North Sea Thread (1 Viewer)

[Mark Lew1s]

Non-birders are absolutely dreadful at observing detail and describing what they've seen. Personally I wouldn't be using sightings from anyone else unless they were absolutely watertight, or the observer really knew what they were talking about.

An example: My mother in law once described a bird to me that she'd seen in the Pyrenees. "It had a yellow beak" - no info on size, any other colours, what it was doing etc!

If you want to be sure you're creating good data, leave it out.

 

[Gander]

Non-birders are absolutely dreadful at observing detail and describing what they've seen. Personally I wouldn't be using sightings from anyone else unless they were absolutely watertight, or the observer really knew what they were talking about.

An example: My mother in law once described a bird to me that she'd seen in the Pyrenees. "It had a yellow beak" - no info on size, any other colours, what it was doing etc!

If you want to be sure you're creating good data, leave it out.

It is very frustrating, but I will report it as an uncertain to the NSBC, that way it does not go into the data. It also comes off my year list.

Just to make matters worse, I've just seen a dark brown wader type bird flying away from the platform. I'll try and ID it later from the Collins, but I'm not hopeful. Only saw it from above. It was plain dark brown - No bars or other markings. Typical wader shape, I'd say pigeon sized, maybe slightly bigger.

 

[Gander]

Just to make matters worse, I've just seen a dark brown wader type bird flying away from the platform. I'll try and ID it later from the Collins, but I'm not hopeful .

I can't see anything like it in the Collins, so that's another one escaped me due to incompetence. :-C

Birds are few and far between in January out here, so to miss out on two in 24 hrs is hard to take.

First Gannet of the year seen at lunch time though.

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Gannet

 

[jenks86]

Paul, you have lost your Fulmar which was species no.5 on the 17th of January.

 

[Gander]

Paul, you have lost your Fulmar which was species no.5 on the 17th of January.

Thanks for that. :t:

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Gannet

 

[Gander]

Return of the Orcas

The Orcas returned yesterday afternoon, and provided great viewing. Their presence has the ability to cheer up the most hardened of North Sea bears.

On the bird front, it is pretty grim. I'm getting very little of not a lot.

I've decided not to report the probable/possible Oystercatcher, even as an uncertain. As an uncertain, it wouldn't have gone into the data, but having given it some thought, I am suspicious that the dark brown bird I saw heading away from the platform the next day, might have been what was seen by the non-birder who saw the original bird. I'll never know, so I'm just going to draw a line under it and move on.

 

[occasional]

Just out of curiosity, are there insects on the platform ?

 

[Gander]

Just out of curiosity, are there insects on the platform ?

Yes, in the warmer months we get some. Mainly moths and Hoverflies, but a selection of other stuff too. The Icterine Warbler I found a few years ago, was actively feeding on small midge. We also get the odd butterfly, such as the Red Admiral I found last year.

 

[Gander]

First count this morning didn't take much tallying up. We had one lonesome Fulmar. It has picked up over the day though, with Kittiwakes now at ten birds. A single Gannet was seen and our first Guillemot of the year was also spotted; flying hard and fast ahead of an icy snow shower. It is not much, but it is progress. :t:

2019 Platform List

1. Great Black-Backed Gull
2. Kittiwake
3. Iceland Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Fulmar
6. Gannet
7. Guillemot

 

[Gander]

First Unexpected

It has been a disappointing winter, with only a single w-w gull, and little else, but today I got my first unexpected bird of the year. Leaving the accommodation block, I looked up to find a small bird battling against the wind. I had it in sight on the monocular for quite a while and am pleased to add Ringed Plover to the year list. Only one previously recorded for the platform, and that was a deceased specimen.

Things are starting to look up. :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

 

[PYRTLE]

Spring is just around the corner, hopefully some Southerlies for you for the first hirundines.

 

[birdmeister]

Glad to see an update and an addition! I must admit I was getting a bit worried there.

