Good seawatching condtions (1 Viewer)

[dan pointon]

Good seawatching condtions in the SW

Don't know what anyone else thinks but looking at the forecast for Cornwall over the next week there's going to be some decent seawatching conditions in the south-west, southerlies veering W, then NW - http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/7days.asp

Should definitely be some big shears going past with those winds, seems on Wed/Thurs Pendeen in the place to be!

D

 

[Stephen Menzie]

I noticed that as well, Dan. Certainly looks like its going to be ideal conditions - and at the right time of year too!

Stephen

 

[Rich Bonser]

I noticed that as well, Dan. Certainly looks like its going to be ideal conditions - and at the right time of year too!

Stephen

I don't disagree with the wind directions etc but I don't think that the wind strength will be enough. Having a look at the met office charts, it looks like they're predicting things a little differently. Additionally, wind strength is one thing but looking at the speed/trajectory of the lows is the way forward. Seems like the current Atlantic systems are going to knock the current high out of the way but they're not amazingly deep or fast moving.

I'm certainly not saying there won't be any large shears but I'd be surprised if you're in for a visual feast. Still a bit on the early side boys, especially for Great Shears, Sabine's, Leach's & Grey Phals. Decent time for Cory's though...

Cheers

Rich

 

[Helsinki Birder]

Yep.
They do look like good conditions for the whole weekend at least.
Had a few Cory's and Great shears last weekend in slightly worse (from a seawatching point of view) conditions, so it should be better.
Ive already filled my car for Early morning bout at Galley.

Pariah

 

[J Jones]

as Rich says always a good idea to see what the lows are doing/where theyre coming from. This one looks to be sitting in the north atlantic not doing alot (judging by the forecast earlier), so I doubt it'll be that good. Winds don't look that strong either now.

 

[dan pointon]

I don't disagree with the wind directions etc but I don't think that the wind strength will be enough. Having a look at the met office charts, it looks like they're predicting things a little differently. Additionally, wind strength is one thing but looking at the speed/trajectory of the lows is the way forward. Seems like the current Atlantic systems are going to knock the current high out of the way but they're not amazingly deep or fast moving.

I'm certainly not saying there won't be any large shears but I'd be surprised if you're in for a visual feast. Still a bit on the early side boys, especially for Great Shears, Sabine's, Leach's & Grey Phals. Decent time for Cory's though...

Cheers

Rich

To be honest I didn't really go much further in to conditions than the wind directions, obviously speed is a factor but to get both speed and direction at the same time coupled with the right pressure systems is a rare occurence. As you say also, a wee bit early to get the full flush of scarcer species, but still should get good birds. Perhaps this thread would be a useful place to keep updated on conditions down that way throughout the coming autumn....

 

[Rich Bonser]

To be honest I didn't really go much further in to conditions than the wind directions, obviously speed is a factor but to get both speed and direction at the same time coupled with the right pressure systems is a rare occurence. As you say also, a wee bit early to get the full flush of scarcer species, but still should get good birds. Perhaps this thread would be a useful place to keep updated on conditions down that way throughout the coming autumn....

Probably would considering it's titled 'good seawatching conditions in the south-west'.

Dan, I'd recommend really getting to grips with weather in The Atlantic - especially the intensity, speed and trajectory of the lows. This is not only useful for seawatching but also for the autumn period. There's a couple of decent books and anything by Norman Elkins (I think that's his name without reference to any of my literature) is worth reading with regard to birds and the weather. If you're wanting to get the hang of this, get your hands on a copy of synoptic charts for autumn 1997 and have a look at the intensity and the trajectory of lows and then look at what the UK had (Yellowthroat and Blackpoll compared to the amount and quality on Iceland that included Palm and Cerulean Warblers amongst others). It's always good looking at historical data and knowing what occurred and then translating this for the future.

