North Sea Thread (4 Viewers)

[Gander]

The body of Sunday's Grey Wagtail was found on a walkway on Monday. I think exhaustion would be the cause from what I saw. Also, another dead Sparrowhawk (juv male) was found in a module, but looked to have been dead for several weeks.

Redwing and Starling continue to drift through, but in relatively low numbers. Very little actually landing on the platform. Our resident gulls are numbering about 200 or more, with an approx 50/50 split between Herring and GBB. A few Kittiwake starting to reappear and passing Gannets evident. This morning, a Cormorant was seen fishing under the platform.

 

[Gander]

After posting at just after 15:00 hrs, I went out for a quick wander. As I passed along the lower east walkway, I flushed a very small bird, that headed out to sea. I thought warbler straight away, possibly Goldcrest. I tracked the bird's erratic flight in the strong winds for as far as possible, hoping it would turn back to the shelter platform, but I lost sight of it. I continued to scan for a few moments before giving it up as another unidentified warbler type.

I was a little disappointed, as personally, I have not seen Goldcrest on the platform this year. Normally, we have a week or two when we are inundated with them, but with the platform now being unmanned for half the time, it seems like we had missed the normal Goldcrest movement. The species is on this year's list though with a single sighting from someone else.

As I was turning away, I just about caught sight, through the walkway grating, of the movement of something small, heading at speed into the Cellar Deck area below me. I knew the chances of relocating a bird this small and flighty were slim to none, but I took a couple of steps towards the top of the access stairway, with the intent of heading after the bird. As I looked down the stairway, there was another flash of movement, and my bird popped out into full sight, perching on the handrail.

This was no Goldcrest. Chiffchaff shaped, but smaller, and bright green, with strong wing bars and a strong eye stripe, I found myself looking at a Yellow-browed Warbler. The view was brief, as the bird soon flashed away. A very pleasing spot, on par with this year's Spotted Flycatcher record, as it replaces a dead specimen only record, with a very live specimen.

44. Yellow-browed Warbler

 

[Gander]

Since the Y-BW sighting on Tuesday, it has gone very quiet. Not unsurprising, as it is late in the season, and the weather has started to turn. Only migrant seen has been a single Starling, although a dead Blackcap was also found.

Tuesday night into Wednesday, we had high winds, but since then, the winds have lightened, albeit coming from the west. I would have expected to see more Redwing if they were about, but nothing, so I think the main passage is over. Noticeably, the air temperature, although still above the norm for this time of year, has started to drop. It feels different outside. Winter is coming!

Our gull flock numbers have exploded. Over 400 Herring Gulls present, with over 100 GBBGs. I wouldn't rate your chance of surviving if you took a poke of chips outside!

 

[Gander]

This morning, I started getting reports of an owl. There was no sign of it lunch time, but later on in the day, I headed up towards the Accommodation block to carry out a task, and noticed that our 100 or so GBBG flock lifted as one. I suspected it was a raptor that had disturbed them, but could find no sign of one.

Half an hour later, I started to head back down the stairs, when I noticed a bird swooping about off the west side of the platform. I stood watching in the rain as a splendid Short-eared Owl put on a flying display. A couple of times it landed on the structure, but each time it only settled for seconds before taking off again.
Eventually, the bird headed off into the mist, and as I headed off into the dry, I noticed a Blackbird head out from the cover of the structure, and also head off from the platform.

On Sunday night, our 400+ Herring Gulls disappeared. The GBBGs are still here thought, with just a very few remaining Herring Gulls. A Fulmar was also spotted. The first this trip.

Back on the platform, we still see the odd Starling passing through, and over the last couple of days, we have had a Carrion Crow onboard.

45. Short-eared Owl

 

[Gander]

More migrants on the move this morning. A few small groups of Redwing, and quite a few Fieldfare mixed in with them. That is our first Fieldfare of the season, although we did have an unseasonal bird back in January. Blackbird and Starling also represented by single birds.

Also, a Sparrowhawk found eating what looks like a Redwing (Apologies for the poor quality photo, but taken while buffeted by wind, at distance, in poor light).

