Is This The Real Deal?

November 15, 2014, 12:16 am

I saw the probable hybrid second-year Caspian Gull, that I mentioned in my previous post, again on Wednesday, but this time at the A5 Lagoons.

When I first saw it at the landfill site I initially thought it looked OK, but there was something about it that made me question whether it was pure. It is not unusual for Caspian Gulls to look different from one minute to the next and this was the case with this bird. It wasn't by any means a classic and its coverts especially the greater coverts where not typical. Hybrids can be difficult, especially if they show mostly Caspian Gull like features. It could so easily be OK, but its pale eyes, larger than normal head and the pattern across the coverts left me feeling uneasy.

It was difficult to photograph as it was always face on to me.

Probable Caspian x Herring Gull Hybrid

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Rugby Instead of Gulls

November 16, 2014, 12:31 pm

≫ Next: Shawell Keeps On Attracting Caspian Gulls

≪ Previous: Is This The Real Deal?

On Saturday I swapped the gulls for a day amongst the hordes of expectant English Rugby fans at Twickenham.

England took on the might of South Africa and despite a valiant effort the English boys came up just short once again. The final score was South Africa 31 England 28. I'm sure if the three-quarter line we can develop some confidence we will do well, but the English forwards fronted up and took the game to the South Africans at times. It was a great game and a great day out.

From my seat high up in the stand the players looked a little like ants, but the atmosphere was great especially when the English fans sang "swing low sweet chariot". The volume was deafening.

Wetting the Vocal Chords Before the game

'The Games Maker Choir' Provide Some Pre-match Entertainment

Flying the Flag

The National Anthems

The England Rugby Team Prepares for Battle

England Shoving the Men in Green Back

Full Time

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Shawell Keeps On Attracting Caspian Gulls

November 19, 2014, 11:17 am

≫ Next: A Mongrel Gull

≪ Previous: Rugby Instead of Gulls

Two Caspian Gulls were on show this lunchtime at Shawell A5 Lagoons. A new third-winter and what was probably the same fourth winter that I saw on November 8th. They were amongst the gulls on the bank between the two lagoons.

Third-winter Caspian Gull

Third-winter Caspian Gulls

Fourth-winter Caspian Gull

The fourth-winter was very adult like apart from the dark mark on the bill - the dark mark is a sign of immaturity.

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A Mongrel Gull

November 20, 2014, 1:20 pm

≫ Next: Just Find the One With the White Head

≪ Previous: Shawell Keeps On Attracting Caspian Gulls

I had a few hours off work today, and surprisingly I was back at Shawell. I soon spotted the very distinctive third-winter Caspian Gull that I saw yesterday, but it was a bit too foggy to get any decent images.

Yellow-legged Gulls seem to have moved back north with at least 11, of various ages, seen at the lagoons today. Whilst trying to count the YLG's I came across a gull with yellowish legs, but something about it made me discount it and make a mental note to go back to it once I'd finished my sweep.

Its bill was perfect in colour for a Caspian Gull, but maybe it was a little short. Its body shape was more Herring Gull like and its legs were also short, but maybe not so short as to rule out Caspian Gull. Its eyes were quite pale and its wing length appeared a tad short. Its longest primary feather (P10) has a long white tip, which is a pro-Caspian feature, but the black on the feather didn't look quite right. In one of the photos P10 looks reasonable, but in others not quite right.

Its stance was generally more Herring Gull like rather than Caspian Gull.

Gulls like this are a challenge to in-experienced observers, especially those who think that all you need to do is look for a gull with a clean white head at this time of year.

Presumed Hybrid Caspian Gull

Presumed Herring x Caspian Gull

Underside of the Primary Feathers

Shortly after the hybrid flew off, I found another third-winter Caspian Gull roosting on the bank betweens the lagoons. It was advancement towards adulthood was further advanced compared to the other third-winter. Quite a lot of black was left in its tail feathers and the black on the primaries was more third-winter like.

Third-winter Caspian Gull

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Just Find the One With the White Head

November 22, 2014, 2:05 pm

≫ Next: Highlights From Shawell This Week

≪ Previous: A Mongrel Gull

I've heard it said that to find both Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls at this time of year just look for the ones with the white heads - well it ain't that easy.

