Where'd they all go?

The Safari has a little quiz for you first up today, two screen-grabs from Stealth-cam, can you ID the LBJs? They may or may not be the same species. Not the Blackbird silly!

Same or different? - what do you reckon?

Sensibly we didn't bother with the mothy last night so had a lie in listening to the wind hammering rain against the bedroom window hoping Frank wouldn't wake up and ask to go out until it had passed - he didn't wake up...phewwwwwwww!

Mid-morning gave us the chance to get down to Chat Alley and have a look at the rising tide - we were very optimistic about seeing something as reports of unprecedented numbers of Manx Shearwaters from further south were being posted on Twitter all morning.

As soon as we put eyeball to eyepiece a Manxie shot through the field of view...this was going to be a good session!

Oh no it wasn't! We struggled to find another dozen in the next hour and a half, our grand total was 10 north and four south along with four Kittiwakes, while others almost within view to the south - just over the horizon - had QUADRUPLE figure counts along with Gannets, skuas, Fulmars etc. No-one seems to have had the hoped for Storm Petrel yet today, maybe tomorrow but we won't be able to get an early Patch 2 watch in unfortunately.

It was a bit rough out there...

The Beach Patrol guys weren't too impressed with this cyclist, they'd been stopping people thinking about going down to the lower level and even had a word with us while we were getting these pics advising us not to go down to 'nearer the action'. There's usually at least a couple of casualties/fatalities a year in conditions like this.

Back in the safety of  Base Camp the wind was still wrecking the garden so we decided to take a look at the now empty Wren's nest by taking a pair of scissors to the defunct and rotting hanging basket they were living in.

Lovely - about the size of a tennis ball.

Whilst doing all this surgery we noticed that the feeders were low so went to fill them up when we spotted this little lady struggling on the ground.

Apparently we should have given her a drink of two parts sugar to one part water in a saucer and place scrunched up kitchen towel on top so she doesn't fall in.

We struggle to get good pics of bees with their dark unconstrasty faces and their often Frank-like nose down posture - might need a ring flash or something to highlight the minor dimples.

Patch 1 got a new tick for the list this arvo. We were doing nowt in particular just looking out of the window at the garden being ravaged by the wind when two terns flew over just beyond our airspace so unfortunately can't count as a garden tick under this year's rules. They whizzed by that fast we didn't get a decent look and we were so taken aback at them but if we had to plumb for any species in particular we'd go for Common Terns on their slender jizz.

Where to next? Only a slim chance of an early look at the sea tomorrow and the high tide is a high one at lunchtime so we'll probably be sprayed off. Might have an evening look somewhere at Chat Alley after picking Frank up from his minders.

In the meantime let us know who's struggling in the wind in your outback

Standing in the teeth of a gale...or The return of the hooley!

I knicked the title from the opening line of a Runrig song...seemed very appropriate for this afternoon. (I was at Donnie Monroe's farewell concert at Stirling Castle a few years ago now...brilliant...beyond brilliant...very emotional)

But that is not what this blog is about. Leach's Petrels is where we are at. After a top up of the Land Rover with recycled cooking oil and donning the waterproofs it was time to head down hill for the tide. A savage wind was blowing from the south west and finding decent shelter on Blackpool's north promenade is like trying to find shade in the Sahara. The safari tucked in behind a huge stone lighting tower, the steel lamp post a couple of metres away was doing an Irish jig.

For those of you who don't know what the fuss about Leach's Petrels is, John Dempsey (see Song of the Leach-less 4th Oct, Merseybird blog in links on right) describes them as enigmatic, mysterious, awkward, indestructible and ridiculous. If you've never seen a picture of them John's blog features some fantastic shots by Rich Steel and Fylde Bird Club's Chris Batty also has a superb picture on 1st October (see blog links on right)

Trying to watch from behind the column was not easy. Sand, salt and cold wind in the eyes, buffeted binoculars, salt spray on the lenses all made it difficult. Even following a bird as large as a Herring Gull through the waves was proving hard. Passers-by gave us looks which suggested we 'weren't quite right'. But we knew they were walking past probably the best, most spectacular wildlife sight Blackpool has to offer. The waves crashed against the sea wall throwing spray and foam 50 feet in to the air, the surf was wild (pictures and video to follow). In the gloomy distance the Isle of Man ferry struggled to make headway in to the wind. It was only a mile or so away but we could barely see it - how were we going to see a bird no bigger than a Starling in all this mayhem.

The pictures mentioned above are great but they don't give the sense of absolute awesomeness of something so tiny battling its way through such a hostile and enormous environment.

A bit of black amongst the waves and spray!...only a piece of seaweed tossed from the crest of a wave...doh the heart was going...

Two hours we had been stood there getting knocked around by the wind, imagine spending your whole life out in those conditions with only the crashing waves to shelter you from the fierce wind! That's why these little birds have such devotion and following amongst birders - they are tough beyond belief; dancing their way across the sea; almost defying the waves to cover them in spray or dunk them under.

A lump of drift wood is thrown 15 feet in to the air by the wind.

There...THERE...300 yards out just beyond the worst of the surf - a glimpse, a tiny angled wing, a flick of black, the hint of pale rump. That was it! That 1/2 second, or even less, was it - a Leach's Petrel. Up and over one wave and into the trough behind, perhaps not to be seen by another human being for years. I saw it...my soul is fulfilled...for this season. Luckily the binocs were pointing at that patch of sea at that particular moment.

Why are they so good? I think the Blackbird singing before dawn in spring is beautiful, the exotic birds of foreign holidays are - well - exotic, the rarity you find on your 'patch' is exciting and the big twitch to see someone else's rarity makes for a good day out but Leach's Petrels have to be EARNED - that's why they are special.

I can feel a tear coming to my eyes...

What else did we see...not a lot, a few Herring Gulls, a single Black Headed Gull and the stiff wings of a Fulmar or Manx Shearwater (impossible to tell in the gloom).

Before the driving rain arrived we cleared the crust of salt spray from the windscreen and pointed the Land Rover towards a welcome hot cup of tea.

Where to next? More of the same perhaps.

In the meantime let us know what you have seen in your outback.

Flamin' June

Well the National Whale and Dolphin Watch week started. At the appointed hour I was at the Mirror Ball on Blackpool's south promenade ready to fend off the hordes of eager whale watchers. No such luck! It was more like flamin' March than flamin' June. Freezing cold, bucketing rain and less than 1000 yards visibility - a long four hours lay ahead.

A few hardy fishermen already had bait in the water as the tide was rising. They were out in this weather for fun! At least I had the excuse I was there for science.

A safari conjures up images of tropical heat, dry dusty tracks and big game. Nothing could be further from this idyll. Nonetheless 'big game' there was; a Grey Seal was 'bottling' less than a hundred yards out. Things looked promising; the sea was flat calm, the rain clouds cast no shadows so any Harbour Porpoises would be easy to pick up. They are the main target off Blackpool; although I have seen Bottle-nosed Dolphin (1) and Minke Whale (2) from where I was stood in the last couple of years.

The Grey Seal hardly moved for two hours, but stopped bottling and started fishing; surfacing every so often with an audible snort. A few Sandwich Terns moved along the coast but I only saw one of them dive for a fish. One later came past with a fish in its beak, trying to catch up with the missus to show her what a brilliant fisherman he is. They are named after the town in Kent not the snack! There was a little southerly passage of Curlews, in groups of 2, 6, 5, 7, 10 and 2, = 32 altogether. A young Gannet had a two or three dives from no great height, but a little later on a dazzling white adult came to the same patch of sea and gave a good display of what Gannets do best - diving from height! getting as high as about 50 feet this one plunged leaving a plume of spray about 4 feet high - it did this four times - spectacular.

After a comfort stop at half time the watch resumed. A second Grey Seal was off the beach at the sand dunes. (Potential venue for a future safari as there are some superb wildflowers at this time if year). Now three further Gannets appeared, again in roughly the same area and started diving. Still no sign of any Porpoises though. About 30 Knot in a tight flock shot past a full speed and a Great Black Backed Gull dunked in for a quick wash. He was huge. His black back contrasting strongly against the grey murk, his white chest as broad as a heavy weight boxer's and a beak like Erik the Viking's axe with attitude to match. Shame about the baby pink legs really.

