Manx Shearwater.
Brockholes Quarry, Lancs, UK.
17th July 2004 - by John Wright.
I arrived at Brockholes Quarry on a calm July evening and found Paul Williams and Kevin Moore already present.
We chatted for a while as I scanned the main pool which produced little of note.
I left them and wandered over to the new workings.
I hoped to find an interesting wader because the water levels had been
reduced and had produced ideal feeding conditions.
As I scanned the mud I regularly encountered Common Sandpipers and Little
Ringed Plovers finding totals of 8 and 6 respectively.
Occasionally I scanned above the pools hoping for a
sighting of an elusive Hobby. On
one of these scans I picked up a bird gliding away towards the main pool
seemingly on stiff wings. Although
I couldn’t see any plumage features the way this bird was flapping &
gliding could only mean one thing – it was a seabird!
With the small size there appeared to be only one (un)likely candidate – Manx Shearwater!!
I managed to get my scope onto the bird and it began to
turn revealing the classic black & white plumage tones of a Manxie. It then proceeded to flap & glide along the hedgerow
which lines the access road through the site - I could not believe my eyes!!!
I hoped that the bird had landed on the main pool and I rang Bill Aspin to put the news out, as I ran back to the passing place where the logbook is located.
Upon my return I was relieved to find that Paul &
Kevin had seen the shearwater (I was not hallucinating on the fumes from the
nearby M6) and they were delighted when I confirmed the identification.
To my amazement it proceeded to slowly circle the main pool amongst the local Swifts – a more incongruous site it is hard to imagine.
We began to
ring other local birders whilst the bird remained in view - Bill Berry was
particularly surprised because he was in the bath at the time. As exhausted
seabirds seem to invariably end up in birders baths I had visions of the Manxie
joining him!!
However, after a final tour of the site, instead of
landing, the bird set off strongly south down the M6 until it was lost to view.
It was only present from 19.45 – 19.55 and unfortunately no other
birders managed to see it.
Although not uncommon in summer off the Lancashire coast, inland sightings of Manxies are always rare. Past records have generally related to storm blown individuals in the autumn.
This was only the second summer sighting of a seemingly healthy bird - the other being as recently as June 18th 2003 at Stocks reservoir.
There were no subsequent sightings of the bird and I
would like to think that it eventually got its bearings and headed back to the
coast.
The joy of birding is that you never know what will turn up next. Birding an inland Quarry on a calm summer’s evening and finding a fly by seabird is a perfect example.
John Wright.
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All previous known East Lancs records of Manx Shearwater.
3rd September 1974: Picked up exhausted at Colne and released on Foulridge Reservoirs at dusk.
18th September 1977: A corpse found at Foulridge.
22nd September 1981: An exhausted bird picked up in Burnley.
1st September 1986: An exhausted bird picked up at Hapton and taken into care.
26th September 2000: A moribund individual present at Upper Foulridge Reservoir (C. Heyworth)
18th June 2002: a healthy bird at Stocks Reservoir from at least 15.55hrs - dusk (JM).
17th July 2004: a healthy bird at Brockholes Quarry from 19.45hrs-19.55hrs, then flew south (JW).
5th October 2004: A juv. was found dead near Belmont on was probably a victim of the strong W winds on 5/10/04 (S.J. Martin).
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