How to see Leach's Petrel (1 Viewer)

[Jane Turner]

To be fair i don't think your sighting is much different to any number of other reports of Feas-types or "presumed Feas". There's little hope of nailing it to taxon from land (tho not impossible perhaps). I vaguely remember reading Brett Richards honest account of an early Flamborough sighting about 15+ years ago in Yorkshire Birding, he estimated the bird to be about a mile out. I've had distant but "tickable" views as have many others. What to tick them as is an entirely different matter... (and i'd need some sort of list..)
Cheers.

This was a mile plus out. Add to that single observer and I think it will have to be in the "yet another one that got away" basket.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

On arriving we looked over the sea wall and immediately jammed onto a juv Sabine's Gull at about 10 yards. A couple of others at the life boat station were on the bird and we put the news out.

It took over an hour for someone to turn up at which point we put them onto the bird and left. It showed well at times, and hopefully a consolation for anyone who missed other stuff. We didn't try for the Wilson's as the news was no one had connected from the Wirral side.

One of the first off the camera :king:

Did you travel with another bloke with a camera from W.Yorks?

Fabulous bird - you should have called in for a cuppa!

Did you see me wave to you Jane?

A couple of birders had a Curlew Sand on the beach outside your place just after high tide.

CB

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Did you travel with another bloke with a camera from W.Yorks?




CB

Yup :t: I was the one with hair.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yup :t: I was the one with hair.

Then we have met. I was the first birder to turn up just as you were watching the Sabs on the right side of the new lifeboat station.

CB

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Then we have met. I was the first birder to turn up just as you were watching the Sabs on the right side of the new lifeboat station.

CB

Excellent. Think we also got you onto a Razorbill at Leasow too :t:

Did the sabs come back in after flying West?

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Excellent. Think we also got you onto a Razorbill at Leasow too :t:

Did the sabs come back in after flying West?

Yes. You did. Thanks for that. A year tick as well as a county tick!! :t:

As everyone had walked south down the promenade to look for the bird. I got stopped by the guy from derbyshire who asked if i'd still got the bird as the bird was again by the lifeboat station. I walked back and was told it had gone further north along the prom. As I got close he and two other photographers flushed it!! Luckily it landed the other side of the channel, so me and the other 20 or so birders that had just turned up got onto it.

CB

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Yes. You did. Thanks for that. A year tick as well as a county tick!! :t:

As everyone had walked south down the promenade to look for the bird. I got stopped by the guy from derbyshire who asked if i'd still got the bird as the bird was again by the lifeboat station. I walked back and was told it had gone further north along the prom. As I got close he and two other photographers flushed it!! Luckily it landed the other side of the channel, so me and the other 20 or so birders that had just turned up got onto it.

CB

Good stuff. Surprised it got flushed it was very confiding.

 

[James Thomas]

Yes. You did. Thanks for that. A year tick as well as a county tick!! :t:

As everyone had walked south down the promenade to look for the bird. I got stopped by the guy from derbyshire who asked if i'd still got the bird as the bird was again by the lifeboat station. I walked back and was told it had gone further north along the prom. As I got close he and two other photographers flushed it!! Luckily it landed the other side of the channel, so me and the other 20 or so birders that had just turned up got onto it.

CB

Not trying to feed it some bread? Good to meet you, I was sporting the bald is beautiful look.

Nice spot at high tide, should have paid all those waders a bit more attention. A couple more picks from Hoylake.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Not trying to feed it some bread?

Definitely not i'm afraid.

BF member tick number two then. I knew there would be some BF members out that day. I should have asked.

CB

 

[Jane Turner]

Did you travel with another bloke with a camera from W.Yorks?




Did you see me wave to you Jane?

A couple of birders had a Curlew Sand on the beach outside your place just after high tide.

CB

I saw a few birders - ther were two Curlew Sands and a Ruff today - I didn't dare take my eyes off the sea yesterday!

 

[jogresh]

This was a mile plus out. Add to that single observer and I think it will have to be in the "yet another one that got away" basket.

Hi Jane, not quite sure what you mean by the one that got away - i'm not being funny, i mean it literally. I may have missed your point.
As i see understand it, you're certain you had a Fea's-type. I agree it won't get past any committee. Neither do most "Fea's", nor for that matter most of the seabirds that i and others like yourself see coz they're mostly distant, and single observer. That's the nature of seawatching. But you did see a presumed Fea's from your house didn't you?! Not a bad house tick!
Cheers.

 

[Jane Turner]

I won't put anything on my list, house or otherwise that doesn't get past the relevant committee - hence it got away.

 

[Rob Smallwood]

I spoke to Jane shortly after the event - and can vouch for the wierd mix of elation & frustration in her voice!

 

[James Thomas]

Out of interest, do you use Shortwave radios along the wirral coast?

 

[Jane Turner]

Mobile phones or frantic waving!

The next gale/storm looks like its going to be from the SW - give it a day of wind and the Fylde should be the place to be. There are already birds in the Irish sea. Fancy a Cory's on this!

Lundy Fastnet Irish Sea:
South or southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7, but gale 8 in Irish Sea, veering west later. Moderate or rough, but slight at first in irish sea. Rain or squally showers. Moderate or poor, becoming good.

 

[bitterntwisted]

There are already birds in the Irish sea.

When I crossed from Dublin yesterday evening, the Manxies (and all the Kittiwakes and Gannets) were back where the map on page 7 of this says they like to hang out... http://www.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/irish_finalreport(maps).pdf Good numbers there but nothing from midway all the way to Holyhead. And nothing more exciting the whole way.

Graham

 

[ColinD]

Just wondering if we might be in for a decent seawatch over the weekend in the Irish Sea. The chart's looking reasonable for Saturday (ok, perhaps more westerly than north westerly, but at least it's the first serious blow for a while).

The tide's not bad either 11:34am at Liverpool and 8.79m. Might be worth a look?

 

[Jane Turner]

Just wondering if we might be in for a decent seawatch over the weekend in the Irish Sea. The chart's looking reasonable for Saturday (ok, perhaps more westerly than north westerly, but at least it's the first serious blow for a while).

The tide's not bad either 11:34am at Liverpool and 8.79m. Might be worth a look?

I don't think there will be enough wind for classic conditions. It takes 1-2 days of strong westerlies to bring birds into the Irish Sea and another 1-2 days soon after to bring Liverpool bay into play. (Actually I prefer W, or WNW to NW - though the Mersey is best in NW)

If magic seaweed is to be trusted they are predicting the start of the blow on Fri mid afternoon, Force 6 and a little south of west.... that should be fine to push birds that are moving south into the north end of the Irish sea. 6-7 wsw winds are predicted for 24 hours, then swinging a little more to the north but dropping to force 5 for the Sunday morning. There does appear to be a second system due in Wed which may do the business.

Its getting a little late for peak Petrel passage, but it is getting into Pom season!

 

[shorebirder]

Whats the chance of New Brighton being any good tomorrow for Leach's coming out of Mersey. I know wind will not be strong tomorrow but is their likely to be birds still about? What about Hilbre tomorrow??
Dave

 

[James Thomas]

Looking at todays reports you should get round to Fleetwood.