A website that shows the Western Atlantic is also very useful as lows that are intense but do not emanate from the US eastern seaboard (i.e. start in The Atlantic) probably won't have any US landbirds on them. That said, these would still be 'producers' for seabirds. From my knowledge the 'eastern flyway' is normally within 200 miles of the US coast so any low that starts to the east of here won't have US landbirds on it.

If, in the future, you just go by the wind direction you'll be very disappointed at times. Mind you, I have seen a presumed Fea's off the Bridges of Ross in south-easterlies in 2002

Cheers and good seawatching for this August/September

Rich

 

[dbradnum]

Perhaps this thread would be a useful place to keep updated on conditions down that way throughout the coming autumn....

Definitely - I keep meaning to get down to the SW for a serious seawatch largely because I still need both big shears!

 

[dan pointon]

Probably would considering it's titled 'good seawatching conditions in the south-west'.

Dan, I'd recommend really getting to grips with weather in The Atlantic - especially the intensity, speed and trajectory of the lows. This is not only useful for seawatching but also for the autumn period. There's a couple of decent books and anything by Norman Elkins (I think that's his name without reference to any of my literature) is worth reading with regard to birds and the weather. If you're wanting to get the hang of this, get your hands on a copy of synoptic charts for autumn 1997 and have a look at the intensity and the trajectory of lows and then look at what the UK had (Yellowthroat and Blackpoll compared to the amount and quality on Iceland that included Palm and Cerulean Warblers amongst others). It's always good looking at historical data and knowing what occurred and then translating this for the future.

A website that shows the Western Atlantic is also very useful as lows that are intense but do not emanate from the US eastern seaboard (i.e. start in The Atlantic) probably won't have any US landbirds on them. That said, these would still be 'producers' for seabirds. From my knowledge the 'eastern flyway' is normally within 200 miles of the US coast so any low that starts to the east of here won't have US landbirds on it.

If, in the future, you just go by the wind direction you'll be very disappointed at times. Mind you, I have seen a presumed Fea's off the Bridges of Ross in south-easterlies in 2002

Cheers and good seawatching for this August/September

Rich

Cheers Rich - it's definitely something I for one need to get to grips with as as you say it has a much wider ranging purpose than just for seawatching. Will have to see what literature I can find by Mr Elkins....

Don't suppose you have any idea of where I can get hold of old synoptic charts??

David - if you're down in the SW between the 17th and 24th and conditions are right i'll definitely be either at Pendeen or Porthgwarra, let me know if your around and we can have a bit of a seawatch...

Thanks,

 

[Rich Bonser]

Cheers Rich - it's definitely something I for one need to get to grips with as as you say it has a much wider ranging purpose than just for seawatching. Will have to see what literature I can find by Mr Elkins....

Don't suppose you have any idea of where I can get hold of old synoptic charts??

David - if you're down in the SW between the 17th and 24th and conditions are right i'll definitely be either at Pendeen or Porthgwarra, let me know if your around and we can have a bit of a seawatch...

Thanks,

A decent place to start for UK weather is Ant Veal's site at http://www.greatweather.co.uk/

For historical synoptic data, I like to use http://www.wetterzentrale.de/topkarten/fsreaeur.html and although it's in german, just whack in the date(s) you're looking for and you'll get a synoptic chart.

Cheers

Rich

 

[AStevenson]

Norman Elkins is indeed the chap - Weather & Bird Migration Poyser. It doesn't do that much on seabirds but pretty good on migration and vagrancy patterns.

One thing worth checking for early in the seabird season is the azores high exteding north up to meet the Gulf Stream off west Scotland - extend the wam water furher north giving good seabird feeding conditions well offshore. Lows pushing the high away again often produce some goood seabird movements even if they originate mid Atlantic.

Wind strength dosn't need to be that strong if good feeding conditions offshore to bring birds in. And if birds are feeding offshore you can get movements of feeding flocks in winds that aren't quite right for the seawatching site.

Also if the winds 'sticks' in a good direction keeping fronts or showers going over a day or two it it can produce birds. e.g. in a SW 3-4 off Rubha ardvule I've had reasonable numbers of Leach's and shearwaters at times.

