What's the most unusual bird you've seen on a seawatch? (1 Viewer)

Allen S. Moore · Jun 29, 2005

Ladybirds

jforgham said:
Hot summer 1976, Dunwich to Walberswick walk mid afternoon. On the horizon, huge cloud of smoke. Much debate, from steamer to burning oil /gas rig etc. Cloud increased in size and before we realised it we were in the middle of it. It hadn't been miles out to sea, just 50 yards off shore. Contents of cloud, ladybirds. Literally millions.Within 5 minutes fenceposts, ground, ourselves, reeds and a gatepost were completely covered. Anyone else remember the ladybird explosion in this year?
Jono

I was in the UK at the time and remembered that - there weren't so many in Bradford (W. Yorks.), mind you. Didn't people get bitten by ladybirds that summer?

Denis J · Jun 30, 2005

Peter Sparks said:
I was reading this thread from the start and thinking of the Long-eared Owl at Prawle and then came to Bluetail's post. Small world!!
If it was 27th October 1991 then it was the same one - I remember as it was a lifer for me then! Came off the sea and sat on the rocks for most of the day in full view of an admiring crowd.

On a slightly different note, I was once driving up the M5 motorway just south of Bristol when a Gannet flew low over the road. Anyone else had any unusual sightings of seabirds away from the sea?

I was out training for the great north run in 1986 about 1.5 miles from the sea when a pair of sooty shearwaters flew straight over my head at about 30 ft altitude ...they were a lifer at the time

)

jforgham · Jun 30, 2005

Allen S. Moore said:
I was in the UK at the time and remembered that - there weren't so many in Bradford (W. Yorks.), mind you. Didn't people get bitten by ladybirds that summer?

Certainly did that year. Later in 1976 I went fruit picking in Worcestershire, and started on plum trees. The ladybirds had laid their eggs inside the resin of the fruit and as they were picked the young emerged and bit my hands unmercilessly. Very sore hands by the end of the pick. Fortunately, moving on to blackcurrants did not suffer the same pain.

blgp_birder · Jun 30, 2005

One morning last October, we had just had a Crane flying over Titchwell. On arriving at the beach, we began to seawatch. Immediately we noticed something large flying west... Grey Heron at over half a mile's range. During the next half hour or so we noted about 15 herons in groups of up to three heading west distantly offshore. Quite a fascinating bit of Norfolk passage... reminded me of a big flock of Purple Herons coming in-off in Eilat, S. Israel back in 2000.

Jacamar · Jun 30, 2005

I've done very little seawatching, so the best for me was a flock of about 8 Caribbean Flamingos flying off the coast of Georgetown.

danmantle · Jul 1, 2005

Whilst backpacking with none birding mates watched Leachs Petrels and Sabines gulls flying over surfers heads in a competition off Biarritz. Rang home to grip of my Dad and whilst talking to him another Sabines (beaut adult) flew over the telephone box (which was only separated from the sea by one sand dune and 20 metres of beach).

And on the subject of seeing seabirds inland, I once saw two Sabines on a small reservoir in the Basin and Range area of the western US (probably a known migration route in the US but totally surprised me whilst doing geological mapping in a very dry environment as far from normal sea conditions as I could imagine).

Unexpected birding opportunities are often the best!

Dan

MarkA · Jul 4, 2005

I was on the coast north of Lindisfarne (ca. 1970) on the day every swift in Scandinavia seemed to have chosen to cross the North Sea. Thousands and thousands coming from the NE just above the waves and zipping past me at waist height. Absolutely stunning.

Mark

sylvia staffs · Jul 4, 2005

Crossing to the Scillies on the Scillonian to twich the Grey Cheeked Thrush in October 2003, i saw a bird flying along side the boat with a rather flappy flight. I thought some kind of Petrel? no it didnt look right and the flight was really distinctive, then it suddenly dawned on me it wasnt a bird but a Monarch Butterfly which was a tick!!!!!!!!!!!!

just didnt expect to see a butterfly midway between Cornwall and the Scillies with Ocean all around and no land in sight.

Phill.

