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Hoylake Bird Observatory (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Jane Turner
- Start date
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Still plenty of Petrels out there.... not sure why they are on the beach, a mile from the sea at extreme low tide and without yesterday's howling gale!
Stephen Dunstan
Registered User
They are exhausted perhaps?
I have been unable to seawatch these last three days due to work commitments and tides, which has been frustrating. Did get a nice Lancs bird on Sunday (Black Guillemot) which helped a bit.
Stephen.
I have been unable to seawatch these last three days due to work commitments and tides, which has been frustrating. Did get a nice Lancs bird on Sunday (Black Guillemot) which helped a bit.
Stephen.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Its not as though its THAT windy or that the winds have been that prolonged.. they seem happy enough pattering about on beach pools though 
Stephen Dunstan
Registered User
Anecdotally a Wilson's off St Ives was reported feeding on Manxie corpses, suggesting some mortality in the recent winds.
A couple of years ago Kitts were wrecked all along the Blackpool coast but nobody elsewhere in Lancs recorded the same thing.
A couple of years ago Kitts were wrecked all along the Blackpool coast but nobody elsewhere in Lancs recorded the same thing.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Maybe they were weakend out in the Atlantic.... looks good for you Wed/Thurs wind wise... going SW'ly.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
and just to reinforce your point Stephen, I have seen one dead and three dying Manxies today ...put one in the Freezer - will take it to Liverpool Uni at my first opportunity
Jane Turner
Well-known member
The winds have vanished as have the Petrels.. still by way of compensation the garden is full of migrants this morning.
Three species of chat on the lawn for a start, though the Whinchat buggered off before I found the camera. The Wheatears were a little more obliging. Yesterday was a bit of a Duck day, with 125 Common Scoter and the first Pintail of the autumn
Three species of chat on the lawn for a start, though the Whinchat buggered off before I found the camera. The Wheatears were a little more obliging. Yesterday was a bit of a Duck day, with 125 Common Scoter and the first Pintail of the autumn
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Jane Turner
Well-known member
122 for the year now... a Shag a few days ago and the Ring-billed Gull from a few days back right over the house!
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Things really hotted up in the evening. Plenty of Petrels - at least 35 Leach's Petrels were feeding offshore and a Sub-adult pale phase Pomarine Skua (123) went ploughing through.
I had a disconcerting half an hour or so with a small short-winged Petrel spp, 2/3rds the size of Leach's and occasion looking ever so like a Wilson's Petrel as it sheared about like a mini Shearwater.... then of course it started buzzing about like a typical Stormie...which I guess is what it had to be. It was too dark to see if it had trailing feet or not... paler upper-wing panel ...or not - it wasn't possible to see the wing panels on the Leach's Petrels alongside.
Then there was a weakly fluttering shearwater... but I'm pretty sure that it was just a knackered Manxie.
I had a disconcerting half an hour or so with a small short-winged Petrel spp, 2/3rds the size of Leach's and occasion looking ever so like a Wilson's Petrel as it sheared about like a mini Shearwater.... then of course it started buzzing about like a typical Stormie...which I guess is what it had to be. It was too dark to see if it had trailing feet or not... paler upper-wing panel ...or not - it wasn't possible to see the wing panels on the Leach's Petrels alongside.
Then there was a weakly fluttering shearwater... but I'm pretty sure that it was just a knackered Manxie.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Right.. today was some day. No new species, but totals as follows
Arctic Skua 54, Great Skua 29, Fulmar 11, Gannet 355, Kittiwake 340, Leach's Petrel 46, Arctic Tern 12, Common Tern 4, Sandwich Tern 6, Razorbill 3 Red-throated Diver 1, Common Scoter 9, Guillemot 25, Manx Shearwater 195
Arctic Skua 54, Great Skua 29, Fulmar 11, Gannet 355, Kittiwake 340, Leach's Petrel 46, Arctic Tern 12, Common Tern 4, Sandwich Tern 6, Razorbill 3 Red-throated Diver 1, Common Scoter 9, Guillemot 25, Manx Shearwater 195
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John o'Sullivan
Well-known member
Jane, there are four types of birdwatching I enjoy
1. Patch watching
2. Seawatching
3. Waders
4. Gulls
you've got them all without going anywhere.
Once my kids have finished comp I'm going to sell up and find something similar. John.
1. Patch watching
2. Seawatching
3. Waders
4. Gulls
you've got them all without going anywhere.
Once my kids have finished comp I'm going to sell up and find something similar. John.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Don't suppose it helps to know that I saw all that lot sat on my bed! Go for it John... its worth it.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Puffin and Sabines Gull added to the year list - 125 for the year. There are so many seabirds out there its amazing. Seen three Sabine's Gulls together!