 

[Gander]

Another (or returning) owl turned up this afternoon. I only got a fleeting glimpse of it, so ID was a bit harder. I did manage to grab a photo though, and am assured on the ID pages of these fora, that it is another S-E Owl.

I am unsure if this is the same bird as yesterday, but as yesterday's bird was last seen heading west, and there were no owl sightings this morning, I lean towards it being another bird.

 

[Gander]

Short-eared Owl still present this morning.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

You have two owls! First 2 images show SEO, last shows LEO. Check out the iris colour 👍🏼

 

[MJB]

You have two owls! First 2 images show SEO, last shows LEO. Check out the iris colour 👍🏼

Iris colour is not reliable for all populations...
MJB

 

[Gander]

You have two owls! First 2 images show SEO, last shows LEO. Check out the iris colour 👍🏼

Now you mention it, I think you are right.

I got a call this morning to say that we had an owl settled outside the upper module on the east side of the platform. As I arrived it took off. Speaking to the original spotter, he had got quite close to the perched bird, and watched it for over 5 mins. He emphasised the yellow eyes, so I was happy that the bird I was tracking over the sea, as we spoke, was a Short-eared.

I was trying to get pictures of the bird, which moved around to the north side of the platform. A couple of times it came in and disappeared under the platform, before popping out again. It was on one of these occasions that I suspect it tagged its long-eared cousin in. Then, the bird I was tracking, probably the L-E, disappeared around the NW corner. Seconds after it did so, the original spotter shouts there it is from the NE corner. Because of the speed needed for the bird to get from one side of the platform to the other, I did say at that point, that there seemed to be two birds, but dismissed it as wishful thinking.

Later, looking at the photos, and in a rush to upload them during a break, I noticed the amber eyes, but because I had the eye witness account of yellow eyes, and because I never saw two birds at the same time, I put it down to a trick of the light. Doh!

Looking at the photos now, I note the barred wing tip of the L-E, as opposed to the solid black of the S-E.

My thanks to Daniel for pointing out the error of my owls.

And of course, all this means........

46. Long-eared Owl

 

[Gander]

Iris colour is not reliable for all populations...
MJB

I'll stick the photos on the more widely viewed ID pages to get wider opinion.

I'm looking at the wing tips of the suggested Long-eared, and they seem to be barred, rather than solid. And body streaking seems to be all the way to belly on the possible L-E O.

 

[edenwatcher]

It's a clear LEO Paul. You definitely have two birds.

Rob

 

[dwatsonbirder]

I'll stick the photos on the more widely viewed ID pages to get wider opinion.

I'm looking at the wing tips of the suggested Long-eared, and they seem to be barred, rather than solid. And body streaking seems to be all the way to belly on the possible L-E O.

I think MJB was simply pointing out that some populations don't show such obviously Orange eyes, not that it isnt a LEO - I was too lazy to point out other features, extent of flank markings, pattern of primaries etc.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Thanks JMB,
I never saw a LEO with yellow eyes before and I thought yellow(-ish) eyes excluded LEO with confidence. Thanks for that!

 

[Hotspur]

After posting at just after 15:00 hrs, I went out for a quick wander. As I passed along the lower east walkway, I flushed a very small bird, that headed out to sea. I thought warbler straight away, possibly Goldcrest. I tracked the bird's erratic flight in the strong winds for as far as possible, hoping it would turn back to the shelter platform, but I lost sight of it. I continued to scan for a few moments before giving it up as another unidentified warbler type.

I was a little disappointed, as personally, I have not seen Goldcrest on the platform this year. Normally, we have a week or two when we are inundated with them, but with the platform now being unmanned for half the time, it seems like we had missed the normal Goldcrest movement. The species is on this year's list though with a single sighting from someone else.

As I was turning away, I just about caught sight, through the walkway grating, of the movement of something small, heading at speed into the Cellar Deck area below me. I knew the chances of relocating a bird this small and flighty were slim to none, but I took a couple of steps towards the top of the access stairway, with the intent of heading after the bird. As I looked down the stairway, there was another flash of movement, and my bird popped out into full sight, perching on the handrail.

