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‘New for Scilly 2008’
EXCLUSIVE
BIRDER ONLY PELAGICSSaturday August 2, 2008 6.00 am to 6.00 pm £30
Sunday August 3, 2008 10.00 am to 6.00 pm £20
Saturday August 9, 2008 6.00 am to 6.00 pm £30
Sunday August 10, 2008 10.00 am to 6.00 pm £20
First come, first served
Place confirmed by payment in full
Leader: Bob Flood
Spotters: Plus two additional experienced spotters
We will:
You will:
Please complete your contact details below and book by sending a cheque made out to ‘RRM Consultants’ in full payment for the pelagic trip(s) you want to join.
Tick the box of the trip(s) you want to join:
Saturday August 2, 2008 6.00 am to 6.00 pm £30 [ ]
Sunday August 3, 2008 10.00 am to 6.00 pm £20 [ ]
Saturday August 9, 2008 6.00 am to 6.00 pm £30 [ ]
Sunday August 10, 2008 10.00 am to 6.00 pm £20 [ ]
Name:
Email address:
Telephone number:
Your payment will be acknowledged and your place confirmed by return. Information about what to wear, restaurants and shops in Scilly, and other useful tips will be sent out in June 2008. Further information from Bob Flood at tubenose@tiscali.co.uk.
Madeiran Storm-petrel off Scilly 28 July 2007
Bob Flood Tubenose@Tiscali.co.uk
6.55 pm: on board MV Sapphire with skipper by Joe Pender about 7 miles south-east of Scilly
Another European Storm-petrel appeared over a wave heading in our direction with its characteristic short wings, slightly bowed, batting towards us. I kept scanning in search of a Wilson’s that our visiting birders were after, expecting soon to see its distinctive head-on profile with medium-length and flattened wings, flying towards us with a hirundine-quality. What in fact I did see was a long-winged storm-petrel and my heart missed a beat. I shouted to everyone to get on this storm-petrel!
It approached the stern quartering the sea surface showing upperside and underside, structure and plumage, displaying a very distinctive flight jizz, and it was a big and chunky storm-petrel. By now I knew it was a Madeiran and yelled it out.
We were lined up along port side and as if scripted the Madeiran flew parallel to the boat past us at just 12 yards! I could see individual feathers and its black eye that glinted in the light as it flew past. It flew off methodically quartering the sea surface and every now and then would rise up about two to three yards so even at a distance it could be seen appearing above the horizon and disappearing rather like a shearwater.
Then I rang RBA with the shock news … effectively we had just seen a first for Britain and thousands of birders across the nation, indeed across Europe, were about to find out!
You cannot begin to imagine the scene and atmosphere on the boat. Jumping, shouting, hand clapping, hugging, complete mania, and utter hysteria. I was so overwhelmed with joy that I let pass by that one of the birders kissed my cheek.
The scene calmed after about 50 minutes and I started to think, ‘if only we had managed to get a record shot.’ I was then amazed to see the Madeiran heading in again and yelled it out once again! I also screamed at the skipper Joe Pender who was fishing off the stern, to get his camera and ‘take a f**king photograph of it’. The Madeiran made a carbon copy pass by again at about 12 yards. Again it worked its way off into the distance.
Joe had run into the cabin, unzipped his camera bag, fired up the camera whilst running back out onto deck in time to take just one shot. Now we had our memento!
The photograph is a record shot but shows several features that combined are diagnostic of Madeiran Storm-petrel. It reminds me so much of seabird photographs from the 1970s that lured me into seabirding in the first place; smallish image, slightly grainy, set against a choppy sea … but oh so evocative!
For a more complete account of the event see: Birding World volume 20 number 7.
Identification issues are discussed in: Flood, R.L., and Thomas, B. 2007. Identification of ‘black-and-white’ storm-petrels of the North Atlantic. British Birds 100: 407-442.
Flight behaviour of North Atlantic Storm-petrels is covered in: Flood, B., and Fisher, A. 2007. Flight behaviour of ‘black-and-white’ storm-petrels of the North Atlantic. DVD privately published (£6.50 from Bob Flood).
ISBG AGM: Early in June the ISBG held its AGM. Martin Goodey, the Chairman, was able to report another excellent year for the Group, with membership (Friends & Members) around 515 and finances remain healthy.
Martin Goodey stood down as Chairman and was replaced by Will Wagstaff. The other
incumbent Executive officers were re- elected and they are as follows
Martin Goodey, Treasurer
Alan Hannington, Secretary
Nigel Hudson, Recorder & Conservation Officer
Bob Flood, Editor
The Membership Secretary is still Danni Borrett.
Kris Webb has retired from the Scillies Records Panel and has been replaced by James Lidster, currently a member of BBRC. The Records Panel now consists of Nigel Hudson (non-voting secretary), Ren Hathway, Doug Page, Keith Vinicombe, Will Wagstaff & James Lidster. The panel now has one current and two ex-members of the BBRC.
It was agreed that ISBG should fund a new hide at the beach end of Porth Hellick situated near the sluice and planning permission has been applied for.
Mike Rogers, so long associated with BBRC, birding on Scillies, and in earlier years birding in Sussex died in October 2006. His obituary from the Times can be seen at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-2424993.html A fund has been set up to help create a permanent memorial to this man who quietly contributed much to British ornithology in the last half of the 20th century. The memorial is likely to be a new hide on Porth Hellick St Mary’s (planning and funds permitting). If you would like to be associated with this fund then please send donations (cheques or postal orders) made out to Mike Rogers Memorial Fund and send to:
Nigel Hudson
ISBG Recorder
Post Office Flat
St Mary’s
Isles of Scilly, TR21 0LL
[Here's an example of the information it contains]
BOURC have accepted the Fea’s Petrel seen on 8th July 2001from the Kingfisher, 12 km South of St.Mary’s, consequently this becomes the official first for Britain. The Fea’s seen on 12th August 2001 from the MV Scillonian 96km South West of Scilly becomes the second for Britain and the bird seen on 6th September 2004 from the Sapphire, 16km West of St. Mary’s becomes the third for Britain. Hence the first three records for Britain were in Scillonian waters (or thereabouts)!"
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