A group of about 10 Common Scoters went north in the distance and my best count of Sandwich Terns was 9 together and after the tide had turned a few of them were close enough to see the little yellow spot at the end of their bill.

So four hours was up and the nearest I had got to a cetacean was either the Grey Seals, which at least are marine mammals, or the House Martins which were flying up and down in the lee of the sea wall - well they do look like mini flying Killer Whales!

Between them the fishermen had caught a Flounder, a Dab and a Bass. The latter was going home for tea - and not as a guest! They hadn't seen the seal but as soon as I pointed it out they blamed it for their lack of success. Ah Humans - always quick to point the finger somewhere else.

Even if I had a camera there wouldn't have been any pictures with this post as my hands were too cold to get the lid of my flask and the weather that murky there's not much point in a totally grey photo.

Where to next? Easy this time - back at the Mirror Ball for an hours watching on Monday lunchtime - see you there?

Surfs up!

Lancashire and Lakeland Outback Wildlife Adventure Safaris

A late start at work, a rising tide and a strong wind blowing a right old hooley in midsummer equals only one thing – Storm Petrels. So a stint down by the North Shore Boating Pool was called for. Humming “They’ll be coming round the boating pool when they come….they’ll be coming round the boating pool when they come…they’ll be…” (Well, I’ve seen a few Leach’s Petrels doing that) I made my way to a sheltered cliff top vantage point, passing the fossils of all manner of marine creatures embedded in the ‘decorative’ water-worn limestone. It’s a pity this was ever removed from some now precious limestone pavement but things were different in times past. Even the cliffs themselves are a shadow of their former selves. Old photos on Blackpool4Me show the cliffs in their natural state without the concrete apron. What plants and animals were to be found there is anyone’s guess now. Soft cliff is a very rare habitat in Lancashire, as they have always been ‘strengthened’ with sea defences and not left to their own natural devices. Clever these Victorians and Edwardians! Hmm.

In the distance the wind turbines off Barrow were spinning like mad. More of these please but only in the right area. No point having ‘environmentally friendly’ energy if it destroys the environment! On a day like today just one of these giants produces enough juice to power my house for a year every 2 hours!

Finding a sheltered spot was proving difficult, the Thrift was blowing about that much it looked like it was going to torn from its roots. Finally found a place where I wasn’t staring in to the teeth of the gale. First bird past was a Common Gull. Unusual, as they are the least common at this time of the year. The supporting cast of Black Headed, Herring and Lesser Black BackedGulls soon put in their appearance. (That’s more species than the whole of Australia!). Even from my high vantage point the larger gulls were disappearing in the troughs between the waves so picking up a bird no bigger than a crisp packet in that expanse of sea was going to be tricky.

It was mesmerising sitting there watching the shadows of the clouds scudding over the churning sea. I was finding it hard to concentrate being buffeted by the wind and my hair was trying to escape to Yorkshire! At least the sun was warm on my back. There weren’t many birds about just a few of the local Herring Gulls riding the up-draughts from the cliffs.


A young Gannet drifted by, unusual to see this species so close in, only a few hundred yards off shore, just behind the surf. Then another Common Gull. The wind is getting stronger, I’m fifty feet up the cliff and getting soaked by the spray from the crashing waves. A Great Black Backed Gull powers by, impervious to the storm. Things are looking up as two Turnstones dash past. Normally they would be roosting in the shelter provided by the boating pool; but this is being used as a race track and the disturbance has forced the wading birds to find somewhere else – I hope they have found an alternative sheltered spot as there is precious little shelter elsewhere along the Promenade.

Magic – a Fulmar not a hundred yards out. I very rarely see these ocean wanderers and then only as distant dots on the horizon. Not a wing beat, just dipping from side to side using the wind – absolutely effortless! Then another! Two Fulmars to one Gannet – that never happens!

No sign of any Storm Petrels. That’s the trouble with wildlife – you just can’t guarantee anything – better luck next time. But it was much better to be out in the wilds (and boy was it wild!) than to be sat indoors watching daytime TV.

I hope this storm blows itself out before next week's National Whale and Dolphin Watch.

Where to next?