Event Horizon

A handful of Little Terns, and a distant and unidentifiable Skua was all there was to amuse me whilst seawatching at the Point of Ayr this morning and I was about to pack it in when I caught site of a very large bird circling high above the wind turbines a couple of miles out to sea.

After eventually training my scope on the bird my initial impression was of a very big raptor. It was difficult due to the heat haze and the distance to make out much detail, but I watched it for a good ten minutes as it repeatedly soared, drifted and then soared again towards the Lancashire coast.

I could, however, just make out the large broad wings when the bird banked, and my general impression was of a dark silhouette of large Eagle. I quickly ruled out a large Gull due to the flight style and the lack of a protruding neck and head seemed to eliminate a Crane or a Stork, but again, the jizz of the bird didn’t seem right for these species either.

Definitely a very interesting bird, although I’m not going to get to carried away speculating on the identification of a bird from the best part of two miles away – tantalisingly close nevertheless…It will certainly be interesting if anything of this ilk is picked-up nearby by somebody else today, but as I have just gathered most eyes will be trained on a White-tailed Lapwing at Seaforth!

Point of Ayr 27.5.10

1 Eagle (sp)?
7 Little Tern
1 Guillemot
1 Skua (sp).

Until later.