Sea birds off Towan Head, Newquay, 10th February (1 Viewer)

[Sunbird24]

Lots of Gannets here but could the smaller bird be a Shearwater, possibly Manx. I know the local Gannets often mix with Great Black-backed Gulls, Cormorants and Shags, and I have seen one Guillemot here recently. The younger Gannets also have varying amounts of grey/black on the wings.

 

[Martin Bell]

It looks like a Razorbill.

 

[Sunbird24]

I have enlarged it to individual pixels and IMO the bill may not be large enough for a Razorbill and the top slope is more suggestive of Guillemot, I agree the bill is too fat for Shearwater.



There is also another picture showing some in the water:

 

[DMW]

I have enlarged it to individual pixels and IMO the bill may not be large enough for a Razorbill and the top slope is more suggestive of Guillemot, I agree too fat for Shearwater.View attachment 1627857

There is also another picture showing some in the water: View attachment 1627858

It's a Razorbill.

 

[THE_FERN]

Yes definitely razorbill. Not brown but black and with a stubby not long bill (even with this resolution)

 

[Derbyfella]

View attachment 1627770 Lots of Gannets here but could the smaller bird be a Shearwater, possibly Manx. I know the local Gannets often mix with Great Black-backed Gulls, Cormorants and Shags, and I have seen one Guillemot here recently. The younger Gannets also have varying amounts of grey/black on the wings.

Razorbill

 

[seawatcher]

Screams razorbill at me, the jizz and the black (not brown) upperparts rule out other auks.

 

[stevethehydra]

Screams razorbill at me, the jizz and the black (not brown) upperparts rule out other auks.

Likewise! Worth noting for the OP, regardless of the ID differences between auk species, auks are the only seabirds that are anywhere near that short-winged. Shearwaters are very long-winged - much more like the gannet in general outline, but wings (proportionately to the bird's size) even longer and narrower.