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| This article contains a trip report from the 2008 Scillonian Pelagic from Penzance into the South Western Approaches to search for pelagic seabirds and with the hope of seeing a Wilson's Petrel in particular. |
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| Scillonian Pelagic - Trip report of the birds seen on the 10th August 2008. |
| European Storm Petrels - South Western Approaches |
| Fulmar - off St Mary's, Isles of Scilly |
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| Gannet - South Western Approaches |
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| The tickets for this years trip didn't sell out so i'd suggest anyone thinking about next years trip and the worry of seasickness, leave it till last minute to book whne the conditions will be known. The Scillonian does work out as a cheaper trip when compared with the Scillies option where smaller boats operate. Wilson's can be seen on both but these smaller boats offer better views if successful in their search. Here's to a good season for the seabirds. |
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| I travelled back to Cornwall for the briefest of trips, bypassing Falmouth, and on to the Penzance harbour. Many Cornish were just finishing their day staggering around the roads just as we parked and boarded the ship at 4.3am. The weather preceeding the trip had been rough and fairly stormy for several days but with good winds from the SW. Looking out into the sea it seemed that things had calmed but the sea was just fooling the lot of us. Having heard about some mega birds seen on these trips in previous years, this was my first chance to experience the hectic birding, foul conditions but brilliant close-ups since 2004 when the Scillonian last operated a birders only trip into the South Western Approaches. As the ship headed out the swell picked up I became very tentative about the possible ensuing fun! It was just minutes before birders began heaving in tandem over the edge and my time was spent avoiding the mess. As the decks cleared a little I got on with birding quickly being involved with our first good bird of the day; a Cory's Shearwater but at great distance. A very exciting start so early on and hopefully a sign of things to come |
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| An 18 foot swell buckled the ship at times, replied with gasps from some birders, more heaves from the infirm and plenty of embarrasing slips from most! This esculated and one unfortunate person slipped and banged his head. The only safe response was to drop him off at St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly (IoS). This delayed us by a couple of hours from the agreed route but birding could still be done. Gannets flocked around a trawler on the way into the small harbour and our best view of Manx Shearwater and Sandwich Tern were had in the sound between the islands. During our short unplanned docking eager House Sparrows were temped on board by some bread. Hitting the waves again quickly we steamed on to an area known as the Poll Bank a few miles WSW of the IoS and we started chumming, with some brave souls throwing out a recipe of rotting fish mixed with some smelly oil and popcorn. Seems a strange combination to me but i'm not a petrel! Fairly quickly, a flock of c200 Storm Petrels amassed behind the boat giving great views as they came closer and closer. In amongst them were some ever present Fulmars, Great Black-backed Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The feeding flock was spectacular, all flying exactly in the wake of the chum , the birds strong sense of smell bringing them in from out of sight, miles around. Things hotted up further as a WILSON'S PETREL was called over the tannoy system but very few birders were able to connect even though the bird was reported to be in the wake, easily visable for most on board. At the same time a Sooty Shearwater was seen but wasn't a very good consolation prize in comparison. We left the first chum slick after a good hour and pressed on to another area we would chum. On the way our first skuas were seen including a few Great Skuas and a couple of dark phase Arctic Skuas, all seen very well. An unusual seabird provoked a few comments as a Tree Pipit was heard clearly but refused to show. Also as brief as we neared the second chum site was a fly-by Grey Phalarope in winter plumage already a bonus sighting for the trip indeed. Excited by the potential for more good sightings as the chum started being chucked overboard again I sat in place on the steps of the boat, staving off cramp in order to get good views of a couple of cracking Great Shearwaters which flew in and stayed with the boat for over an hour. With some great birds added to the list already we concentrated on the c200 European Storm Petrels but no further Wilson's could be picked out |
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| Great Skua - South Western Approaches |
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| Great Shearwater - South Western Approaches |
| We left the slick after a couple of hours and headed back to port with some Common Dlophins, 1 Bottle-nosed Dolphin and 2 Ocean Sunfish spotted as the light became more favourable. The waves calmed down on the inward journey and gave some people who had slept the whole trip to stave off sickness a chance to connect with the ever present Storm Petrels. These little birds gave as a good end to the trip with some following the boat nearly all the way home to Penzance! Funnily not a single auk was seen during the trip and along with low counts in general of most species it suggests that many birds are still breeding and haven't left the cliffs quite yet. The 14 hour boat trip was a great start to the seawatching season for me but the missed Wilson's was a little annoying. Lets hope for another Scillonian Birders Pelagic next year after this years success. |
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