Albatross (1 Viewer)

[George Garner]

Hi Everyone,
I would like your thoughts please,a chap wrote in our local paper last night that he had seen an Albatross soaring over his house locally.
Now we live in the heart of the midlands about as far from the coast as you can get, but he was quite adamant that it definately was an Albatross.
To say I am doubtful is an understatment, what do you all think?
Regards
George

 

[PeterK]

Hi George Im with you, would doubt that siting, we live on the coast and Ive never seen an Albatros slightly inland let alone that far inland. There are large numbers of Albertros out in Liverpool Bay and even sometimes on the Dee and Mersey Estuaries but they dont ever venture to far from the sea, cant imagine what it could be living off in the midlands, they hunt by making spectacular dives into the sea, not sure if they would do this on a fresh water lake or not?

Yours PeterK

 

[robinm]

Albatross are very rare around our coast - a few sightings each year. As far as I know they have never been seen inland here. I suspect the midlands sighting is of a large gull - maybe Great Black-backed.

Peter - do you think the birds you see might be Gannet?

 

[bill moss]

Hi George,

As the others have said, it's extremely unlikely to have been an Albatross, much more probable to be a Great Black-Backed Gull. Apart from anything else it's the wrong time of year.

To put the record straight, up until 1988 (which is when I run out of easily available records) there had been 3 'over-land' records of Black-Browed Albatross; Cambridge 1897, Shetland 1949 (not TOO surprising), and Derby 1952. All other records (38, not all positively identified per Species) have been coastal. There have been 2 'long-stayers', Bass Rock in the summers 1967-69 and Hermaness 1972-1987 at least (in fact I think that this one stayed for a lot longer than that).

Very few were sighted prior to the mid-60s, the increase can probably be put down to 2 things, increased sea-watching since then, and the movements of the Bass Rock and Hermaness birds. Reflecting this the latest BTO accepted number of different birds sighting 1958-2004 is only 18.

To say again, vanishingly small chance.

Bill

 

[Ruth Daniel]

Hi George and all,
An Albatross was reported over Ashford??? (is that Kent????) on March 2nd too!!
I don't think either were confirmed????
I'd be very suprised if they were!!!!
Best wishes,

 

[chris3871]

Two words, 'no way'. ;-)

maybe 'not likely' would be more appropriate. How often do fulmars end up in land?

 

[Ant]

There is the possibility that if an albatross encounted very strong winds to the south if it was going north(ish), to the north if it was going south(ish) it could be blown off course enough for it to end up far inland.

 

[robinm]

An Albatross was reported over Ashford??? (is that Kent????) on March 2nd too!!

I think it was supposed to be here (I live in Ashford). I think there is more chance of winning the jackpot in the lottery

The Buzzard has often been called the "tourist eagle" perhaps Great Black-backed Gull will have to be called "tourist albatross"