This was the offshore trip I spent the least amount of time out on deck
EVER but still managed to see a few birds....
This is a job I have been invloved with many times, from the early '90s
onwards. This page covers the little birding I did in September 2017 on
the Sicilian side of the job. Joining the vessel in Trapani - a place
that brings back a lot of memories for me. Not so much because of the
place but more to having to leave there in a hurry when my oldest
daughter was born and returning there for a six week trip the
day after she came into the world.
Short-toed Eagle
resting onboard, September 2017
Initially identified as Honey Buzzard - but the grey unfeathered legs,
the large head and powerful beak are all indicators that this is in
fact a Short-toed Eagle.
Picture taken with DSLR and a 400mm telephoto lens
A flock of Swallows resting on the crane boom during the night. At dawn
these birds continued their journey across the Mediterranean towards
Africa.
Migrating passerines were seen on several nights flitting in and out of
the darkness as they circled the vessel. One warbler snatched insects
attracted to the lights on deck and a flock of Swallows spent the night
onboard. The only other passerine seen offshore was a single Turtle
Dove which briefly rested under the helideck.
Scopoli's Shearwaters were reasonably regular but never particularly
numerous, with the largest flock numbering just half a dozen
- but were seen plunge diving after prey. Away from the coast
gulls were very uncommon. The only species positively identified was
Yellow-legged Gull.
Bird of the trip in a Mediterranean context was a Storm Petrel which
actually landed on the crane one night. This is a species I have seen a
few times in the Mediterranean but not often so far east.
A Cattle Egret spent the early hours of the morning onboard before
heading off to the north - seeming to give up it's attempt to cross the
Med and head back to Sicily.
Record
shot of a Storm Petrel that came onboard one night and landed on the
vessel's crane, Mediterranean, September 2017
Picture taken with a point and pray superzoom from 20 metres in the
middle of the night.........
Marsh
Harrier takes a nocturnal break halfway across the
Mediterranean, September 2017
This image was taken by setting the ISO to something approaching 1000
000 and underexposing by several stops. This was the only way to get
the shutter speed down to something faster than 1/50. More on nocturnal
bird photography on this page.
Marsh Harrier ,
Mediterranean,
September 2017
For this picture I put the camera on automatic and raised the flash.
ISO values were rather more normal but shutter speed still very slow
for a hand-held 400mm lens on a moving vessel.
Part
of a flock of seven Swallows
spending the night on the crane boom,
Mediterranean, September 2017
This picture was taken with a superzoom point and pray....
