North Sea Thread (2 Viewers)

Gander · Apr 23, 2019

A couple of birds seen by the deck crew this afternoon. First was a male Blackcap, and second was a Sparrowhawk. I was on site in minutes, but saw nothing. I am now pretty much convinced that I couldn't spot a bird on a chicken farm right now.

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Gannet
7. Guillemot
8. Ringed Plover
9. Rock Pipit
10. Robin
11. Pied Wagtail*
12. Meadow Pipit
13. Goldcrest*
14. Grey Heron
15. Common Gull
16. Black-Headed Gull
17. Blackcap*
18. Sparrowhawk*

delia todd · Apr 23, 2019

Oh dear Paul.... you really are struggling, aren't you.

I know just how you feel though; went up the hill yesterday, and everything just disappeared into or behind trees before I could get a look at them. Only birds I saw to add to my Year List was..... wait for it......

Feral Pigeon!!!

Gander · Apr 24, 2019

delia todd said:
Only birds I saw to add to my Year List was..... wait for it......

Feral Pigeon!!!

I've never had a Feral Pigeon out here. We do get wandering homing pigeons on a fairly regular basis, but I don't count them.

One thing we do get though is Grey Wagtail! I found one yesterday after posting. Hopefully a sign that my bird drought is over. :t:

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Gannet
7. Guillemot
8. Ringed Plover
9. Rock Pipit
10. Robin
11. Pied Wagtail*
12. Meadow Pipit
13. Goldcrest*
14. Grey Heron
15. Common Gull
16. Black-Headed Gull
17. Blackcap*
18. Sparrowhawk*
19. Grey Wagtail.

Gander · Apr 26, 2019

Female Kestrel seen this morning by some. I spotted a Carrion Crow this afternoon.

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Gannet
7. Guillemot
8. Ringed Plover
9. Rock Pipit
10. Robin
11. Pied Wagtail*
12. Meadow Pipit
13. Goldcrest*
14. Grey Heron
15. Common Gull
16. Black-Headed Gull
17. Blackcap*
18. Sparrowhawk*
19. Grey Wagtail
20. Kestrel*
21. Carrion Crow

Gander · Apr 28, 2019

Sunbather

Reports of small birds around the platform this morning. Was feeling sorry for myself again when I couldn't find them, however, cheered up really quickly when I found the pictured bird sunbathing on the Spider Deck.

Water Rail added to the list. :t:

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Gannet
7. Guillemot
8. Ringed Plover
9. Rock Pipit
10. Robin
11. Pied Wagtail*
12. Meadow Pipit
13. Goldcrest*
14. Grey Heron
15. Common Gull
16. Black-Headed Gull
17. Blackcap*
18. Sparrowhawk*
19. Grey Wagtail
20. Kestrel*
21. Carrion Crow
22. Water Rail

JWN Andrewes · Apr 28, 2019

Brilliant. Do many turn up offshore?

Gander · Apr 29, 2019

JWN Andrewes said:
Brilliant. Do many turn up offshore?

They are not common, however, I did have one quite a few years ago. I found it sat in one of the large process modules. For birds that find their way into the modules, it is usually the end of the road, as they find it difficult to find their way back out again. In this case however, I was able to creep up behind it, pluck it from its perch and release it outside.

Gander · Apr 29, 2019

Best till last.

Today, my last full day for this trip, the persistent easterlies we have had for 3 weeks died. And with hardly a breath of a breeze over a flat calm, we started getting birds. Robin was the predominant species, but I also found a year first Song Thrush and a couple of Goldcrest that were personal platform year firsts for me. Best bird of the day however, was a Wren. Not a common bird offshore, and a platform first.

Also seen today by others were a hawk of some sort and a large Minke Whale.

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Gannet
7. Guillemot
8. Ringed Plover
9. Rock Pipit
10. Robin
11. Pied Wagtail*
12. Meadow Pipit
13. Goldcrest
14. Grey Heron
15. Common Gull
16. Black-Headed Gull
17. Blackcap*
18. Sparrowhawk*
19. Grey Wagtail
20. Kestrel*
21. Carrion Crow
22. Water Rail
23. Song Thrush
24. Wren

Gander · Apr 30, 2019

Ducks

I've not had ducks in a long while, but half a dozen seen at distance this morning. I'm hoping for an ID from the photos, which I've also placed on the Bird ID pages.

