Seawatching Hides

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Seawatching Hides

On this page I will present a collection of seawatching lookouts to illustrate the kinds of places people seawatch from. Any contributions are more than welcome!

Depending on the type of seawatching being done a shelter or hide of some sort kan make the difference between success and disaster. For many seawatching is about hard to see pelagic seabirds being forced inshore by strong winds - and in such sitiuations being able to sit out of the wind and rain is essential. There is nothing worse than a tripod shaking in the wind or rain beating onto your objective lenses.

The study of migrating waterbirds to and from breeding grounds in the north, so popular in Scandinavia, often occurs during periods of good weather and here a shelter can actually make things worse - ones visibility can be restricted and it is more difficult to hear birds coming.

Many localities offer a mixture of these aspects of seawatching and very many sites, at least in the UK have some kind of shelter. A few may be purpose built but the majority are in buildings built for something else - often ex-coastgaurd lookouts or gun emplacements from the second world war. Seawatching hides are finally on the increase in Norway with some in Finnmark as well as further south.

The seawatching hide at Perleneset, Utsira, Norway. Photo: Bjørn Ove Høyland

Seawatching hide at Karmøy, Rogaland. Photo: Bjørn Ove Høyland

Skogsøy, Øygarden, Norway
As of December 2018 there is a seawatching hide that is almost ready for use - it will be ready for the 2019 season. This hide is south of the traditional place where seawatchers tend to sit for a variety of reasons. It is ideally placed to shield users from the worst of the weather and wil hopefully be well used.

Seawatching hide at Skogsøy, Øygarden, December 2019

Newly built seawatching hide at Skogsøy, December 2019

Inside the hide at Skogsøy

The inside of the hide at Skogsøy. Although it is very comfortable and has a good view over the sea the windows prove rather narrow when tracking migrating birds.
But when the weather is bad it is infinitely better to be in here!

During the spring of 2006 when I seawatched every day at Skogsøy from mid-March to the end of May a makeshift lean-to was used to keep off the worst of any precipitation.

Annstead Point, Seahouses, Northumberland, UK
I am unsure of the origins of the seawatching hide at Annstead Point, Seahouses. It was possibly an old coastgaurd lookout, after the North Northumberland Bird Club took it over a full renovation was undertaken. There is no room to set up and use telescopes on tripods here - mostly we just rest telescopes on the window sills - something that works very well.

Here there is seating for at least four people but one should be a member of the NNBC in order to obtain a key.

Church Point, Newbiggin-by-the-sea, Northumberland, UK
Only a very rudimentry shelter exists here, but the small brick structure can house one or two seawatchers crouched inside it.

A fitting tribute to one of the great names in Northumberland Birding

Whitburn, County Durham, UK
The purpose built hide here was built in 1990 and has withstood the tests of time and local vandals.
More information on birding in the area and latest news can be found here

Photos: Mark Newsome

The following book is highly recommended for anyone seaweatching in Europe:

View to the north at Skogsøy early on a calm May morning

5224900 visits to this side since 28 July 2006.

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