Seabird, Cley, Norfolk (1 Viewer)

[LaplandBunting]

No photograph I'm afraid and thus I'm not expecting a confirmed ID, but any suggestions to ease my mind would be much appreciated:

The bird was significantly smaller than a Gannet, but of similar proportions, and still a similar size (maybe slightly larger) than a Black-headed Gull.

It had very long, falcon-like wings, which, like the entire rest of the bird, were a patchy grey colour, although the underwings were whiter.

What really struck me was the way it was flying, quick rapid wingbeats just above the surface of the water, occasionally soaring very briefly upwards and quickly swooping down to just above the water. As it flew along it appeared to be twisting and turning as well.

It was seen a pretty long way out at sea from Cley Beach on the 25th of October.

The closest match I could genuinely find was immature Long-tailed Skua - but I'll be realistic and assume it probably wasn't one.

Any ideas?

 

[stevethehydra]

Shearwater sp? Your description of the bird's appearance made me think of Fulmar, but comparison to juv LT skua presumably suggests something darker, and flight style sounds like what gives the Shearwaters their name...

 

[Hotspur]

Sounds like an Arctic Skua but without a photo it will probably have to go down as skua sp.

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

No photograph I'm afraid and thus I'm not expecting a confirmed ID, but any suggestions to ease my mind would be much appreciated:

The bird was significantly smaller than a Gannet, but of similar proportions, and still a similar size (maybe slightly larger) than a Black-headed Gull.

It had very long, falcon-like wings, which, like the entire rest of the bird, were a patchy grey colour, although the underwings were whiter.

What really struck me was the way it was flying, quick rapid wingbeats just above the surface of the water, occasionally soaring very briefly upwards and quickly swooping down to just above the water. As it flew along it appeared to be twisting and turning as well.

It was seen a pretty long way out at sea from Cley Beach on the 25th of October.

The closest match I could genuinely find was immature Long-tailed Skua - but I'll be realistic and assume it probably wasn't one.

Any ideas?

A tern species?

 

[AllanM]

I wouldn't have thought tern sp. this late?

 

[LaplandBunting]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

After watching some footage of Skuas and Shearwaters in flight and having another flick through my bird guides I'm now sure it was a Skua of sorts - as for which one I'll have to settle for Arctic (most probably), LT or Pom!

(Definitely not a Tern in the fact it was the wrong colour - and probably too late in the year)

 

[RyanI]

I wouldn't have thought tern sp. this late?

There's been Sandwich Terns over the last week or so off Norfolk coast

 

[AllanM]

There's been Sandwich Terns over the last week or so off Norfolk coast

Thanks Ryan, wasn't aware of that. Cheers

 

[PYRTLE]

Would also suggest fulmar. More likely and flight description fits. Plenty around that area and breed either side of Cley

 

[dantheman]

Sounds like a Seabird, at Cley, Norfolk.

Further experience of some of the contenders and you may be able to retrospectively tick it, or maybe just leave it as seabird sp. or skua sp.?

 

[Grando]

Sounds like a shearwater - sooty or Balearic to me with the way it was flying. Maybe Manx if it was very black and white, but I'd edge towards Sooty from what you say.

 

[LaplandBunting]

Thanks for all further replies. :t:

As for the suggestion of Fulmar, despite living as far from the sea as is virtually possible in England, this is a species I'm very familiar with and can definately rule out given the bird was mostly a mottled brown colour.

Shearwater is closer to the mark (and a bird I have much less experience with!), but the wings were of the wrong proportions and so I am sure I can rule that out.

I actually saw the bird, although at long range, for a long period of time and am certain it was a Skua species - at the time and looking back.

Certainly not bulky enough for a Great Skua, I'm left with Arctic, Pom or LT. I often see Pomerine Skua on RBA as a national scarcity - something which I naturally rule out of unidentified bird identification attempts. But my bird was heading up the coast towards the north of England, where I saw a few groups of Poms were reported - but none beneath sort of Yorkshire I think (certainly no records from Norfolk anywhere around the time). As for Long-tailed, there have been none on the Norfolk/Suffolk coast for weeks around my sighting again as far as I can trace (and knowing their rather uncommon I would've thought any sighting would've been reported somewhere).

That leaves Arctic Skua, which isn't well reported given the fact it's the commonest of the three, but I'm assuming they're passing off Norfolk and surrounds fairly regularly - I saw some on the logbook at Titchwell whilst I was there I think.

Out of curiosity, is it therefore reasonable to assume Arctic or is there a realistic chance of the other two? :king: