Gannet(s) in early October 2009
8 October 2009 (revised 13 October 2009) | Marek Walford
Late afternoon on the 5th October Paul Cropper located a juvenile Gannet on the British Airways Pit at Wraysbury. It was still present at 7:30 the following morning but flew off at 7:55, thus beginning a game of cat and mouse with several Berks and London birders! The next sighting was at 8:05 when it flew over Staines Reservoir (Surrey). At 8:34 it was at Queen Mother Reservoir but flew off NE at 8:38. However, it reappeared again at 9:00 before flying off east at 9:28. It was relocated back at the BA Pit at 10:55 before flying off east at 11:02. It was relocated again on the small pit between the B376 and the M25 at 11:27 before flying off strongly SSE towards Staines at 11:30. It wasn't seen again.
Interestingly a juvenile Gannet was seen by Christine Reeve flying west along the Jubilee River at 18:20 on 5th October. The BA bird was still being watched at this time so it appears that two birds were involved, although the Jubilee bird wasn't seen anywhere else.
These records were the 25th and 26th for Berkshire. Click here for all previous records.
Sightings of Gannet(s) on 4th/5th October 2009
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| 5 Oct 18:20 | Jubilee River : juv flying west |
| 5 Oct 18:32 | BA Pit, Wraysbury : juv on the pit |
| 6 Oct 07:30-07:55 | BA Pit, Wraysbury : juv on the pit then flew off |
| 6 Oct 08:05 | Staines Reservoir (Surrey) : juv flew over |
| 6 Oct 08:34-08:38 | Queen Mother Reservoir : flew north-east |
| 6 Oct 09:00-09:28 | Queen Mother Reservoir : juv on res. then flew east |
| 6 Oct 10:55-11:02 | BA Pit, Wraysbury : juv on pit then flew east |
| 6 Oct 11:27-11:30 | Wraysbury : over Heron Lake then flew south |
| 6 Oct 11:30 | Wraysbury : on pit between B376 and M25 then flew SSE towards Staines |
| 6 Oct 11:30 | Wraysbury : juv in flight heading from Herons Lake area towards BA/Station/Village Pit |