This was no Goldcrest. Chiffchaff shaped, but smaller, and bright green, with strong wing bars and a strong eye stripe, I found myself looking at a Yellow-browed Warbler. The view was brief, as the bird soon flashed away. A very pleasing spot, on par with this year's Spotted Flycatcher record, as it replaces a dead specimen only record, with a very live specimen.

44. Yellow-browed Warbler

Given the date perhaps Hume's Warbler is more likely for this?

 

[Gander]

Given the date perhaps Hume's Warbler is more likely for this?

Everything seems to be running pretty late out here at the moment. Air temp is unusually high for time of year - 14deg.C as I type.

It is a good question, but from what I saw of the bird while it was perched, I'm happy with the Y-B identification. My lasting memory is of a brightly coloured bird, with distinctive, strong wing bars. Having read up on the differences, I think these traits in particular support Y-B, as Hume's would be a dull greyish-green with indistinct median-covert bar.

Hopefully, my next bird will be a Hume's

 

[Gander]

I think I should try and summarise this week's owl activity, especially as it now seems to be over.

On Monday, I spotted our first owl. Initially, I put it down as a Short-eared. That owl disappeared out into the mist, and looked like it had departed the platform. This is guesswork, but I think that owl returned, and was the owl I saw and photographed the next day, as shown on post #886, although it is possible that it was the S-E Owl that became very evident a couple of days later, or indeed was an owl that moved on to be replaced by another.

I was unsure about the ID of the owl photographed in #886, so I put the photo up on the ID pages of these fora. Initially, S-E Owl was suggested, but eventually, Long-eared Owl seemed to be the favoured ID. Having now done a crash course on eared owl ID, I agree with L-E Owl, based not only on that photo, but also on what I saw.

North Sea migrant owl

A Short-eared owl was seen yesterday, but the owl pictured this afternoon seems dark, and has orangey patches on its wing that possibly suggest Long-eared? Location is approx 120 miles SE of Lerwick. Both species seen here before, but S-E O would be the default. Only one distant photo.

www.birdforum.net

On Wednesday, I unknowingly, at the time, photographed not one, but two owls. Photographs showed a S-E Owl and a L-E Owl.

Also on Wednesday, I saw a S-E Owl in the afternoon, however, one of the other guys who walked around onto the east side late in the day, had an owl that flew at him out of cover, just passing over the top of his head, then a few yards further on, he found a S-E Owl perched on the walkway. I have to assume that the first owl he saw was the L-E Owl, but anything is possible.

Thursday was very windy, but in the morning, an owl was seen heading away from the platform. And that was the last record I had this week. The wind has dropped off today, but there is no sign of any kind of migrant on the move, and I feel that the owls have moved on, hopefully all the way to Scotland.

It has been a fantastic experience that will live long in my memory, and really shows the potential of offshore platform birding. I would also like to take the time to thank all those who keep an eye on this thread, giving me a nudge in the right direction from time to time. All questions and comments are much appreciated, and I often find they are the driver to my learning more.

 

[Gander]

Good number of Redwing, with a few Starling mixed in, going past this morning. I received multiple reports of a hawk being onboard yesterday, but was not able to locate it myself.

 

[Gander]

I was called to the site of a dead bird this morning, and found a migration casualty.

47. Woodcock (d)

 

[Gander]

As I came down this morning, the nightshift were reporting lots of Starling, and a number of smaller birds that they could not identify. I headed down to the Cellar Deck for a quick check, and the first bird I came across was a female Chaffinch; a first for the year. As expected, there were also a few Starling flitting about.

As I was standing at one point, a bird flew out of the gloom of a dark corner. It skimmed inches over the top of my head, landing on a handrail about 30 feet away. Another Sparrowhawk!

Chaffinch takes the year list to 48 species, and I still have a few days left, and a December trip. 48 equals my second best year since I started recording in 2016. More importantly, it has felt like a good year with a fairly steady flow of birds. And for November, this month has been spectacular.

What can I expect in December? Well, if we get some prolonged northerlies (remember those?), white winged gulls are a possibility. Also, December can be a good month for sea duck turning up.

48. Chaffinch