The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Cory's Shearwater north at Spurn 08:08 -- Great Shearwater east and west in N Norfolk

Huttoft 8 hours 07:15 - 15:15
Manx Shearwater 5 south
Gannet 60+ feeding offshore and moving nowhere
Bonxie 8 south
Arctic Skua 11
Fulmar 15 mostly south
Sandwich Tern 40+
Red-throated Diver 2 summer adults north
Swift 1
possible Hobby well out going south

anything else of interest nil

So why is Lincs so poor -- from 07:15 to 18:30 I picked up 7 shearwaters going north a long way out; as usually on a sunny morn you are looking east and towards the sun only getting light on anything that is already well north and usually going away. All of these birds looked all dark, blackish with no contrast in the plumage but from 09:00 as the sun moved further south odd bird started to show some pale in the upperparts and more contrast in the plumage; an hour later and the odd one even now showed a white head indicating that they were all in fact Fulmars which I had suspected from the simple jizz of the birds, not long winged and swept back like Sootys without that species simple prowess in shearing, too chunky and thick set but with angled wings for Manx but all clearly looking apparently wrong for Fulmars and hence potential large shears; I am not commenting on the records either side of Lincs but simply confirming how light can drastically affect perception of colours and tones over the sea on bright sunny morning off Lincs; so another wasted seawatch on the Lincs coast and Huttoft pit was no better --

I had the same idea given the path that the depression took.
Huttoft from 14:30 - 18:30

Bonxie - 17
Arctic Skua - 23
Manx Shearwater - 4
Gannet - constant low passage
Fulmar - 16
RT diver - 1
C Scoter - 2
Common Tern - 250
Sandwich Tern - constant low passage

Better than nothing!!

Planned to get out for a sewatch at 1730 given reports from elsewhere over last couple of days, but eventually managed 1830 - 1920
Most seabirds fairly distant, but light brilliant - I would easily have picked out a Med shear (or whatever people are calling them these days!)
Initially, first four manx were heading south, then groups of up to 37 strongly north out of the Wash and probably veering further north-east.
Totals

Manx 120 north - exceptional count for Gib but not a record (=181 on 9 Sept 1997)
Sooty - 1 possible north - v distant - closer to Norfolk!
Arctic skua 20 south
Bonxie 6 south
Gannet 49 south
Fulmar 3 north
Kittiwake 5 on beach + 6 south
Common Tern 375 south
Sandwich tern 140 south
Whimbrel 1 south
Turnstone 1 south
Snipe 3 in off with 12 dunlin

In the dunes 10+ spotted flycatcher, pied flycatcher, 4 redstart, 40+ willow warblers etc.
Cheers

Kev

The grass (or sea watching) isn't always greener (better) the other side of the Wash. I had the morning in Norfolk. 8 am Hunstanton - nothing. Then Titchwell -a few Eiders on sea. Thornham - no movement. Back to Hunstanton cliffs - 1 Gannet and 2 Arctic Skuas.

I sure had that Great Shearwater surrounded but never saw a sign

ive been out in the last two days at gib point bird counding early moring and late at knight but knot a lot about usual thinks but nothing out standing . iam going to theddlethorpe nudest beach it maybe more insiting than feather birds .

Hi Graham,
Althou i hardly ever seawatch except with jh a few times at flamborough,i think your whole submission was fascinating and thought provoking!!in the Raptors vein,many Honey Buzzards have been claimed by yorkshire birders on passage inland,i dont believe and never have most of the ones claimed,as miles hopper used to say,"many raptors are missed by people not looking right up into the sky,i used too when the yorkshire lads were claiming them inland,Id go sit on the hill at the top of whitton at the prime times,i saw buzzards flying dead straight,giving the impression they were on passage on careful examination,i found,thou i nearly was fooled,in the end they were only common buzzards,ive never "caught a whiff of one there",thou Blacktoft sands on the same day i was there was seeing Honeys Going over!!!when i saw commom buzzards flying over!!
say no more Squire,
but coming back to your original thoughts-brilliant!!
Roger Hebb.

Hi Graham et al.

I did 5 hrs at Sheringham today (4/09) 12.00-17.00 and had no more than you did, well bar about 25 Manxies (2000 went past Sheri the previous day to furnish a record Norfolk count), we had 1 RTD, 1 Swift also (and a Shag [!])). Giles Dunmore et al. were on site from 7am and no-one saw anything of particular interest all day to my knowledge. No Sabs, large Shears etc, despite 30 observers at capacity in the shelters.

Alex

_________________
Dr Alexander C. Lees
Lecturer in tropical ecology
Manchester Metropolitan University

Lab Associate
Cornell Lab of Ornithology,
Cornell University

http://www.freewebs.com/alexlees/index.htm
@Alexander_Lees

So on conclusion,these seabird delights only pass yorkshire,along with a nice sprinkling of Honey Buzzards,but Keb wood is not in yorkshire??
Roger,
..............heading for the shelter!!