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My 2011 Shearwater and Skua cruises

12:31 PM | Posted by Unknown | | Edit Post

Its always a trade off when anticipating the eagerly awaited Shearwater and Skua cruise off the East coast in late autumn..... A nice North Westerly wind could always push in a few exciting migrants, however its a long drive across country to have the sailing cancelled due to poor weather..... so a calm North Sea awaited Chris E and myself when we arrive into Bridlington Harbour.
This first cruise was in early Septemeber, and as I had lost my camera to a down pour a few weeks prior, I had no option but to just take the binoculars and enjoy the seabirds. Undoubtedly the highlight of the trip was the Sabines Gull that gave astonishing views, not only flying around the boat but also sat on the sea..... most certainly a life bird in the bag. Arctic Skuas showed well, and put on brilliant displays of aggression while chasing the Terns..... and I was lucky enough to bag another life bird when we passed a Grey Phalarope sat on the sea while we chased down yet another Arctic Skua...... plenty of people missed this one, but we got excellent close up views.

Overall the trip gave me 3 life birds (although the Red Throated Divers were very distant... however this would be rectified a few weeks later with far better and nearer views)..... of course there are no images this time but plenty of lasting memories, especially that Sabines.... STUNNING
Sometimes the camera gets in the way of really enjoying the birdwatching, and this was a cracking birdwatching trip.......

......... New Camera to hand and and a new cruise in October.

I prayed for another view of the Sabines Gull. This turned out to be a trip of no lifers but some great action with Shearwaters and Skuas.... As we left the harbour we had our first flocks of Shags, smaller than the Cormorant, they nest at the base of the cliffs... it certainly seems to have been a good breeding season for this species.

As we ticked off the more common species such as Herring, Black Headed, Greater Black Backed and Lesser Black Backed Gulls we started to pick up large numbers of Little Gulls... our smallest breeding Gull, the juveniles showing stunning plumage.

We also started to attract Common Terns and Common Gulls (which suprisingy are not that common)

...... Gannets

and plenty of Razorbills and Guillemots which are currently flightless due to being a recent fledgling or because the adults are taking on a full flight feather moult

As the cruise progressed so did the sightings of Manx Shearwater, one of which caused a stir as it was initially identified as a balearic, but due to the wonders of digital photography was soon brought back down to earth as a Manx.... still a stunning bird and a wanted bird on any trip.

however the highlight of the trip for me was seeing the daddy of them all.... the Great Skuas. These birds send everything into a panic when they arrive on scene, a few individual birds were seen, this one came right at the boat giving stunning views.

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A sight for sore eyes

2:27 AM | Posted by Unknown | | Edit Post

I have mulled over whether to post this due to the sensitive nature but have decided to go ahead. This blog is here to chronical parts of my outdoor experiences in life.

In October 2009 on an otherwise normal day that I should drive the hour or two to visit my parents in North Wales litle did I expect to witness something incredibly sad. I always make the short walk to the beach to catch up with some sea and shore birds while mum cooks tea. When I got to the beach I scanned up and down the large flat sandy expanse and noticed what I though at first was a small boat tilted on the sand.... it was around half a mile away. I looked again and realised it wasnt a boat. The shape and size made my initial thoughts of a Dolphin but as I hurried towards it I soon realised this was indeed alot larger.

I was the only person in the area and was confronted with this:

I rang the police who put me through to the Coast Guard

The tide was coming in so the Whale must have been beached for a few hours, she still felt warm and soft to the touch. No visible signs of injury, only a few marks where birds had started to feed.

I spent a few further minutes completely on my own and in abit of shock.... I took images just to ensure it was real... someone in the world maybe glad of this information and images

A passing fishing boat stopped to check it out, this image gives an idea of the tail size.

I had been here for an hour and notice how the tide had come right up to the stranded whale. I knew the tide wouldnt shift it but it would make work difficult for the arriving Coast Gaurd.

Indeed the Coast Guard (with an entourage of local kids) arrived just as the tide lapped up to the Whale.

A post mortem was eventualy carried out and the following information released:

The northern bottlenose whale was a sub-adult female, 2-3 tonnes, 6.21 metres long and died from dehydration and Liver failure designated SW2009/330.
Location of stranding was Grid Ref: SJ 093 850 Gronant Sands, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, North Wales.

The carcass was dragged inshore across the sands to SJ 093 840 which took it into the next county, Flintshire where the post-mortem examination took place.

