?grebe or diver, belgian coast (1 Viewer)

marnixR

WYSIWYG

• Jan 22, 2019

• #1

i found the following bird which presumably had died at sea and been washed up on the beach near the lighthouse of Blankenberge
i'd say it's some sort of grebe, but given that it's likely to be in either winter or juvenile plumage i can't tell for sure which type of grebe - unless i'm totally off the mark and it's a type of diver i don't recognise ?

picture taken a few days ago on the beach of Blankenberge on the belgian coast

 

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Sangahyando

Well-known member

• Jan 22, 2019

• #2

Neither grebe nor diver - it's an auk; looks like a Common Guillemot.

 

A

Alexander Stöhr

Well-known member

• Jan 22, 2019

• #3

Hello,
this is a common guillemot

 

marnixR

WYSIWYG

• Jan 22, 2019

• #4

rather surprising - i wasn't even aware there were any guillemots in this part of the north sea + it looks totally different from guillemots i've seen in Scotland and West Wales during the breeding season

is it a juvenile ?

[edit]

oh, i see, the winter plumage shows more white in the face

[/edit]

 

Last edited: Jan 22, 2019

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Jan 22, 2019

• #5

marnixR said:

rather surprising - i wasn't even aware there were any guillemots in this part of the north sea + it looks totally different from guillemots i've seen in Scotland and West Wales during the breeding season

is it a juvenile ?

[edit]

oh, i see, the winter plumage shows more white in the face

[/edit]

Click to expand...

Yep, winter plumage. Guillemots winter throughout the North Sea, though only in small number in the southern half - but there's also been a lot of severe N / NNW winds in the North Sea in the last month, so that will have moved a lot further south than normal, and also killed a lot, as here.

 

marnixR

WYSIWYG

• Jan 23, 2019

• #6

oh well, you live and learn - i must say that a day later, on the ferry from Calais to Dover, i saw quite a few what looked like guillemots or black guillemots on the french side of the Channel, not too far from the coast

 

temmie

Well-known member

• Jan 23, 2019

• #7

Guillemot and Razorbill are fairly common in winter at the Belgian coast, but most stay at the open sea.
Every year some Puffins also end up washed up on the beach.
Guillemot: https://waarnemingen.be/soort/maps/..._valid=0&grid=5000&kwart=0&st=&second_specie=
Razorbill: https://waarnemingen.be/soort/maps/..._valid=0&grid=5000&kwart=0&st=&second_specie=
Puffin (only this autumn / winter): https://waarnemingen.be/soort/maps/..._valid=0&grid=5000&kwart=0&st=&second_specie=

 

marnixR

WYSIWYG

• Jan 23, 2019

• #8

thanks for letting me know - something to be on the lookout for next time I go beachcombing