19th September. Four Star Petrel

Waking to drizzle and what I could only describe as less than ideal conditions it was more than a little tempting to get back in to bed. Despite this I got up and by 7:20 was on my way to Orgreave. As I dragged myself to the shore I was musing yesterdays Fea's and thinking how it had put a bit of a dampener on my weekend. The rain wasn't helping much, but suddenly out of the corner of my eye I noticed a group of gulls harassing a smaller bird. Presuming it would be the Black Tern that was wandering all over the valley I picked my bins up. It was black...BLACK my brain screamed...SHIT LEACH'S PETREL!! Almost immediately it disappeared out of view around the point. I ran, faster than I had run in a long time probably even faster! By the time I'd reached the viewing pole my run had descended in to a near crawl and I was shaking like a shitting whippet! Fortunately the gulls were still pursuing it and I managed to scope it before it dropped down near the waters edge. Cursing myself for leaving the SLR at home I fished around for the trusty Samsung and grabbed a few seconds of very shakey video footage before the gulls set about it again.
Settling again I hurriedly made a few phone calls including one to Jo suggesting that if she wanted to see Leach's Petrel she should get up and to bring my camera! A Carrion Crow had made a few passes at it, at one point almost grabbing it. The Petrel seemed to have had enough and started to gain height. I watched it flying almost swift like over Treeton village, as it began to drop towards Catcliffe I was thinking it would drop on the flash, out of nowhere it was whacked by a Sparrowhawk. A sad end for a smart bird.