The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Imagine my surprise when I opened an email Tuesday evening, to find a report and photos of an 'Albatross sp.' at Manor Farm Fishing Lakes, Manton, near Messingham. Subsequent investigation today revealed the following amazing story. I am still awaiting additional information, so some of this is a little sketchy!
The bird was present on or around the 3rd and 4th of July, reported by Neville Fickling and photographed by another fisherman Paul Condon.
Neville described the bird as being very hungry and was seen circling the lake and swooping down as fishermen retrieved their bait swim feeders.
The bird appears to be an immature Yellow-nosed Albatross, and to me seems to be the same bird that was at Brean Down in Somerset, which was taken into care on the 29th June and released on the 30th & flew strongly out to sea (per UK400 Club web site)

Other records reported in the last week or so include:
30th June, 1 seen off Grip, Norway
4th,5th,7th & 8th seen off Trondheim, Norway
8th July also seen off Landskrona ( N. of Malmo), Sweden.

2 photos posted in the album
http://www.lincsbirds.co.uk/album/displ ... ?pos=-6141
A very Gutted Steve Keightley!!

Remarkable

struth steve
are there any background or distant views which can prove it was photographed at that venue. I have seen them on a flat calm sea of the coast off australia and south africa. Although i do not doubt it myself others might and you have to beware of people with cameras which can be easily give false evidense. good luck
terence whalin

Can anyone suggest a good counsellor wo specialises in curing jealousy, gripping off and dipping out feelings?

I don't think remarkable was the first word which came to my mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if this is gen it must be the disaster of a lifetime----but could it be on a pond nearby???????

Terence,
I have requested further information to try to tie the bird to the site, including any additional photos, but don't think there will be any more pics, unfortunately. Will obviously update when I receive any further details.
Steve

It's a wonder Birddog has missed it

There was an article in one of the daily papers a couple of weeks ago about an Albatross that landed on a blokes drive somewhere in the Severn area. I'm sure a bit of 'googling' might find the article.

Try this link

http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2007 ... 6-07.shtml

Steve,

Further to Terence Whalin's comments and to put my mind at rest, can you now confirm that you have checked out the veracity, indeed the identity, of the photographer-fisherman? Does a "Paul Condon" really exist? The name sounds like "poor conned-on", doesn't it? - or is that just another "remarkable" coincidence?

Regards,

Freddy

steve
please do not think i am trying to rubbish this persons claims, as i have said i have seen several thousand of this species including 500 plus in two peoples bay south of perth australia. these birds were in a full gale and you could hardly stand up. they were just gliding into the wind no flapping going around the bay in a large circle, quite a sight. When they fly normally it is in a banking glide with the primeries just above the waves or swell to flap its wings for any distance they become tired very quickly, they are a large heavy bird. There is a great reluctance for any Albertross species to fly overland for any distance in fact it would be a rare occurance even in the southern oceans. Please do not think i am some sort of authority on Albertross sp because i am not, and do not claim to be. But i beleive the jizz and the way they and any other species fly is very important and i am trying to imagine an Albertross plunge diving at fishermans bait on a small pond in inland lincolnshire. I sincerly hope in fact that it is a valid sighting but it would be all to easy for someone to download from the web, then print a copy then photograph that copy on macro and there you have a digital photograph with a date and time proof on. As i said previosly good luck
Terry Whalin

One of the Norway sightings involved the bird being lost to view as it flew inland from the coast... these birds (perhaps 3-4 individuals involved?) are extremely disorientated.

Plus a Black-browed was picked up exhausted in Cambs in the 1897...

Stranger things have happened.

Will

Aaaahhhhh !!!!!
Was that the word you were looking for Graham ? It's the only printable one that comes to my mind !
Terry W.

Not sure about that Will!


But yeah, I don't understand your cynicism Terence. If this bird is knackered, then surely it will be weak (and possibly flapping about) - it happens all the time with seabirds inland and, as Will has said, there has been an unprecedented influx of the species to the North Atlantic, so why not...