Look what the wind blew in!

Hurricane Erin began its journey off the coast of West Africa as what is known as a Tropical Wave of low-pressure systems and started making its way east building into a hurricane. As it passed the Cape Verde islands in mid-August then heading across the Atlantic towards the Caribbean, it skirted the east coast of the USA. It then tracked up into the far north before heading back towards Europe dissipating as it brought strong winds and wet weather to our shores. But it was not just bad weather it brought with it brought birds as well!

We think of Hurricanes usually from a human standpoint, of damage to property and injury to people, they tend to occur during late summer/early Autumn, causing mayhem on the other side of the Atlantic. Taking a different view, it is also when birds that have bred in the far north are beginning to migrate south, get caught up by the remains of these hurricanes. This can result in some unusual birds being blown off course and arriving here on western coasts. For birdwatchers especially those of us who are particularly interested in seabirds, these are the times we dream of!

This year Hurricane Erin followed by low pressure areas pushing from the high arctic seem to have picked up quite a lot of Sabines Gulls, a small arctic breeder that then heads off south to its wintering grounds. These little gems are high on the most wanted list that seabird watchers such as those that are drawn to Strumble Head in the Autumn, most covert, not just Sabines Gulls but a whole host of the most wanted scarcities and rarities can also turn up for those with the dedication, knowledge and skill to harvest them!  

As someone who was a keen, almost daily “Strumbler” through the 1990’s into the twenty tens from early August into late October, I was lucky enough to see one or two, maybe half a dozen Sabines Gulls most years, but this year has broken all records! I am not sure of the totals for this week but the current crop of “Strumblers” Adrian, Luke, George and Fiona et al, have been smashing it, with a minimum of 36 Sabines recorded by Luke Jugglestruck, et al, just on the 16^th of September! Not just Sabines, but a smorgasbord of scarce and rare seabirds as reported by him on the (private members only) FB page “Strumble Head Seawatching”, (created by Adrian Rogers) see below:

This was the final tally for the 16th of September.

Arctic Skua 32 (21 dark 11 pale)

Bonxie/Great Skua 13

Storm Petrel 3

Sab’s 36 (17 adult 19 juv)

Scoter 20

Sooty 2

Pomerane Skua 1

Grey Phalarope 1

Sandwich Tern 12

Little Gull 2

Black Tern 10

White-winged Tern 1

Balearic Shearwater 4

Leach’s Petrel 1

Red Throated Diver 3

Sanderling 9

Ringed Plover 1

Turnstone 1

 

Curlew Sandpiper

Long Tailed Skua

White-winged Tern

Little Gull

Photos kindly provided by George Mee

The winds then combined with fog to force a large number of terns, of several species, including a rare White Winged Black Tern into the shelter of Fishguard Harbour over the last two days. The terns then attracted a predatory/parasitic Long Tailed Skua, all reported by George Mee, giving lots of other birders a rare chance to see them at close quarters!

Sea Bird Watching from the coast is a somewhat esoteric branch of birdwatching. It requires good quality high powered optics combined with higher-than-average long range identification skills. The late Graham Rees, my good friend and birding guru, was the person to put Seabird Watching at Strumble on the map and a hugely experienced all round ornithologist. He was a pioneer of the post war birding scene exploring the possibilities of the British Isles from Fair Isle to the Scillies later traveling the world birdwatching, but he was never happier than sat at Strumble gently sharing his knowledge while building on and expanding the Strumble Bird list. It’s great to see the tradition being carried on by original “Strumblers” such as Luke and Adrian and a new generation such as George and Fiona.

I was lucky enough to sate my seabird watching obsession and moved over to cetaceans, but I still remember the excitement of a big birding day at Strumble, and the characters and friends we made from all over Wales and beyond, long may it continue! 

Written by Cliff Benson, Founder