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Chandlers Ford “Falcons” |
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Portland Bill—a seawatcher’s paradise 30th September 2006
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Portland Bill remains one of the best spots in England for seawatching. I spent six hours on the last weekend of September watching everything that passed by the Bill! Weather conditions can influence what is seen at the Bill and on this occasion the weather was a moderate S/W; not an ideal wind for good passage. However perseverance and sustained watching can always produce something above the ordinary.
Gannet were passing west at a rate of about 200+ an hour; they were accompanied by a small number of Kittiwakes. From time to time a marauding Arctic Skua put in an appearance. A larger Skua harassing a Herring Gull was quickly identified as a Great Skua. A stiff winged dark backed Skua was soon to be identified as a Manx Shearwater. Shearwaters are specialised birds, their stiff held wings and “shearing the wave’s flight” is distinctive. However the close presence (100 metres from the Bill) of a chocolate brown upper plumage Shearwater got the adrenaline going! The off-white under parts and prominent trailing legs only added to the identification that this was a “Balearic Shearwater”. I have seen this species in its breeding area (Majorca) over several years, and indeed it is probably one of the rarest breeding birds now in the world!
There is still a lot to learn about the post breeding dispersal of this rare Shearwater; however it appears that in the early autumn it visits (in small numbers) the south coast of England!
Suffice to say that seawatching is a very patient activity that can produce some very special birds!.
Derek Lister September 30th 2006
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