Stephen Dunstan wrote...

c40 Arctic Skuas off Blackpool this afternoon. The first one I had south before work and Maurice had ten together south at one point. Still passing mid afternoon.

So I expect you will get skuas tomorrow!

Stephen.

Posted by: Stephen Dunstan  | August 19, 2008 8:44 PM

Graham Clarkson wrote...

WeBS count for Marshside and Crossens Inner Marsh August 17th 2008:
Counts of key species:
Little Grebe 9
Grey Heron 10
Teal 149
Shoveler 18
Gadwall 12
Mallard 204
Moorhen 34
Lapwing 501
Black-tailed Godwit 832
Redshank 75
Curlew 37
Waders and wildfowl have mostly finished breeding now with post-breeding congregations beginning to build up on the RSPB reserve. On the adjacent Marshside beach enormous numbers of returning arctic breeding waders are in evidence, with even larger numbers elsewhere on the Ribble estuary.

Counts of key species at Marshside Beach (Southport Pier to haul road)
Oystercatcher 1300
Ringed Plover 400
Golden Plover 130
Grey Plover 505
Lapwing 300
Knot 11000
Dunlin 9190
Bar-tailed Godwit 120
Curlew 304
Redshank 280
Two Avocets have been at Marshside RSPB reserve and other recent sightings include seven Little Egrets, Greenshank, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Merlin, Sparrowhawk and up to nine Kestrels. The Glossy Ibis appears to have crossed the Pennines into Yorkshire; will it come back? Passerines are passing through the reserve with daily peaks of up to 220 Meadow Pipits and eight Wheatears.

The new RSPB reserve at Hesketh Out Marsh (no access yet) has been impressive recently with five Marsh Harriers, 30 Kestrels, three Peregrines, two Barn Owls, a Short-Eared Owl, Quail, Green Sandpiper and 30 Tree Sparrows. RSPB will announce visitor access arrangements to Hesketh Out Marsh in due course.

Posted by: Graham Clarkson  | August 20, 2008 6:20 AM

Bazzo wrote...

20/08, Seawatch, Formby Point:
1130-1440:
Manx Shearwater 46
Gannet 7
Common Scoter 26
Kittiwake 2
Sandwich Tern 388
Common Tern 415
Arctic Tern 52

Posted by: Bazzo  | August 20, 2008 5:59 PM

derek forshaw wrote...

Did a seawatch at Formby today from 0940 to 1250 hours, encouraged in part by your sightings there the previous day.
Rather disappointing I have to say, and I sometimes wonder why I bother putting myself through all the pain, especially as one's personal space is increasingly invaded by all manner of holidaymakers as the morning wears on.
(Why do they always have to play in the same square metre that one is using for sea watching?)
Apart from good numbers of terns and zillions of cormorants, there was almost nothing else seen.
In fact I found myself resorting to cormorant counting.
202 Sandwich Terns and 43 Common Terns moved south, plus a single Little Tern. Otherwise just 4 Manx Shearwaters south and 3 north (poss. same birds).
3 Gannets south - minute specks on the horizon, and c30 very distant scoters, plus a single G Cr Grebe on the sea.
No skuas at all.
I note the high numbers of Arctic Terns claimed by some contributors, but I saw no terns that could be identified as this species.
I am of the opinion that the distance offshore of most terns at Formby make it impossible to distinguish this species from Common at anything except the closest range, and I do not recall seeing any fly-by tern at Formby over many years that I was certain was of this species.
Later at Formby Channel there were no Arctics to be seen (usually at least one or two can be seen in the roost there).
216 Commons and 63 Sandwich were on the roost with a poor numbers of gulls and no waders at all.
A Peregrine appeared briefly along the tideline before disappearing out over the sea.

Posted by: derek forshaw  | August 20, 2008 7:37 PM

john wrote...

