Scilly Isles - west of Cornwall, UK - June 24 (1 Viewer)

[Jamkat]

Hi, I wonder if anybody could clarify these please,

1. Is this a storm petrel?
2. Are the next 2 sooty shearwaters?
3. This gull has red eyes which as far as I can tell is not common with lesser or great black backed gulls?


Thanks for any help.

 

[Mike Crawley]

1. Yes, but which specific species I couldn’t say from this photograph
2. Yes
3. It’s a shearwater, but I couldn’t say which (Manx or Sooty) from this photograph
4. Greater Black-backed Gull

Were you on a Scilly Pelagics trip ?
They have a twitter account ( x.com )
Scilly Birding has a facebook account
( https://m.facebook.com/groups/2410518049180105/?ref=share )

 

[Phil Bishop]

Would assume the petrel is a European Storm Petrel-Wilsons would have legs protruding beyond tail.

 

[PYRTLE]

The red you refer to is the orbital eye ring whereas the eye colour is yellow.

 

[NickBrown]

Agree with everything above. For the third image, the lighting makes it near impossible to get 100% certainty although my gut is saying Sooty Shearwater. I can't quite put my finger on it but I think it's the tail length and forehead shape. Wing shape isn't useful due to the angle of the bird.
The fourth image is a Greater Black-backed Gull due to the pink colour of the legs, very heavy bill and quite large white tips (although very worn in this bird) to the outer primary feathers.

 

[JayFeatherPL]

Would assume the petrel is a European Storm Petrel-Wilsons would have legs protruding beyond tail.

I think the european storm petrel would show a broad white bar under the wings + Wilson's storm petrel has a very short forearm, with a smoothly curved front edge just like on the photo. Long legs of the Wilson's storm petrel are often hard to see. Even when I brightened the photo, the bird still doesn't show these white patches under the wing which are characteristic to the european storm petrel.

 

[Thijsdekruif]

I think the european storm petrel would show a broad white bar under the wings + Wilson's storm petrel has a very short forearm, with a smoothly curved front edge just like on the photo. Long legs of the Wilson's storm petrel are often hard to see. Even when I brightened the photo, the bird still doesn't show these white patches under the wing which are characteristic to the european storm petrel.

Might be wrong, but don't think you see any underwing on this picture. I think you only see the the left upperwing.

 

[JayFeatherPL]

Might be wrong, but don't think you see any underwing on this picture. I think you only see the the left upperwing.

You're right...And in that case we also can't fully see the forearm, so it looks like a european strom petrel now. At least we know it's not the Leach's storm petrel, because it doesn't have a pale wingbar on the upperwing.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Or a dar

You're right...And in that case we also can't fully see the forearm, so it looks like a european strom petrel now. At least we know it's not the Leach's storm petrel, because it doesn't have a pale wingbar on the upperwing.

Or a dark line, down the middle of the rump.

 

[Butty]

Given the very low quality (no offence) of the storm-petrel photo I don't feel one can be sure of any of the features mentioned here so far. The only feature I might give credence to is the apparent lack of white extending down onto the vent - which suggests (if anything) Leach's petrel. But certainly I'd leave it unidentified.

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

The flying shearwater is another Sooty. The silvery area on the underwing is typical.

 

[dantheman]

Apart from not looking like a Leach's (various features such as upperwing and rump - I think it is pure white enough that a dark line down the middle can't really be possible), wouldn't a Leach's be very unusual at this time of year? Storm Petrel would be the default (doesn't appear to show any Wilson's features either).

 

[Owene]

I did a scilly pelagic at around this time of year and the crew and regulars were far more excited that they’d had a leach’s the day before than about any of the birds we saw. Very rare for scilly in August

 

[JayFeatherPL]

Given the very low quality (no offence) of the storm-petrel photo I don't feel one can be sure of any of the features mentioned here so far. The only feature I might give credence to is the apparent lack of white extending down onto the vent - which suggests (if anything) Leach's petrel. But certainly I'd leave it unidentified.

Actually I'd say the white is extended enough to make it european storm petrel + if it really was Leach's, we would probably see the pale wingbars on the upperwing, because they are really obvious (sometimes even more clear than the white rump!). But as you said, we can't tell which species this is with certainty👍 At least, we can say the shearwater is sooty shearwater indeed, because after brightening the photo we can see it's dark belly and a silvery patch under the wings.

 

[Thijsdekruif]

Actually I'd say the white is extended enough to make it european storm petrel + if it really was Leach's, we would probably see the pale wingbars on the upperwing, because they are really obvious (sometimes even more clear than the white rump!). But as you said, we can't tell which species this is with certainty👍 At least, we can say the shearwater is sooty shearwater indeed, because after brightening the photo we can see it's dark belly and a silvery patch under the wings.

True, also the posture of the wings and shape of the tail point towards European SP (vs Leach and other larger SPs, Wilsons and the myriad of upcoming splits cannot be excluded imho). In the field, the style of flying should be deterministic as well.