Shearwater for ID

christina · #1 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011, 09:48 PM

Is this a Great Shearwater? I took the photo last year on the north west coast of Scotland in October. It was a lone bird.

My belief is that it is a Great Shearwater because it was so big.

Thank you for any help.

Oy · #2 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011, 09:51 PM

Looks like a young Gannet to me.

Jonners · #3 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011, 09:53 PM

Looks like a young Gannet to me too

christina · #4 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011, 09:54 PM

Thank you Oy, I've just searched Gannet and you are right. Oh blah, I wanted it to be a shearwater but a Gannet (juv) will do me fine.

Thank you again.

Dogghound · #5 (**permalink**) 08-07-2011, 07:40 PM

Yes this is a Juv Gannet, a species often mixed up with great shearwater especially at long range. The dark cap and white neck sides are often distinctive in GS even over several hundred metres. Also at this close range you would see the black tube nose. Although both Juv gannet and GS show a similar tail pattern which could cause further confusion.

ChrisJB · #6 (**permalink**) 09-07-2011, 09:33 AM

I got all excited when I noticed the title of this thread, hoping for a top notch great shearwater photo! I do like gannets, but a great shearwater on WAB would make me very

. If you like shearwaters, there are usually plenty of Manx shearwaters to be seen in summer off the west coast of Scotland (amongst other places of course).

Regards, Chris