SSP Gannets !

[Dilbertd]

Just a note to any birdwatchers out there. I was down on SSP 45 mark last Friday and bites were few and far between so I found myself watching the birdlife (the feathered kind !). I noticed that about 300 or 400 yards out to sea some of the seagulls looked much to big to be seagulls. They did not come very close to the pier but I watched closely and I saw that they had broad black tips at the ends of their wings and they seemed to have a wingspan of about 5 or 6 feet. They were skimming over the waves at a distance and occasionally diving at high speed to catch fish before slowly flying up again. A quick check of my Readers Digest book of British Birds when I got home confirmed my suspicions ... they were Gannets
They are not too many of them but I saw three or four at distance, so if you are bored watching rod tips which are not moving then have a close look at the seagulls in the distance, some of them are not seagulls !

[dabcatcher]

we get them here all the time. they usually stay a few hundred yards off the shore. best time is early morning when they come quite close.

[Nooo Fish]

We were watching one off sheilds pier Saturday gone. It made a canny bit noise when it was diving. Nice change from the ****e hawks making a racket.

[john/r]

there was lots of them last sunday morn enjoyed watching them better than watching a lifeless rod tip.

[2 Rods]

I can remember a few years back fishing ssp with Bob patta I think,who said a sea gull has caught my line,it was actually a gannet.when it came over the wall I wasn't quite as quick to help,it was massive like a bloody teradactyl and with a beak like zorro s blade,after a 10 minute Mexican stand off I managed to get it in a headlock and release it unharmed but it was definitely size lol.

[sless]

you got bob in a head lock,hahaha

[pop39]

Graham mate you would of remembered if you were fishing with bob patta ���� , was your head hurting by the end of the session �� lol , seen them at The mull really close diving was breath taking ��

[Uncle_Filthster]

They're a fair sized bird, and a beautiful one close up. There were quite a few dive bombing the shoals of sandeels and sprats between Blyth pier and the groynes a couple of weeks ago