Still high pressure resulting in some seabird movement off shore. Bright and sunny.
A short seawatch from Boulmer this evening was well worth it when a Balearic Shearwater wavered its way north with two of its Manx relatives for comparison. As these seabirds are impossible for me to photograph, some rough field notes give you an idea what I'm talking about.
These birds are internationally endangered, the whole world population numbering only a few thousand birds all breeding in the mediterranean, as the name implies. They are quite unusual in that they first migrate north to British coasts before moving back south into the Atlantic.
Sooty Shearwater 2, 1N and 1, unusually, 1 lingering around the feeding frenzies quite close in.
Manx Shearwtaer 12+N
Whimbrel 1
Golden Plover 200
Goosander 7
125. Balearic Shearwater.
Beautifully noted Stewart, a great aid to ID.
ReplyDeleteBR.
Ta BR
ReplyDeleteJust lurv the new title pic, have you sent it to Leica with a begging letter for sponsorship or was it just a complete shot in the dark? Were you pissed when you wrote those B's or was it some of that moonshine they brew in your forgotten corner of the county?
ReplyDeletePot bellied, that was always my impression of Balearics, a bit like you and I these days...
I liked those B's. Its called ' Blackadder' on photoshop. I might just try a beging letter to Leica...
ReplyDeleteMore wonderful pictures. A friend keeps doves, however, has lost the babies recently born. She's really not sure why and it's distressed her quite a lot. I wonder if you have any ideas I could pass on? Many thanks.
ReplyDeleteCrystal xx
hi stu love the field notes must be a bit of a dying art with all the new technoligy you get these days ,keep it up.
ReplyDeleteCJ - I used to breed birds as a kid. Doves are prone to some kind of worm or parasite. Your friend should have taken one of the bodies to the vet for a post mortem to see if she needs treat the rest of her birds.
ReplyDeleteF - Cheers