Ain't that just the way seawatching is Derek? Conditions can be perfect one day and absolutely nothing comes down the pike (or over the waves), while something stunning can turn up in the most unlikely conditions.
I suppose the complete unpredictability of seawatching is half its attraction - you just don't know what you're gonna get.
Holidaymakers can be a real pain, but are a bit thinner on the ground by the Tobacco Dump.
As for terns, you can pick up Arctics off Formby Point (not the ultra long distance birds, I leave those alone), but when conditions are right and they're close in (up to 300m out), they're fairly regular (although not necessarily in large numbers) during passage.

Posted by: john  | August 21, 2008 6:30 AM

Bazzo wrote...

Yesterday's Formby Point seawatch was disappointing, given the numbers of skuas around on the previous day, and the large amount of skua-bait (ie, terns) on the move.
As far as ID of Arctic Terns is concerned, adults can be tricky early in the season, say before June, but pose no difficulties now.
Common Terns show distinctive upperwing rear-primary dark wedges, while Arctics are clean, smooth grey above.
Given good light these features visible out to 500m, though I suppose scope magnification/quality is a factor here; mine is a 38x Nikon.
Arctic and Common Terns are also subtly but reliably different in shape and jizz: Arctics are relatively neck-less,and their shorter wings make for a more jerky flight than Commons.
Juv/first winter Arctics and Commons (increasingly frequent from now on) are also straightforward: Commons are quite dark grey above (sometimes in poor light momentarily confusable with Black Tern) and have well-marked dark panels on upperwings, while Arctics are very whitish, with at most a dark shading on upperwing coverts.

Posted by: Bazzo  | August 21, 2008 10:15 AM

Stephen Wende wrote...

John

I have heard the word jizz used in identifying birds before. Can you explain what it means please?

Thanks

Posted by: Stephen Wende  | August 21, 2008 12:44 PM

simon wrote...

Bazzo , Thanks for the great id info , I too struggle with separating these 2 terns at distance but look forward to having a go now with what you have given.
Much better than any of the books I have read.Thanks.

Posted by: simon  | August 21, 2008 6:16 PM

derek forshaw wrote...

I'm fully aware of all the perfectly valid identification features of Common and Arctic Tern to which Bazzo refers. My point is that the vast majority of terns pass too far off shore at Formby to have any hope of noting these features. This was certainly the case yesterday. I'm also saying that personally I cannot recall seeing any tern passing Formby at a range where these distinguishing features would be visible that showed characteristics of Arctic Tern. And by the way I use a KOWA TSN883 with 30x eyepiece, so I'm not short of the right equipment either!

Posted by: derek forshaw  | August 21, 2008 8:27 PM

john wrote...

Hi Stephen - "jizz" in birding terms means the perception of a bird by its behaviour, size and shape - you'd have a good idea you were watching a Kestrel rather than a Buzzard from a million miles away by the way it hovered, (and its size of course)without having to notice all the salient features of its plumage, or for that matter, an Arctic from a Common Tern by the way the bird was flying, or its overall shape and build.
A Pomarine Skua has a completely different jizz to an Arctic, just as a Leach's Petrel is different to a Stormie.
Where the term originates from has filled up many a letters page over the years, but it seems to derive from "general impresssion, size and shape", which is either a term from the USofA or the RAF decades ago, depending on which version of the definition you prefer to choose.
Hope this helps...oh, and it also means something very rude in naughtier circles, so be careful where you use it!

Posted by: john  | August 21, 2008 9:23 PM

ron jackson wrote...

I read somewhere long ago, possibly written by James Fisher or Peter Scott (showing my age and I don't care!), that "jizz" was a term used originally by Norfolk wildfowlers specifically in respect of wildfowl , usually duck species, which they often encountered in dark and gloomy lighting conditions. It works too with ducks though Mallard/Gadwall can be difficult though probably not an issue all those years ago.
Plenty of high tide waders yesterday on the Banks splashes, mainly Dunlins but lots, hundreds, of Ringed Plovers who pass through in good numbers in autumn/spring. These flocks of course are well worth a good going over if one can get close enough with bins/scope.

Ron

Posted by: ron jackson  | August 22, 2008 7:43 AM