Following this, further corresponce took place between myself and Cestation scientists in Sri Lanka who keep records and investigations of all Cestation Stranding throughout the world

Media information regarding the stranded

from The Sunday Times:

"Scientists say man-made noise equipment, including anti-seal sonar devices used in fish farms, is driving deep-water animals such as whales to shore, where they die.
A northern bottlenose whale was washed up dead on a beach in Prestatyn, North Wales, on Saturday morning, the tenth of the species to become trapped or stranded on British shores this year.
Scientists are blaming not just military sonar, but a large range of man-made noises that they fear are driving the normally deep-water animals to shore."

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Incoherently Rambling

12:18 PM | Posted by Unknown | | Edit Post

Crowden Horseshoe - taking in 1951 Meteor Crashsite on Black Hill

Just over an hour transfer time to the starting point at Crowden YH and what looked like a cloudy start to the walk was in prospect.... however it turned out to be quite a contrast to how the day actualy panned out.

Peter, John and myself (Gary missing his first walk for a while) set off from the Youth Hostel carpark and headed up through the gorge between Bareholme Moss and Hey Moss. We followed Crowden Little Brook as far as sheepfolds... the prefered route chosen was to stay as close to the brook as possible which made for some pioneering footsteps rather than the nearby but well worn path at Hey Edge.

Crowden Little Brook

towards Sheepfolds

Looking back towards the distant Bleaklow

Sliddens moss in the foreground with Holme Moss transmitting station on the horizon

Here we took our co-ordinates and were able to navigate to the crash site of 2 Meteor jets that crashed in 1951

"At 9:15am on Thursday 12th April 1951 a flight of four Meteor jet aircraft took off from RAF Linton-on-Ouse near York for a training flight. Flying the lead pair were Flight Lieutenant David Merryweather Leach (WA791) and Flying Officer Tony Hauxwell (VZ518). The flight was to climb to around 30,000ft where the two pairs would carry out attacks on each other.

The weather forecast for the day was for complete cloud cover from 1,500ft to 20,000ft, but on reaching 30,000ft the four aircraft were still in thick cloud and radioed Linton on Ouse to inform them that the flight would be returning home. All four aircraft turned back towards Linton-on-Ouse, though after having descended back through 20,000ft Flt Lt Leach reported he could see what he thought was Leeds through a break in the cloud and he and F/O Hauxwell were going to proceed down. The second pair could not see through the cloud and not being entirely sure of their position radioed their intention to remain at 20,000ft. After some 5 minutes the lead pilot of the second pair, Flying Officer Leslie Hayward, attempted to contact Flt Lt Leach with no success. RAF Northern Radar at Lindholme near Doncaster attempted to contact the pair again with no success.
Following this a search was mounted with wreckage being spotted later in the day with a ground team reaching the scene the following afternoon. The two aircraft had continued to descend through cloud and without ever breaking out of the bottom of the overcast cloud and had flown into the top of the moor in formation. The marks left by the two aircraft are still clearly visible as is wreckage of the 2 aircraft strewn over 1\4 mile os Sliddens Moss"

impact scars

memorial cross

its incredibly sobering to see this!

From here and for the next 90 minutes we encountered somewhat of a slog though the waterlogged peat and extremley rugged landscape.... however the next stop was the Trig point at Black Hill and a well earned pit stop at Soldiers Lump

Trig Point - Black Hill

The return journey would take us back down the opposite side of Bareholme Moss and following

Crowden Great Brook

looking towards Crowden and the YH just showing at the far end of the valley

Bfb on Laddow Rocks

looking back at Laddow

the descent

Rakes Rocks

back to base

Thanks to Pete for contributing some of the images after my batteries let me down at the Trig Point

The walk was around 9.5 miles long and took in some incredible landscape and stunning scenery.... and just to make sure we got it all......the sun shone all day!

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Red Kites

1:24 PM | Posted by Unknown | | Edit Post

A once yearly pilgrimage to mid Wales is always eargerly anticipated..... this years spectacle was no less rewarding than previous years.... a gentle reminder to my self "Make the trip in the snowy winter for full effect of rufous reds against snowy white backdrops......"

Gigrin farm is now an official Red Kite rehabilitation and feeding centre. 400+ Kites may travel from upto 50 miles away for an afternoon top up of prime beef.... throw in some Buzzards, Ravens and Carrion Crows and the spectacle unfolds during any afternoon if you ever choose to visit this remarkable place.

A quick google of Gigrin Farm will give you all the details you need, but basically from a single pair of visiting Kites chancing their luck for scraps on a sheep farm to todays incredible daily numbers is quite an acheivement.

On Saturday around 200-250 birds came to feed... the following images are an out-take of a wonderful afternoons entertainment with a true aerial magician

Majestic