digi-birder
Well-known member
Had a fantastic cruise out of Bridlington on the Yorkshire Belle today. The weather was perfect and the sea was not too choppy.
As we left the harbour, there was a Turnstone on the opposite pier end and some juvenile Guillemot bobbing about near the harbour wall.
We had a good seat where we could look out of both sides of the boat, remembering last year, when we were stuck on one side and the birds were all on the other side.
Once we had reached a good distance the commentary started, although it was a little faint and we were all asking one another what he'd just said!
Anyway, they started chumming and there were lots of Kittiwakes following us with a few Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls. Also spotted was a Little Gull, several Cormorants and some Shags and lots of juvenile gulls that could have been Herring or Great Black-backed and some Black-headed Gulls and Fulmar.
We came across more Guillemots on the way out, and some Puffin quite near to the boat. Then a small flock of Common Scoter flew past in the distance and several Common Tern were flying in. There were also good numbers of juvenile and adult Gannets everywhere.
Then the fun started! A Great Skua appeared and then we had an Arctic Skua. Then someone spotted a Sooty Shearwater. Altogether there were 4 Bonxies, 5 Arctic Skuas and 2 Sooty Shearwaters.
Among all this fun, the guide pointed out several Harbour Porpoise breaking the water. Some of the groups were quite large - about a dozen I would say, all gathering where the Gannets were fishing and you could see the fish jumping out of the water. Also among them were some larger cetaceans, which were thought to be Dolphins.
As if we hadn't had enough excitement for one day, we then spotted a Minke Whale break the surface of the water and we kept slowing and turning in order for everyone to get a good look. We think there may have been more than one, but possibly only two.
This whale-chasing caused us to be out a little longer than we should have been and we had to return to harbour a little faster than we went out. On the way back, as they were still chumming, a Manx Shearwater and another Great Skua mixed in with the Kittiwakes and gulls diving for the food.
We were a little wind-blown and hungry by the time we arrived back in Brid, so off we went for the obligatory fish and chip meal before setting off back home.
I didn't get any photos as it was impossible with the swaying of the boat, but as I was taking a photo back towards Flamborough Head (the site of the Oop North Bash earlier this year) a bird happened to fly across the path. Looks like a juvenile unidentifiable gull to me, but if anyone can ID it there's a pint in the Drunken Bustard waiting!
As we left the harbour, there was a Turnstone on the opposite pier end and some juvenile Guillemot bobbing about near the harbour wall.
We had a good seat where we could look out of both sides of the boat, remembering last year, when we were stuck on one side and the birds were all on the other side.
Once we had reached a good distance the commentary started, although it was a little faint and we were all asking one another what he'd just said!
Anyway, they started chumming and there were lots of Kittiwakes following us with a few Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls. Also spotted was a Little Gull, several Cormorants and some Shags and lots of juvenile gulls that could have been Herring or Great Black-backed and some Black-headed Gulls and Fulmar.
We came across more Guillemots on the way out, and some Puffin quite near to the boat. Then a small flock of Common Scoter flew past in the distance and several Common Tern were flying in. There were also good numbers of juvenile and adult Gannets everywhere.
Then the fun started! A Great Skua appeared and then we had an Arctic Skua. Then someone spotted a Sooty Shearwater. Altogether there were 4 Bonxies, 5 Arctic Skuas and 2 Sooty Shearwaters.
Among all this fun, the guide pointed out several Harbour Porpoise breaking the water. Some of the groups were quite large - about a dozen I would say, all gathering where the Gannets were fishing and you could see the fish jumping out of the water. Also among them were some larger cetaceans, which were thought to be Dolphins.
As if we hadn't had enough excitement for one day, we then spotted a Minke Whale break the surface of the water and we kept slowing and turning in order for everyone to get a good look. We think there may have been more than one, but possibly only two.
This whale-chasing caused us to be out a little longer than we should have been and we had to return to harbour a little faster than we went out. On the way back, as they were still chumming, a Manx Shearwater and another Great Skua mixed in with the Kittiwakes and gulls diving for the food.
We were a little wind-blown and hungry by the time we arrived back in Brid, so off we went for the obligatory fish and chip meal before setting off back home.
I didn't get any photos as it was impossible with the swaying of the boat, but as I was taking a photo back towards Flamborough Head (the site of the Oop North Bash earlier this year) a bird happened to fly across the path. Looks like a juvenile unidentifiable gull to me, but if anyone can ID it there's a pint in the Drunken Bustard waiting!
