migration continues, however, despite wallowing in the bird doldrums, we continue to have a better than usual June.

A few Herring Gulls have visited. Unusual at this time of year, although they probably came with a trawler that was fishing nearby yesterday. It certainly had a large flock of birds in tow, but they were too far off to ID.

Our Fulmar count has been running at between four and ten, however yesterday it hit twenty eight. Again, I think the presence of the trawlers was the cause of that.

Also visiting yesterday was a Guillemot. You would think that seabirds such as Guillemot would be an easy spot in the North Sea, but that is not the case. In fact, some of our more common seabirds are hard to find this far out. For example, in twenty five years, I've only seen one Cormorant. No Shag. No Razorbill. No Little Auk.

Today, we had another Carrion Crow. I say another Carrion Crow as I've not seen a crow since Tuesday, however, it was perched in exactly the same spot as the Tuesday bird. It may be resident or it may be jumping back and fore between us and the nearby platforms. Hard to tell.

Also reported to me today was a possible Swift. I would not be surprised, as we have had a few large black flies buzzing about. I would guess the Swift may have followed them out on the soft westerly. I won't be reporting the Swift as the observer only got the briefest of views and was pretty unsure. A pity as it would have been a platform first.

Check those Swifts carefully ....White throated Needletail today in the Western Isles !!

 

[Hugh Addlesee]

These birds are having a laugh. Following the Shag that turned up yesterday to prove me wrong, today, only my second Cormorant in 25 yrs has shown up.

Or your second Shag in two days....

 

[Gander]

Or your second Shag in two days....

I thought the eye looked like it is surrounded by bare skin making it a Cormorant. Also the white chin. But it wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong, so I'll get it checked out.:t:

 

[Gander]

Or your second Shag in two days....

Yes, I seem to have dropped the ball again. Thanks for the heads up. :t:

 

[Gander]

So yesterday's Cormorant was actually a young Shag, but it wasn't the only unexpected visitor. In the afternoon, I was called to the Pipe Deck to view a bird that was described as both a Dickie bird and Kingfisher like. You can only imagine how quickly I proceeded to climb the stairs up to that deck.

What did I find? Certainly not a Kingfisher (I've had words with the reportee). What I found was a warbler type, that initially I thought was a Willow Warbler, but am now informed that it was a Chiffchaff (I'll post photo later - On wrong computer at moment).

Chiffchaff in late June is pretty unseasonal, and begs the question of is it a late spring or early autumn migratory?


The 2017 List Updated
1. Herring Gull
2. Great Black-Backed Gull
3. Glaucous Gull
4. Iceland Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Kittiwake
7. Long-Tailed Duck
8. Common Scoter
9. Gannet
10. Guillemot
11. Greylag Goose
12. Collared Dove
13. Goldcrest
14. Woodpigeon.
15. Peregrine
16. Sparrowhawk
17. Blackbird
18. Common Gull
19. Pied Wagtail*
20. Yellowhammer*
21. Goldfinch
22. Siskin
23. Robin
24. Rock Pipit
25. Ruff (d)*
26. Golden Plover
27. Swallow
28. House Martin
29. Chiffchaff
30. Blackcap
31. Willow Warbler
32. Kestrel
33. Carrion Crow
34. Hooded Crow
35. Balearic Shearwater
36. Lesser Black-Backed Gull
37. Shag

 

[Gander]

Osprey

Sadly, not on my platform, but attached photo sent to me a short while ago. Photo taken on an FPSO in the Spring.

We had one a few years ago, but I missed it.

 

[pppppvvvv]

We had an Osprey sighting from a cross-channel ferry, Newhaven-Dieppe, a few autumns ago. We were on the bridge for a Marinelife survey, and it appeared pretty much from underneath us, suggesting it had been roosting somewhere on the ship. Probably the closest I will ever get to one!

It must be very exciting to be seeing migration where it is really life or death for these birds.

 

[Gander]

I kid you not!

In fact, some of our more common seabirds are hard to find this far out. For example, in twenty five years, I've only seen one Cormorant. No Shag. No Razorbill. No Little Auk.

.

I'm just hoping there are a Razorbill and a Lttle Auk out there, who also read the post, and are on their way to prove me wrong. :t:

Well, I suppose it had to happen. After declaring how few of our more common coastal birds that I get out here, they are now queuing up to make a mockery of my observations. This morning, I spotted two birds flying in towards the platform. They landed fairly close in on the tranquil sea surface, and I was able to identify them as Guillemots. At the same time, I noted that there were another two black & white birds much further out. I assumed Guillemot, but as you can see from the photos, it appears that Razorbills can read, and have headed out here to take the mickey out of me.
I have to say however that I am absolutely delighted to have my first ever offshore Razorbills in my 25 yrs out here. As an added bonus to our Auk visitors, we have also had a stray Greylag.
This is my last full day of this trip, but there is still time for a Little Auk. You just never know, and I obviously don’t!

 

[delia todd]

LOL Paul - that's amazing.

Now I wonder what else you can attract. Perhaps if we mention .... dare I say it..... Great Auk Though others may possibly have different ideas.

 

[Gander]

LOL Paul - that's amazing.

Now I wonder what else you can attract. Perhaps if we mention .... dare I say it..... Great Auk Though others may possibly have different ideas.

Great Auk might be a stretch, but I could dare to dream of Black Guillemot and Puffin maybe?:t:

 

[markspirito]

Im, going for storm Petrel ??

Mark

 

[Gander]

Im, going for storm Petrel ??

Mark

I found a Storm Petrel on the platform some years ago, but it was before I started recording. It was during rough weather, and it had crash landed on one of the decks. I was able to walk up to it and pick it up, so I took it to a quiet area and left it resting on a sheltered ledge formed by a steel beam, that overlooked the sea. The bird was conscious, but a little stunned/confused, I think. When I returned a few hours later, it had departed.