Woodchatshrike · Jul 6, 2005

sylvia staffs said:
Crossing to the Scillies on the Scillonian to twich the Grey Cheeked Thrush in October 2003, i saw a bird flying along side the boat with a rather flappy flight. I thought some kind of Petrel? no it didnt look right and the flight was really distinctive, then it suddenly dawned on me it wasnt a bird but a Monarch Butterfly which was a tick!!!!!!!!!!!!

just didnt expect to see a butterfly midway between Cornwall and the Scillies with Ocean all around and no land in sight.

Phill.

I was waiting on the quay on St Marys waiting for the Scillonian to come in and when she docked a Monach flew off towards the town. Must have got a lift

Charlie Rowney · Jul 10, 2005

Last August about an hour out of Bilbao on the P&O ferry I saw a hoopoe flying south towards the spanish coast on a millpond sea. Next bird I saw was a great shearwater -some contrast!

screaming piha · Jul 14, 2005

Tarifa, Spain: among numerous Cory's came a flock of Black Storks gliding low over the waves returning to Tarifa after an aborted sortie towards Morocco.

In Madeira: a House Martin in the wake of the Porto Santo ferry for a hour or more made me jump every time I caught it in the bins while looking for Madeiran Storm-petrel.

Doug · Aug 10, 2005

For me, a Kingfisher, seen while seawatching from the North end of Scarborough. It turned out it was flying from a stream that fed nto the sea and going out to sea fishing then taking its catch back up the stream - to a nest I suppose.

morag · Aug 12, 2005

An ivory gull with only one wing - just off the coast of North East scotland

Jane Turner · Sep 17, 2005

John Jackson said:
Tarifa, Spain: among numerous Cory's came a flock of Black Storks gliding low over the waves returning to Tarifa after an aborted sortie towards Morocco.

In Madeira: a House Martin in the wake of the Porto Santo ferry for a hour or more made me jump every time I caught it in the bins while looking for Madeiran Storm-petrel.

At Bolonia a little to the north of Tarifa I saw many Short-toed Eagles do much the same last week. They looked weird. The Kites Booted eagles and Honey Buzzards had more height!

Tim Hall · Sep 19, 2005

My aunty was seawatching near Hurst Castle in Hampshire a few years ago, when she saw a bird fly out to sea near her. It was a male pheasant! It flew a few hundred yards before turning back. It apparently crash landed on the shoreline, and didn't move again for several minutes!

Bagpuss · Nov 1, 2005

I live a short walk from the sea. My favourite sea watching place is Burwick, about seven miles to the South, overlooking the Pentland firth. Whilst I have yet to see anything truly remarkable there, a couple of weeks ago I had a minke whale, a basking shark, a couple of grey seals and about half a dozen gannets all in the same frame at the same time (or would have if my Dimage Z1 had wide angle!

). I never noticed the sheer amount of life in the sea until I started to stare out across the water using high-powered optics. My favourite haunt at the moment is Echnaloch bay, Burray - there are about ten Velvet Scoter there at the moment - a new addition to my personal list.

J Jones · Nov 4, 2005

Had a small fall on the Scillonian on 14th October this year - Black Redstart, Robins, Blackbird, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Starling, alba wag, Goldfinches, Meadow Pipits etc were all recorded on the crossing.

Allen S. Moore · Apr 25, 2007

I was in Peniscola on the eastern coast of Spain on 10th April. The old castle walls jutting out to sea proved good for seeing passing birds, including both "local" Puffinus shearwaters. Much more unexpected, to keep in with the subject of this thread, was a group of 4 purple herons that flew north offshore. They'd be on their way to the Ebro Delta, just to the north, but were a surprise, nevertheless.
Allen

Charlie M · Apr 27, 2007

Years ago I was seawatching and migrant counting at Spurn Point when I heard an amazingly loud whistle coming from a smallish green bird that rocketed past me. I was just planning the write-up for the rarities committees when I got my bins on it and realised it was a flipping Budgerigar...

the oilbird · Apr 30, 2007

blue rock-thrush in off??

Not me unfortunately!

What's the most unusual bird you've seen on a seawatch? (1 Viewer)

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