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Photos by Paul Hackett (Paul's gallery of prints for sale) and Tom Lee
The Scillonian III sailed at 5am on Sunday 12th August into a fairly blustery south westerly breeze. With stronger winds in the preceeding week, experienced seawatchers knew that it could be an interesting voyage with the potential of something good. The first leg of some 90 miles due south west of Penzance was the worst trip in my memory. Two trawlers hawling their catches on the way produced no more than a handful of Storm Petrels and an adult Sabine's Gull. We attempted to start chumming to try and draw the seabirds away from the trawler, but with little success. The mist was thickening and the decks below were beginning to fill with sick. Few birds of note joined us for a whole eight hours. Morale was low.
We reached the famous Wilson's triangle on schedule and started chumming with ten times more mixture than in previous years. Within 20 minutes or so, about 200 Stormy's had gathered, with similar numbers of Gannets. Three or four Bonxies circled the vessell tempting photographers and digicammers to at least salvage something from the trip. Another Sabine's Gull raised morale a little more followed by close views of a single Great Shearwater. Things were starting to look up.
It was not until 2.35pm, nearly eight hours after sailing, that I glimpsed a a bird not seen before. The silent crowd around me must have heard me say "what's this" followed by soft plumaged petrel. Within seconds pandemonium broke out, with people desperately shouting for instructions. The flyby lasted about 30 seconds with only half the boat's birders connecting. Luckily it returned and gave prolonged views circling and following the boat for an hour and 20 minutes.
There was no doubt that the bird was indeed a Fea's Petrel. The prolonged views showed the heavy bill and thick mask throught the eye, as well as a lack of complete breast band. The wings appeared long and pointed, and the body was stocky, similar to a Fulmar. Its overall jizz occasionally reminded me of a pratincole. The W shape on the upper wing was surprisingly subtle and difficult to see at longer ranges. The dark underwing contrasted well with the paler upperwing, a feature noted as it regularly banked high above the skyline. The underparts were white. After the heart started to beat more regularly, and the binos once again still in hand, my birding buddy called a Wilson's Petrel off the stern at 100m. Another was spotted simultaneously at the front of the boat.
With everyone now elated with the days birding, a calmness prevailed on the return trip. The following birds were also noted: 1 Grey Phalarope; 15 Whimbrel; 3 Great Shearwater; 12 Bonxie; 4 Sooty Shearwater; 1 Balearic Shearwater; 2 Manx Shearwater; 2 Sabine's Gull.
Written by Steve Rogers 13th August 2001.
email Steve@swoptics.co.uk