Gander · Apr 30, 2019

With feedback from some of the more knowledgable on the Bird Identification Q&A pages, I am happy to go with Teal. A new platform record. :t:

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Gannet
7. Guillemot
8. Ringed Plover
9. Rock Pipit
10. Robin
11. Pied Wagtail*
12. Meadow Pipit
13. Goldcrest
14. Grey Heron
15. Common Gull
16. Black-Headed Gull
17. Blackcap*
18. Sparrowhawk*
19. Grey Wagtail
20. Kestrel*
21. Carrion Crow
22. Water Rail
23. Song Thrush
24. Wren
25. Teal

Gander · May 22, 2019

I am being told that I should have been here last Sunday. Apparently the place was full of birds. Of the reports I've received, only Blackcaps and a couple of Turnstone are solid enough to report, although there was also definitely one raptor.

Yesterday I observed a Cormorant heading away from the platform, soon after I arrived. That is the first this year. Also new to the year list is the LBBG I saw early this morning.

First full count carried out this morning was one immature GBBG and twenty-two Fulmar, in addition to the LBBG. Winds are from the west, but I suspect it might be a bit later to be expecting much coming through.

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Gannet
7. Guillemot
8. Ringed Plover
9. Rock Pipit
10. Robin
11. Pied Wagtail*
12. Meadow Pipit
13. Goldcrest
14. Grey Heron
15. Common Gull
16. Black-Headed Gull
17. Blackcap*
18. Sparrowhawk*
19. Grey Wagtail
20. Kestrel*
21. Carrion Crow
22. Water Rail
23. Song Thrush
24. Wren
25. Teal
26. Turnstone*
27. Cormorant
28. Lesser Black-Backed Gull

Gander · May 24, 2019

The main news is that I have a new platform record. Sadly, it gets entered under deceased. This morning I found the body of a Nightjar on the Cellar Deck. It was in a quiet sheltered spot, so I can only assume that it has been overcome by the hardships of it's migration journey.

Yesterday was very wet and windy, so possibly the NJ came in then. It certainly hasn't been dead long. I have a photo, but I believe I not allowed to post it on here. It is an absolutely wonderful looking bird though, and I am now determined to find a live one in the wild, as it is a bird that will be a lifer to me.

Not a lot else to report, other than we have a couple of crows resident. They are reported to have been here for a week. Also, I'm still getting reports of birds that were seen while I was off. A flock of approx 20 Swallows provide a new entry to the year list, but the hawk seen chasing them remains unidentified. Described as probably a Sparrowhawk, I do wonder if Hobby was a possibility though.

On the seabird front, it is pretty quiet, and I still await my first Skua of the year.

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Gannet
7. Guillemot
8. Ringed Plover
9. Rock Pipit
10. Robin
11. Pied Wagtail*
12. Meadow Pipit
13. Goldcrest
14. Grey Heron
15. Common Gull
16. Black-Headed Gull
17. Blackcap*
18. Sparrowhawk*
19. Grey Wagtail
20. Kestrel*
21. Carrion Crow
22. Water Rail
23. Song Thrush
24. Wren
25. Teal
26. Turnstone*
27. Cormorant
28. Lesser Black-Backed Gull
29. Swallow
30. Nightjar (d)

delia todd · May 24, 2019

Oh my!!! A super record for you Paul - what a shame he didn't make it though.

I don't know where you got the info about not being able to post the picture, not true at all. Some people seem to appreciate a warning before opening but...

The only ones I've seen have been in Kent and South Wales.

Here's to you finding a live one now!!

Gander · May 24, 2019

Deceased bird picture

delia todd said:
I don't know where you got the info about not being able to post the picture, not true at all. Some people seem to appreciate a warning before opening but...

!

Thanks for that Delia. Good to know. Picture attached.

delia todd · May 24, 2019

Cheers Paul! What a b* shame for him.

You know, I was thinking. Perhaps you ought to go out at night with a big white hanky and wave it about - you never know, you might attract one in

Pete58 · May 24, 2019

Hobby would be a good possibility. have seen a few offshore this time of year. Off Humberside and Norway. Must admit that where I have seen them are to the south of Aberdeen.