I wouldn't mind getting another one though. :t:

 

[Gander]

List Update

I like to set myself targets, even if they don't really mean too much in the big scheme of things. As such, I have fifty species in mind for this year. I know the numbers are not really important, and I wouldn't be devastated if I got forty nine, but fifty seems a good target to aim for.

With the addition of Razorback, that takes me to thirty eight, so looking ahead, I am trying to predict what my next twelve bird species might be to take me to the fifty mark.

Next month, I am fairly sure that I will get Black Headed Gull. Following that we are into September and October, with a few almost dead certs to be expected in Redwing, Fieldfare and Starling. Meadow Pipit should also be fairly easy, but then it gets a bit harder. Short-eared Owl has been a regular over the last few years, as has Eider (usually eclipse), but even with those two, I'm five short of fifty. Which five would I choose?

1. King Eider
2. Surf Scoter
3. Brent Goose
4. Great Grey Shrike
5. Firecrest

The 2017 List Updated
1. Herring Gull
2. Great Black-Backed Gull
3. Glaucous Gull
4. Iceland Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Kittiwake
7. Long-Tailed Duck
8. Common Scoter
9. Gannet
10. Guillemot
11. Greylag Goose
12. Collared Dove
13. Goldcrest
14. Woodpigeon.
15. Peregrine
16. Sparrowhawk
17. Blackbird
18. Common Gull
19. Pied Wagtail*
20. Yellowhammer*
21. Goldfinch
22. Siskin
23. Robin
24. Rock Pipit
25. Ruff (d)*
26. Golden Plover
27. Swallow
28. House Martin
29. Chiffchaff
30. Blackcap
31. Willow Warbler
32. Kestrel
33. Carrion Crow
34. Hooded Crow
35. Balearic Shearwater
36. Lesser Black-Backed Gull
37. Shag
38. Razorbill

 

[delia todd]

With the addition of Razorback,

..... well that one alone must be worth 5 points t least you'd think Paul

 

[Gander]

Next month, I am fairly sure that I will get Black Headed Gull.

First full day back today and the expected year tick appeared around lunchtime despite torrential rain and strong winds. Earlier in the morning, before the weather closed in, there were quite a few Gannets going past. Fulmar and GBBG were also present. When the Black-Headed Gull showed up, it did so with three Common Gulls. A little later, a further nine Commons drifted by.

I'm not too sure what to expect for the next three weeks, although we do tend to get the odd eclipse Eider at this time of year, so I'll be on the look out them. Outside of that, we'll just have to see what the wind and waves bring in.

The 2017 List Updated
1. Herring Gull
2. Great Black-Backed Gull
3. Glaucous Gull
4. Iceland Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Kittiwake
7. Long-Tailed Duck
8. Common Scoter
9. Gannet
10. Guillemot
11. Greylag Goose
12. Collared Dove
13. Goldcrest
14. Woodpigeon.
15. Peregrine
16. Sparrowhawk
17. Blackbird
18. Common Gull
19. Pied Wagtail*
20. Yellowhammer*
21. Goldfinch
22. Siskin
23. Robin
24. Rock Pipit
25. Ruff (d)*
26. Golden Plover
27. Swallow
28. House Martin
29. Chiffchaff
30. Blackcap
31. Willow Warbler
32. Kestrel
33. Carrion Crow
34. Hooded Crow
35. Balearic Shearwater
36. Lesser Black-Backed Gull
37. Shag
38. Razorbill
39. Black-Headed Gull

 

[Gander]

Bonxie in at forty

It has been very quiet since Thursday. The weather is very settled. The Common Gulls hung around for a while, although of all the types of gulls we get, the Commons seem to be the once that don't like getting too close to the platform. Numbers were up to 14 at one point, however, today they have not made a showing so far.

Small numbers of GBBG and Fulmar are resident, and there is a continual stream of Gannets going past, but again, not in big numbers. The BHG seems to have been a one off for the moment, although I do expect to see a lot more over the next few weeks.

This morning, I did get a bird I was not expecting yet. That was a Great Skua. I got a decent look at it too, as it came quite close in to the platform. From memory, the ones I've recorded in the past are usually in September/October, so this one looks to be early. It is a good year tick, as I'm not sure we get them every year, and usually I only see two or three in a year at the most.

No sign of any early migrants yet, despite the wind being from the east all day yesterday.

The 2017 List Updated
1. Herring Gull
2. Great Black-Backed Gull
3. Glaucous Gull
4. Iceland Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Kittiwake
7. Long-Tailed Duck
8. Common Scoter
9. Gannet
10. Guillemot
11. Greylag Goose
12. Collared Dove
13. Goldcrest
14. Woodpigeon.
15. Peregrine
16. Sparrowhawk
17. Blackbird
18. Common Gull
19. Pied Wagtail*
20. Yellowhammer*
21. Goldfinch
22. Siskin
23. Robin
24. Rock Pipit
25. Ruff (d)*
26. Golden Plover
27. Swallow
28. House Martin
29. Chiffchaff
30. Blackcap
31. Willow Warbler
32. Kestrel
33. Carrion Crow
34. Hooded Crow
35. Balearic Shearwater
36. Lesser Black-Backed Gull
37. Shag
38. Razorbill
39. Black-Headed Gull
40. Great Skua

 

[Gander]

Another (or maybe the same one) Great Skua flew past this morning. Second BHG spotted yesterday afternoon, with this one being a juvenile.

No other changes apart from an increase in GBBG numbers. Now 28 on the platform.

 

[Gander]

Dolphins

A visit this morning from about 20 Common Dolphins (or at least I think they are Commons).