 

[Gander]

First true migrant

The weather has turned more wintery. A 45kn wind from the NNE has brought heavy rain and sleet, but dispite that, I found my first true migrant of the year.

This morning, I was told of a sighting of a small, brown bird just seconds before when I crossed paths with another worker. The observer and I retraced his few steps to the position he had seen the bird from, but found nothing. It was still promising though, even though the thought crossed my mind that it could have been yesterday's Ringed Plover.

Several hours later, I exited the Accommodation block, as I had done yesterday, and there on the walkway was a small brownish/grey bird that flew around the corner before I could ID it fully. I slowly moved around the corner, and there hopping about in a puddle, about 10 to 15 feet away, was a Rock Pipit. Another bird I don't get every year, so a nice addition to the list.

I suspect I, and probably other platforms get more Ripits than reported due to ID difficulties, so it was really nice to get an extended, close look at this one.

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

 

[Gander]

Following my Rock Pipit sighting, there were 2 or 3 birds seen that evening flitting about at the same location. The following day, there were birds heard at a different location, but not seen.

On saturday morning, I entered my office to find a dead Rock Pipit on my desk. The nightshift had found it, and left it there for my inspection. I showed the dead bird to the observer of the 2 or 3 seen, and he told me it could well have been the same type, despite having originally described them as "black". I also played him some Rock Pipit calls, as he had been the one who also reported hearing calls. I got a definite maybe.

Based on all this, I believe we had a passage of Rock Pipit over two days. I'll only be reporting my spot, and the dead bird, but will note that there seemed to be at least one group, if not two at the platform over two days. Surprisingly, Rock Pipit sightings offshore are categorised as rare by the NSBC, but as previously pointed out, I believe this to be more to do with ID problems than actual scarcity.

I have had to leave the platform early this trip (just as the birds start turning up), but will be back in April, which is usually my best month of the year.

 

[PYRTLE]

I guess they were likely to be Scandinavian Rock Pipits rather than British Rock Pipits.

 

[Gander]

I guess they were likely to be Scandinavian Rock Pipits rather than British Rock Pipits.

I would guess so. I've taken some photos of the deceased bird, so will try and ID the subspecies type when I get back.

 

[Gander]

I'm back, but the birds are not. Or at least not at the moment. Only a very few gulls around present. Prior to my arrival yesterday, Robin and Pied Wagtail were spotted, so there have been birds moving through. Hopefully, I'll break my bird drought at some point in the next few weeks.

 

[Gander]

Trickle

It has been more of a migration trickle, rather than a migration rush, but there continues to be a few birds moving through.

Frustratingly, there was a small flock of what was described as, "very small brown birds", seen on one of the decks. There was no sign when I went to the area. Also seen on the deck, a couple of days ago, were a small group of Goldcrests. I am happy enough with the description given to record them as such, despite not seeing them myself.

Personal spots have been a Meadow Pipit, a passing Grey Heron and yesterday, our first Common Gulls of the year turned up.


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

 

[Gander]

The trickle continues.

Very quiet yesterday with only two Kittiwake and a Fulmar seen.

Today, I had a raptor reported to me, but I could not find it. The spotter is convinced it was a Peregrine, but I'll only report it as unconfirmed (doesn't get listed for the year either). While looking for the raptor though, I did find my first offshore Starling of the year.

I also got buzzed by another Meadow Pipit a short while ago. I actually had to duck as the wind hurled it towards my head as I walked around a corner.

 

[Gander]

My dismal spring continues. Not even our first Black-Headed Gull arriving lunchtime has been able to cheer me up. I hope this is not an indicator of what is happening onshore?

There has been the odd Mipit about, including one that someone handed me. It had been found sitting on a walkway, and he had been able to scoop it up. I took to to a quiet warm corner, but when I placed it down it fluttered back to me, landing in the crook of my elbow. I released it a second time, but returning to the spot, an hour or so later, I found it had died.

Sums up my Spring!

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