Gander · May 25, 2019

delia todd said:
You know, I was thinking. Perhaps you ought to go out at night with a big white hanky and wave it about - you never know, you might attract one in

The rest of the platform already think I'm nuts, but that might get me sectioned. Recently, they have taken to calling me, "The Godfeather". :-O

Gander · May 25, 2019

Pete58 said:
Hobby would be a good possibility. have seen a few offshore this time of year. Off Humberside and Norway. Must admit that where I have seen them are to the south of Aberdeen.

As a rule of thumb, we can pretty much get anything that Shetland does. I believe Hobby is a description species on Shetland, so unlikely to turn up here, but not impossible.

I live in hope.:t:

Gander · May 26, 2019

All Time Platform List Update

As things are a bit slow at the moment, I've taken a couple of minutes to update the platform's all time list with new entries since July last year. Namely, Blue Tit, Wren, Teal and Nightjar.

All Time Platform List

1. Barnacle Goose
2. Greylag Goose
3. Pink-Footed Goose
4. Teal
5. Common Eider
6. Velvet Scoter
7. Common Scoter
8. Long-Tailed Duck
9. Red-Breasted Merganser
10. Storm Petrel
11. Fulmar
12. Balearic Shearwater
13. Grey Heron
14. Gannet
15. Shag
16. Cormorant
17. Osprey*
18. Sparrowhawk
19. Water Rail
20. Golden Plover
21. Ringed Plover (d)
22. Curlew
23. Turnstone
24. Ruff (d*)
25. Woodcock
26. Snipe
27. Grey Phalarope
28. Spotted Redshank
29. Kittiwake
30. Black-Headed Gull
31. Common Gull
32. Great Black-Backed Gull
33. Glaucous Gull
34. Iceland Gull
35. Herring Gull
36. Lesser Black-Backed Gull
37. Great Skua
38. Arctic Skua
39. Common Guillemot
40. Razorbill
41. Puffin
42. Woodpigeon
43. Collared Dove
44. Long-Eared Owl
45. Short-Eared Owl
46. Nightjar (d)
47. Wryneck (d)
48. Kestrel
49. Merlin
50. Peregrine
51. Carrion Crow
52. Hooded Crow
53. Blue Tit*
54. Great Tit
55. Swallow
56. House Martin
57. Willow Warbler
58. Chiffchaff
59. Sedge Warbler
60. Icterine Warbler
61. Blackcap
62. Lesser Whitethroat
63. Goldcrest
64. Wren
65. Starling
66. Blackbird
67. Fieldfare
68. Redwing
69. Song Thrush
70. Spotted Flycatcher (d)
71. Robin
72. Pied Flycatcher
73. Wheatear
74. Grey Wagtail
75. Pied Wagtail
76. Meadow Pipit
77. Rock Pipit
78. Chaffinch
79. Brambling
80. Goldfinch
81. Siskin
82. Yellowhammer
83. Little Bunting (d)

Note – Buzzard species and Redpoll* species also observed

Gander · Jun 5, 2019

It has been a fairly quiet week. Highlights were a juvenile Cormorant and a passing Kestrel. Yesterday though, the sun broke through in the afternoon, and lo and behold we had Hirundines. I saw a single Swallow mid afternoon, but the deck crew and others reported upto half a dozen birds being seen together. Even though they were being reported to me as Swallows, and the bird I'd seen was a Swallow, I had a feeling there may have been something else about, so in the early evening, I went up to the helideck level to have a look about. Peering down the west side of the platform, that was bathed in warm sunshine, I soon spotted a Swallow, but with it were a couple of House Martins.

Also yesterday, a Guillemot was on the water alongside the platform.

In regards to the Nightjar I found just over a week ago, it appears to be only the eighth recorded by the NSBC in forty years, so a very good record to get, dispite the disappointment of the bird being deceased.

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Gannet
7. Guillemot
8. Ringed Plover
9. Rock Pipit
10. Robin
11. Pied Wagtail*
12. Meadow Pipit
13. Goldcrest
14. Grey Heron
15. Common Gull
16. Black-Headed Gull
17. Blackcap*
18. Sparrowhawk*
19. Grey Wagtail
20. Kestrel*
21. Carrion Crow
22. Water Rail
23. Song Thrush
24. Wren
25. Teal
26. Turnstone*
27. Cormorant
28. Lesser Black-Backed Gull
29. Swallow
30. Nightjar (d)
31. House Martin

North Sea Thread (2 Viewers)

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