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[dan pointon]

A decent place to start for UK weather is Ant Veal's site at http://www.greatweather.co.uk/

For historical synoptic data, I like to use http://www.wetterzentrale.de/topkarten/fsreaeur.html and although it's in german, just whack in the date(s) you're looking for and you'll get a synoptic chart.

Cheers

Rich

Thanks Rich, will have a look round those historical charts at some point....
Perhaps if people do notice forthcoming conditions to be good they could point it out on here, as i'm sure there's quite a few with a big interest in seawatching this autumn.

Cheers

 

[johnraven]

Seawatch conditions appear to have been good today at porthgwarra - from birdguides:
11:13 30/07/06 Great Shearwater Cornwall Porthgwarra
4 by 10:20; also 56 Cory's Shearwater, 32 Balearic Shearwater, 7 Sooty Shearwater, 4+ Storm Petrel, 4 Puffin and 2 Arctic Skua

 

[J Jones]

winds strengthening overnight so the trickle may continue tomorrow. who knows.

 

[POP]

A good site for wind directions and speed with a five day forecast is the following :-http://www.xcweather.co.uk/

POP

 

[johnraven]

I was at Pendeen this morning - it was good. Hardly any birds until about 7.30am when the wind swung round from about WSW to WNW. Suddenly loads of Manxies, about 4 Balearics, 4 Sooty, 2 Cory's and 1 Great Shearwater (new bird for me) plus c.20 storm petrels, 3 Bonxies and an Arctic Skua, before I left at about 11.15 (I'd been there since 6am). All it needed was a moderate onshore wind - there were clearly plenty of birds out to sea to be pushed in - presumably the result of 3 days of westerlies.

Apparently more stuff was seen after I left

John

 

[Chris Oates]

I was at Pendeen this morning - it was good. Hardly any birds until about 7.30am when the wind swung round from about WSW to WNW. Suddenly loads of Manxies, about 4 Balearics, 4 Sooty, 2 Cory's and 1 Great Shearwater (new bird for me) plus c.20 storm petrels, 3 Bonxies and an Arctic Skua, before I left at about 11.15 (I'd been there since 6am). All it needed was a moderate onshore wind - there were clearly plenty of birds out to sea to be pushed in - presumably the result of 3 days of westerlies.

Apparently more stuff was seen after I left

John

Same happens at St Ives just up the coast where the prevailing winds are W/SW - bit of a N/NW and you can't keep count of them.
There's something in the centre of St Ives bay the the birds use to navigate by - I don't know if it's a landmark, magnetism, polarised light or what but they fly to it, turn left and head down the coast to Pendeen.
Happenings in South West CornwallBirdwise

 

[Darrell Clegg]

There's something in the centre of St Ives bay the the birds use to navigate by - I don't know if it's a landmark, magnetism, polarised light or what but they fly to it, turn left and head down the coast to Pendeen.
Happenings in South West CornwallBirdwise

Never heard that one before - it's really just the geography of the area.

NW winds on the North Coast push the birds towards the shore. St Ives Bay acts like a big bowl and many birds fly into it. In order to get out and carry on migrating they have to fly right past the island which is why you can sometimes get spectacular views of many species.
Not all birds get sucked into the bay, which is why even on a good day - eg 13th Sept 2001 - 13,000 Manxies per hr!!! many birds just cruise on by out at sea.

Darrell

 

[johnraven]

Happenings in South West CornwallBirdwise

Thanks for the web link Chris - v interesting

 

[Ericmd]

A tad late.I was seawatching off the cliffs between perranporth and St Agnes last tuesday morning(1st).A choppy sea mild wind off the sea and had @ 40 manx,1 sooty and 1 Great.all heading south but for the manx who flew scatty!coming very near to lobster/crab flags.I was chuffed to bits as the big shearwaters were the first I'd IDeed without help.A basking shark set me up for breakfast(however I was on a cliff,so he had no chance!).the sea ws calm for the rest of the week so nothing came close to view.