The Lincolnshire Bird Club

At about 1215 today, one Gannet flew S up the Trent in the Garthorpe area, being lost to sight between Burton Stather and Amcotts. A distinctive juvenile with a dangling right foot. It had been circling in the widest part of the Trent for a while.

Around 1230, three more juveniles were circling the widest part of the Trent and over Alkborough Flats, seeming reluctant to go up the Trent and wanting to return to the Humber.

Andrew

Gannet numbers at Trent Falls were outstanding today. Between 1230 (just after high water, when I first noticed them) and 1500hrs (when movement seemed to stop), I estimate that at least 90 Gannets moved west over the top of the Humber and up the Ouse. Many groups hesitated on reaching the confluence, where the rivers narrow considerably, but most over the Ouse appeared to continue west. I saw perhaps 15 returning purposefully east out of the 90 moving west. The largest single group was 31 birds at 1345hrs; there were others of 15, 11 & 7, plus other smaller groups.

From my viewpoint, 2.5km to the south, they are mostly a bit distant and in Yorkshire – but I am sitting in Lincolnshire and they have just flown up the Humber no doubt over both counties. It is quite likely that the total was far higher than 90, given my distance and not watching every minute. It’s also possible that more turned back (or northeast as I saw them do in 2007) than I thought.

With one exception, all appeared to be first-year birds. The exception (in the group of 31) appeared to be an adult but vanished behind trees before I was sure. Gannets hidden by vegetation, and apparent mixed flocks of Gannets and Marsh Harriers, are among the more unusual aspects of inland seawatching.

Only one bird (droop-foot, mentioned in the previous post) definitely flew up the Trent, but quite a few milled about in the wide section just before Trent Falls. My maximum count here was 11, five of which were settled on the water, at about 1430hrs. Several appeared flying north along the river right beside me, a bit unnerving. My estimate of the total seen over/in the Trent is 20 – a handful of those had definitely reoriented from the Ouse and maybe that applied to most of them.

The movement appeared to begin with high water and stopped once it had half-ebbed (by which point the river must look even less like open sea to a seabird. Are Humber seabird movements normally concentrated at high tide, or was the peak time here more a reflection of the time it takes them to fly from the North Sea?

There were also lots of Pink-footed Geese flying east over the same period – perhaps 3500. I assumed these were new arrivals rather than locals but I may be wrong. No other seabirds though, disappointingly.

Andrew

went to spurn for an afternoon seawatch and went over the humber bridge about 1.20 rough estimate of at least 60 gannets flying around and over the bridge plus a dark phase skua, looked large poss pom but at 50 mph its easy to get the size wrong. when I returned around 18.00 hrs did not notice anything.

terry whalin

My wife Clare and some other lucky souls (not me) managed a seawatch from the south bank of the Humber at Barton from 09.00 - 15.00 with unprecedented numbers of Gannet along with a few other seabirds. Totals are as follows:

Gannet 700 - 1000 (difficult to count accurately as birds came in and out as far as the Humber Bridge)
Sooty Shearwater 1
Manx Shearwater 6
Great Skua 13

The Humber Bridge is a massive barrier to seabirds coming up the Humber so 90 around Trent Falls is a great record.

Back on the 30th Sept this year during strong easterlies we had 2 Gannets at Trent Falls with both birds flying down the Trent and a few minutes later one returned and earlier the same day a Bonxie, 2 juv Arctic Skua and a juv pale phase Long-tailed Skua came down as far as Trent Falls and were watched for around 20 mins circling around together overthe Humber off Alkborough FLats.

Wayne

12th October - I gather there is still some Gannet movement in the Humber; a few went west over Blacktoft Sands this morning anyway. But from my location at Garthorpe the visibility most of the day was too poor to see as far as Trent Falls. I saw nothing here in the Trent until 1420 when 12 first-years were briefly sat on the water close to the house (I didn't see where they flew off to). When it did clear a bit later on, I saw one flying east over Trent Falls at 1620.

I see on the wires a smattering of reports yesterday across the country to Manchester including flocks of 12 and 15 heading west through South & West Yorkshire, so clearly a proportion do continue though I accept quite a lot turn back.

Andrew

Another big day for Gannets on the Humber at the Humber Bridge.

A watch from Barton, 12th Oct, 07.30 - 17.00. Viewing conditions were often difficult due to the mist and rain but the following were of note.

Gannet 500+
Bonxie 18
Arctic Skua 4
Kittiwake 1
Arctic Tern 1
Common Scoter 60+
Eider 1 drake

First thing a small number of Gannets arrived from the west which were presumably birds from yesterday trying to return to the sea. Then from about 09.00 onwards Gannets were on show throughout the day with at times up to 200 together.

Wayne

was at a rspb conference at old moor near Barnsley all day today told the warden about the gannets on Friday he said several hundred had passed through the dearne valley never had those numbers before.

terry whalin

I was at Old Moor RSPB 2 days this week, hoping to catch up with the mobile AGP.

On Thursday from 10am to 2pm & Friday 9-30am to 3pm.
Lots of birders present on both days but no mention of Gannets & none on sightings board here.

_________________
Regards.
Del.

To err is human. To really louse things up takes a computer

suggest you talk to the warden as I did also note I said the dearne valley not old moor

terry whalin

Thought 'Old Moor' was in Dearne Valley.

_________________
Regards.
Del.

To err is human. To really louse things up takes a computer

well it is Derek but it runs almost to Doncaster and you are correct about none being seen at old moor I do not even think that steve the warden saw one he merely said when I mentioned grahams large count and numbers were seen going up the ouse confluence I wondered how far they had reached. he said he had heard that numbers had been seen in the dearne valley area, did any turn up through the idle valley. this morning records of gannets are in Cambridgeshire Worcestershire I wondered if they had continued inland. years ago we had a distressed juv turn up on the west bank of ogston near matlock and tony macey kept it in his bathroom overnight fed it sardines or some other fish and took it the next day to skeggy to release only got a severe pecking for his trouble though I think it made the local press, the American golden plover was not seen while I was there but a grey phal dropped in briefly if you have any info on gannet movements that day I would be interested to head about it, cheers

terry whalin

ps juv gannet sat on the river don in Sheffield this morning

Hi Andrew.
Despite mostly negative news on Gannet sightings South along the Trent.
With such big numbers involved at Trent falls, I suspect a few Gannets at least made the effort to head up the Trent.

In fact I had 2 late Friday afternoon that all too briefly visited the Idle Valley NR. Which is pretty close to the river Trent. Unfortunately they didn't hand around long, just circling some of the larger pits before heading back Northeasterly-ish again till lost to view.

_________________
Regards.
Del.

To err is human. To really louse things up takes a computer

12juvs came out of the Ouse and flew down the Humber early this morning

I wasn't able to look much during the 13th but noticed one juv flying out of the Ouse at 1310hrs.

Andrew

Guillemot and shag on the trent at Adlingfleet outfall yesterday