North Sea Thread (6 Viewers)

[Schneppe]

Hi Paul,

thanks for sharing your latest experience!
Do you have a suspect concerning the killing of the Sparrowhawks? If it wasn´t for the large owl pellet, I´d like to think of a Peregrine falcon as a suspect. So, what do you think? Could it have been an Eagle Owl?

- Fabian

 

[Farnboro John]

On Saturday, I made a day visit to the platform. Flying out I noted increased numbers of Gannet, but at the platform, there was little in the way of seabirds evident. There were a couple of things of note though.

Firstly, shortly after landing, I noticed a Curlew circling the platform. And secondly, while walking around the platform later, I found the remains of two Sparrowhawks on the external walkways. Both had been stripped to the bone, leaving just wings, tails, legs and bones. I also found an incriminating piece of evidence as to the identity of the predator of these predators. Next to one of the Sparrowhawk's remains was a large owl pellet!

11. Curlew
12. Sparrowhawk (d)

Other birds also produce pellets (I've photographed Nightingale ejecting one this year) does that include Peregrines?

John

 

[Schneppe]

Hey!

Good question. We have some Peregrines around where I´m from but I´ve never witnessed them defecating anything else than white feces. So, I don´t know. Gotta try to find something written about it...

- Fabian

 

[Farnboro John]

A quick google says yes falcons and other birds of prey do produce pellets and I've since remembered that I knew that anyway - it was one of my university projects many years ago.... doh!

John

 

[burnie]

My Saker used to cast a pellet of undigested feathers and bones every morning, I believe Corvids do too as well as Owls

 

[Gander]

Hi Paul,

thanks for sharing your latest experience!
Do you have a suspect concerning the killing of the Sparrowhawks? If it wasn´t for the large owl pellet, I´d like to think of a Peregrine falcon as a suspect. So, what do you think? Could it have been an Eagle Owl?

- Fabian

Hi Fabian, We certainly have had Peregrines passing through over the years. If an owl, then I would suspect Long-eared or Short-eared. There is a tale of a “huge owl“ that visited many years ago. Could it have been an Eagle Owl? Possible, but more likely a Long-eared Owl seen at close quarters by a non-birder.

 

[Gander]

Other birds also produce pellets (I've photographed Nightingale ejecting one this year) does that include Peregrines?

John

A quick google says yes falcons and other birds of prey do produce pellets and I've since remembered that I knew that anyway - it was one of my university projects many years ago.... doh!

John

My Saker used to cast a pellet of undigested feathers and bones every morning, I believe Corvids do too as well as Owls

I had not really thought of hawks as coughing up pellets. I still have the pellet on the platform, so next time out, I'll post some photos and measurements.

I still favour owl as prior to finding the kills and pellet, one of the other crew was telling me that they had, the previous week, seen an owl on a nearby (within sight) platform, and that one of the crew there had witnessed it taking a hawk of some kind.

 

[burnie]

Not too many Owls that are likely to be the culprits, Long Eared and Short Eared will take birds that are roosting, they'll not take anything on the wing. Eagle Owls and Snowy's will hunt birds as will a Tawny if it's hungry enough, the rest are unlikely in the north sea.

 

[Schneppe]

Thanks for sharing all your experiences, thoughts and ideas! Long-eared Owl or a Short-eared Owl could actually kill a sleeping Sparrowhawk, I suppose; since they´re able to fly over vast waters they seem to be the two culprits, yes.

 

[Gander]

Thanks for sharing all your experiences, thoughts and ideas! Long-eared Owl or a Short-eared Owl could actually kill a sleeping Sparrowhawk, I suppose; since they´re able to fly over vast waters they seem to be the two culprits, yes.

Yes, they are the ones we regularly see offshore.

 

[Gander]

A one day visit last weekend produced a Sparrowhawk. The GBBG population in now greatly increased, as it does at this time of year.

Hoping to get back to regular three week visits from the end of October.

 

[Gander]

A few one day visits over the last few weeks, where I managed to miss any mass bird migration, have only produced a few new entries to this year's list, such as it is.
A dead Brambling was found. A Blackcap (m) was seen. A few Sparrowhawks have been present, and a Peregrine was spotted. A single Fieldfare seen, and on the sea, a Guillemot.