Eagle
Well-known member
I just love reading about the activities you can see from the bed...kitchen...back door !
Puffin? How many? Just flying?
In East London
I'm having a quick 10 min breather from the perils of yr 11...I teach ICT so I can flit back and forth to check whats occuring....here I see Blackbird ,feral pigeons, occassional Herring Gulls (from the River Thames)....much better in the West of London!
But difficult to compare with u!
Puffin? How many? Just flying?
In East London
I'm having a quick 10 min breather from the perils of yr 11...I teach ICT so I can flit back and forth to check whats occuring....here I see Blackbird ,feral pigeons, occassional Herring Gulls (from the River Thames)....much better in the West of London!
But difficult to compare with u!
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Two Puffins.. flying - also 150 Gulliemots and 20 or so Razorbills
What a fantastic day - I think next year I'll be taking my holiday in your house!
Jane Turner
Well-known member
So the end totals for yesterday
Sabine's Gull. 4-9... hard to be sure if the birds were passing or lingering, but three juvs together one unaged bird an adult and three single juvs was a bit special. The unaged bird was particularly pleasing.. it was too distant to make out plumage but I was certain it was a Sabs..and then it was joined and overtaken by a party of Kittiwakes giving excellent comparisons. I thinks Sabs has to be the most jizzy bird of all! The other big feature of today was the Kittiwake passage. I'm afraid I couldn't count them propperly but estimate that there were at least 750. There were fewer Manx Shearwaters today - about 120 and fewer Gannets - probably only 250. I'm still getting huge numbers of Skuas, but no rare ones... 43 Arctic Skuas and 38 Bonxies including a party of 8! I'm missing out on the Petrels though - my guess it that they are all sheltering in the Mersey mouth - just 38 Leach's, but one was in the back garden!
Auks were up 2 Puffins always rare here, 190 Guillemots and 45 Razorbills
Sabine's Gull. 4-9... hard to be sure if the birds were passing or lingering, but three juvs together one unaged bird an adult and three single juvs was a bit special. The unaged bird was particularly pleasing.. it was too distant to make out plumage but I was certain it was a Sabs..and then it was joined and overtaken by a party of Kittiwakes giving excellent comparisons. I thinks Sabs has to be the most jizzy bird of all! The other big feature of today was the Kittiwake passage. I'm afraid I couldn't count them propperly but estimate that there were at least 750. There were fewer Manx Shearwaters today - about 120 and fewer Gannets - probably only 250. I'm still getting huge numbers of Skuas, but no rare ones... 43 Arctic Skuas and 38 Bonxies including a party of 8! I'm missing out on the Petrels though - my guess it that they are all sheltering in the Mersey mouth - just 38 Leach's, but one was in the back garden!
Auks were up 2 Puffins always rare here, 190 Guillemots and 45 Razorbills
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Jane Turner
Well-known member
Wednesday
With the dropping winds, the Leach's Petrels trapped in the Mersey mouth and Liverpool bay made a bid for freedom. I wasn't watching all day, but suspect I saw the peak passage of 90/hour... I kept going long enough to get the day count into three figures 107 to be precise. Also recorded two firsts for the autumn, 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and a juv Black Tern. Manx Shearwaters were still prominent, with a raft of 70 opposite the house. No hint of a Balearic...apart from an oiled Manxie! In all I recorded 175 yesterday. Skuas remain prominent - I think this is my best autumn ever for them - well Great Skua for sure... another 22 today, with 29 Arctic Skuas and two pale adult or sub adult Pomarine Skuas ploughing West.
Supporting cast: 75 Gannets, 120 Kittiwakes, 2 Arctic Terns, 6 Sandwich Terns a single Fulmar and 17 Scoter.
With the dropping winds, the Leach's Petrels trapped in the Mersey mouth and Liverpool bay made a bid for freedom. I wasn't watching all day, but suspect I saw the peak passage of 90/hour... I kept going long enough to get the day count into three figures 107 to be precise. Also recorded two firsts for the autumn, 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and a juv Black Tern. Manx Shearwaters were still prominent, with a raft of 70 opposite the house. No hint of a Balearic...apart from an oiled Manxie! In all I recorded 175 yesterday. Skuas remain prominent - I think this is my best autumn ever for them - well Great Skua for sure... another 22 today, with 29 Arctic Skuas and two pale adult or sub adult Pomarine Skuas ploughing West.
Supporting cast: 75 Gannets, 120 Kittiwakes, 2 Arctic Terns, 6 Sandwich Terns a single Fulmar and 17 Scoter.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Its a big Leach's day today and I won't be here to witness it. 215 in an hour!!!!! Also an adult Sabine's Gull on the beach and a single Storm Petrel
