Leach's Petrels (1 Viewer)

Still haven't managed to catch up with one of these birds. Are they still around? Where's the best site in Devon to see them?
Cheers,
Jyothi

I spent another few hours on Bray Head today, looking out into the Irish Sea towards Holyhead, trying to will a Leach´s into heading this way. No joy. Does anyone have any theories as to the origin of these birds? Were they making their way south from Scottish breeding grounds, down the west coasts of Scotland, Wales and SW England, when they were caught out by SW gales? Or were they already heading out into the Atlantic and blown back? There were only a few reported from Ireland - 5 from Galway, 30 from Cork, and 2 from North Dublin, over the last two weeks (although they breed in on the NW and W coasts of Ireland). The numbers from British coastal sites (and playing fields, reservoirs, rivers, estuaries and gardens!) was phenomenal. It´s also odd that they seem to be heading in various directions, some even northwards. Are they just very disorientated? I wish they were disoriented enough fly onto my doorstep (metaphorically speaking). Grateful for any advice or ideas. Ta!

Today might have been a better day to be at Bray. The weather here was SE - 180 degs wrong for Wirral. You need a force5+ onshore wind for a about 12 hours.

Jane Turner said:

Today might have been a better day to be at Bray. The weather here was SE - 180 degs wrong for Wirral. You need a force5+ onshore wind for a about 12 hours.

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Thanks for that tip, Jane! I´ll keep an eye on the wind over the next few days. The wind here today was unfortunately NW and strong, and there was I, staring out towards the horizon, thinking over there lies Lancs, and Merseyside, and Anglesea, and all those other places that could hold exotics like Leach´s (and woodpeckers, and nuthatches, and kites, and tawny owls..... you could drive yourself insane!)

Sancho, dont know what its like in Bray, but the winds here have quickened and changed direction again to the south west in the last couple of hours (very blustery now) - same as they were last week - i'm still holding out (admittedley weak) hopes for one at Kingsmill - i will be up there on tuesday. Keep looking & good luck.

Mike

Mike Feely said:

Sancho, dont know what its like in Bray, but the winds here have quickened and changed direction again to the south west in the last couple of hours (very blustery now) - same as they were last week - i'm still holding out (admittedley weak) hopes for one at Kingsmill - i will be up there on tuesday. Keep looking & good luck.

Mike

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Thanks for that, Mike, hope you hit the jackpot. Winds Monday on Irish East Coast were very strong SW, I suppose that´s exactly the wrong direction for us! A good easterly might do the trick, but it´s not forecast. Ah well, I´ll just have to try the Bridges of Ross again next autumn. It seems from Birdguides that the numbers of Leach´s reported is falling. I can´t believe the numbers that are dying; I wonder what´s causing it, exhaustion or starvation? Surely it can´t be that difficult for them to find food?