13. Brambling (d)
14. Fieldfare
15. Peregrine
16. Blackcap*
17. Guillemot

One other thing I am seeing is a lot of dead GBBGs. I am assuming bird flu is the cause. Although there are plenty of adults about, every casualty has been a juvenile. In the last couple of months, we have had 20 or more casualties. To give some context, prior to the bird flu outbreak, we'd, on average, find maybe one dead gull in a two to three year period.

 

[Farnboro John]

A few one day visits over the last few weeks, where I managed to miss any mass bird migration, have only produced a few new entries to this year's list, such as it is.
A dead Brambling was found. A Blackcap (m) was seen. A few Sparrowhawks have been present, and a Peregrine was spotted. A single Fieldfare seen, and on the sea, a Guillemot.

13. Brambling (d)
14. Fieldfare
15. Peregrine
16. Blackcap*
17. Guillemot

One other thing I am seeing is a lot of dead GBBGs. I am assuming bird flu is the cause. Although there are plenty of adults about, every casualty has been a juvenile. In the last couple of months, we have had 20 or more casualties. To give some context, prior to the bird flu outbreak, we'd, on average, find maybe one dead gull in a two to three year period.

This would gel with my guess that juveniles are more vulnerable due to not yet having developed the robust immune system that must go with a scavenging lifestyle.

John

 

[Gander]

A few more one day visits to the platform since my last post, have produced very little, although Starlings were evident, and were new to this year's paltry list. Most notable was a single Waxwing seen by a couple of the crew.

I also visited a different platform for a week, at the end of November. Again, very little to be seen, but a female Common Scoter was spotted.

18. Starling
19. Waxwing*

 

[Gander]

I have returned to the platform I was on for a week at the end of November, and am now two weeks in to a 3 week trip. It appears that I will be coming back here on a regular basis for a while.
My year so far has consisted of only three species. GBBG, Herring Gull and Kittiwake. I am hopeful however, that Spring will bring a few different species than what I am used to on my old platform. I am a good 150 miles south from my usual offshore patch, so it will be interesting to see what difference that makes. To give some context, my original platform is situated about 90 miles east of Wick, whereas my present platform is approx 190 miles east of St Andrews.
One point of interest so far has been a tagged juvenile GBBG. I will need to dig up my log on details for the Ringmerking site, but will post details when I get them.

 

[WalterRayle]

Hey!

Good question. We have some Peregrines around where I´m from but I´ve never witnessed them defecating anything else than white feces. So, I don´t know. Gotta try to find something written about it...

- Fabian

I've got a Peregrine pellet which contains two leg bones with racing pigeon rings still attached, it was collected from the vicinity of a Peregrine nest some years back, there were a number of others there also with racing pigeon rings in but these were collected and later lost by the site warden. in essence the pellets are smaller than your average Barn Owl pellet.

 

[burnie]

Interesting re pellet contents, my Saker I flew at lures back in the 20th century only ever casted feathers, the bones were all consumed, though she didn't eat racing pigeons with rings on.

 

[Schneppe]

I've got a Peregrine pellet which contains two leg bones with racing pigeon rings still attached, it was collected from the vicinity of a Peregrine nest some years back, there were a number of others there also with racing pigeon rings in but these were collected and later lost by the site warden. in essence the pellets are smaller than your average Barn Owl pellet.

Thanks for the info!

Fabian

 

[Gander]

The tagged GBBG spotted on the 11th Jan was tagged as a chick on the 08/07/23 at Graesholm, Nordjylland, Denmark; a small island near the northern tip of Denmark. It was then spotted on the 02/09/23 at Hanstholm, Denmark, to the SE of its birth place, before continuing in that general direction to my present platform.

 

[Gander]

A couple of visits to my original platform this month have produced very little, but that is only to be expected, as we only spend a few hours onboard every week or two. This month however has seen Fulmar and Gannet added to the list, with the latter being noticeable in increasing numbers. Also found on Saturday was the body of a freshly dead Meadow Pipit.

Last week, I was sent a photo from a neighbouring platform, of three geese bobbing about on the sea close to them. I identified them as Pink-footed, a species you would think were common out there, being on the main migration route, but it is a species I've never crossed paths with offshore, to my memory.

Also last week, I received an e-mail from a professor of zoology based in Spain. He was asking permission to use some of my photos of Woodcock (see posts #379, 384 and 385) in a book he is writing on the species. I was more than happy to give the requested permission.