Unidentified Seabird, between Lancashire and the Isle of Man (1 Viewer)

[Foxy]

Hi, I have had the attached picture tucked away since 2011 and was about to delete it but thought I would give it one more airing before doing so in the hope that someone might be able to help.
The bird in the photograph was seen between Heysham, Lancashire, and the Isle of Man, mid-afternoon on the 22.7.11. Lots of Manxies about but this looked different so |I took a picture with a bridge camera and have pondered it ever since. I didn't have my notebook with me at the time which is annoying as I am an inveterate sketcher and note taker but I recall it looking paler and similar in size to Manx Shearwater but impossible to judge for sure with a single bird on the open sea.
I have considered unusual Manx, Great Shearwater, Long-tailed Skua, Fea's Petrel (?) or aTern sp.
It seems to have a dark head and a darker mask, dark underwings - a thin white line suggests this is a true indication, not just shadow - and a paler panel on the upper wing. The picture is significantly enlarged from the original but otherwise untouched.
Any thoughts before I delete it forever and forget I ever saw it?
Thanks

 

[Gordon]

Balearic Shearwater???

cheers
Gordon

 

[Tiraya]

I'd say a shearwater is good. I take it the bird is flying away from us and to the right, so the left wing in the picture is the underside of the far wing, and the right wing in the picture is the upperside of the near wing?

 

[Foxy]

Thanks for replying James and Gordon. Yes, the bird is flying left to right in the picture, and slightly towards the camera. I would have thought Balearic might have shown duskier flanks, Gordon? Which Shearwater are you thinking, James?

 

[The Snapper]

Not sure if I could rule out Manx from that pic. Don't think a definite id can be established with the photo to be honest.

 

[chris butterworth]

The default species would be Manx but I don't think you can be 100% sure from that photo. Having said that, it does seem a bit pale on the underparts for Balearic.

 

[Gordon]

Agree with points about quality of photo (and I wouldn't call a definite ID based just on that) but I did think that it seemed to show a dark ventral area hence possibility of Balearic.

cheers
Gordon

 

[Foxy]

Yes, I see what you mean, Gordon. And it is indeed a dreadful picture but an intriguing one! I should have binned it years ago but for some reason I couldn't.....

 

[Cliff1002]

pom skua?

 

[Simon Wates]

I would expect a Balearic to look more pot-bellied too. I think it looks like a Manx in the thumbnail - but the open photo is very destorted to be sure.

 

[Foxy]

A skua sp. certainly fits better with the dark underwing which to my mind rules out Manx. I don't think it is entirely down to shadow as there is a very thin pale margin to the wing lining apparent in thw enlarged image

 

[chris butterworth]

Definitely a Shearwater. The proportions / jizz are wrong for a Skua sp. and you can just make out the slender, longish bill. The shadow on the underwing doesn't help but there is a whitish centre to the left one.

 

[Foxy]

I think we do come sown to the tubenoses but the combination of a hooded head, extensive clean white underside, contrasting pale panel on the upper-wing and dark under-wing with just a pale fringe to the secondary coverts rules out virtually everything. If it was a Scilly pelagic I'd be getting excited about possible Fea's Petrel but on an Irish Sea ferry rather less plausible.

 

[Nutcracker]

I think we do come sown to the tubenoses but the combination of a hooded head, extensive clean white underside, contrasting pale panel on the upper-wing and dark under-wing with just a pale fringe to the secondary coverts rules out virtually everything. If it was a Scilly pelagic I'd be getting excited about possible Fea's Petrel but on an Irish Sea ferry rather less plausible.

Fea's is perfectly possible in the Irish Sea - they even occur in the North Sea - but this doesn't look like one at all, wrong shape. Definitely a Puffinus shearwater; whether Manx or Balearic, can't tell on this blurred pic.

 

[dantheman]

Taking the original description into account too I'd say Balearic or leucistic Manx, best to leave it as unidentified.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

I'm struggling to rule out Common Sand on this pic! Agree it does look like a small shearwater too.

 

[Foxy]

Thanks for everyone's input. Wouldn't normally post such a poor picture but it has bugged me for years.

 

[phil baber]

The question here is, is it flying towards the camera, or away from it? That would make 2 different perspectives. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia
Mine is, it's flying away. And, it's a Sooty Shearwater...
If I tried it towards? Manx, or Great. Because of head demarcation pattern. Can you see what I mean?
The apparent light spot? Is it on the upper-wing of a Shear flying away? Or does it form the breast of a Shear flying towards?
And (IMHO) it IS a Shearwater!
My theory is that it's flying away. Sooty Shear... (Or a Blurred Manx...with such a crap image! It even looks like it's dipping its wing-tips in the waves! :cat: )

Ps A "flying-away Balearic" could also be possible...

 

[Foxy]

It is definitely flying towards the camera and I did consider it being a Great Shearwater for a long time albeit never convinced of it. The black is probably too much for the cap of a Great and I suspect it was most likely a Manx with an unusual exttension of white up the shoulder. The problem is that, regardless of how blurred the picture is, what can be made out doesn't actually fit anything in total hence my near obsession with it.

 

[phil baber]

Thanks for your observer details. Now for some more paracetemols! :cat:
So, if it's flying front-on? (Or "side front-on.") From the head markings demarcation, slender Shear bill, and the very poor quality image?
I'd narrow it down to Great or Manx?
Would love to suggest Great, but my feeling is a poorly captured Manx on "artifact medicines!" :-C

PS But I'd string this as a GS any day of the week!