At Shawell, at the moment, there are some handsome looking adult Yellow-legged Gulls that are feather perfect, but there are also a few traps for the unwary (whoever the unwary are). Today I spotted an adult gull with yellow legs but something was not right about it, as far as YLG is concerned. Its legs and bill were not the right shade of yellow for me, its grey colouration was slightly too pale and its jizz was not quite right either. I considered 'yellow-legged' Herring Gull, but I would have liked to have seen a few dark streaks on its head at this time of year. I saw what appears to be the same gull in the afternoon and I could see that it had a few unusual dull dark markings - see the third photo down.

It is difficult to be sure but my gut feeling is that it could be one of the Dutch Yellow-legged x Herring Gulls. In the afternoon I saw a fourth-winter gull, which was similar, but it had much more white than black in its primary wing feathers. A couple of years ago Steve Lister and I saw a colour-ringed Dutch hybrid YLG at Shawell.

Possible Yellow-legged x Herring Gull

Note the Odd Markings Under the Tertials

Shortly after seeing the first odd looking gull I spotted the second-winter Casp x Herring Gull that I wrote about on 15/11/14. I saw it better this time and it was clearly a mixture of the two species, so I had been right to be suspicious of it in the first place.

At last, at about 11:00 a pure looking Caspian Gull appeared, but it didn't hang around for long. From what I could see it was a fourth-winter that I had seen previously.

Later on at the lagoons I spotted a clean white headed adult gull. Strangely enough it turned out to be another odd gull. Its bill was sort of Caspian like, but mainly in colour as it was quite short. Its eyes were pale, but not as pale as most adult Herring Gulls. Its wings were short and there was too much black on the longest primary (P10) for a Caspian Gull. It obviously isn't either a Casp or a 'leggy', so it's probably just a British Herring Gull that is already in summer plumage? I guess I wouldn't give it a second glance in March. Perhaps, at times, it's best to ignore some gulls in order to protect ones sanity.

So far this year I have seen 30 Caspian Gulls at Shawell that I consider to be OK, but I've also seen eight gulls that I consider to be hybrid Caspians. This is probably an accurate reflection of what we should expect in the UK, as the nearest breeding colonies are reported to have a similar percentage of pure compared to hybrid Caspian Gulls. Of course some of these hybrid type gulls are impossible to be 100 % certain of their true parentage.

So if your looking for Caspian or Yellow-legged Gulls at the moment beware there are a few pitfalls to work through.

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Highlights From Shawell This Week

November 30, 2014, 11:53 am

≫ Next: Possible 'Baltic yellow legged Argentatus'

≪ Previous: Just Find the One With the White Head

My usual Wednesday dinner time stop off at Shawell was a bit miserable and short-lived this week, because of the dreadful weather. I only stayed for about ten minutes, but I did manage to spot a really smart adult or near-adult Caspian Gull. The photo does not really do it justice, as this was a classic bird. Its legs are long and thin and it is long winged. The primary pattern is spot on and its eyes were nice and dark. I initially thought it was one that I saw about a month ago, but after comparing photos of both birds I realised it isn't the same one, so it is a new one for this year.

Adult or Near-adult Caspian Gull

Yesterday the weather eventually improved and for the first time I saw as many colour-ringed Herring Gulls as Lesser Black-backed Gulls. There were loads of gulls at the landfill in the morning, but many off them were resting out of view, Even so there were plenty viewable from Gibbets Lane. Once the tipping finished at about 11:30 it was time to move to the lagoons. My timing was perfect, as a great swarm of gulls arrived at the same time as me. A couple of adult Yellow-legged Gulls were amongst them and they looked very smart. Their fresh summer plumage contrasted with the scruffier winter plumaged Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

One of the most eye-catching gulls of the day was the fourth-winter female Yellow-legged Gull in the picture below. It looks adult like, but when it flapped its wings there was a few dark feathers left wherr they should be grey in an adult. The tertials (or according to bloggers auto spell check tortillas) also appeared to show a few dark markings.

Yellow-legged Gull

Amongst the gulls visible from my side of the dividing bank was a third-winter Caspian Gull. Many hundreds of gulls are hidden on the other side of the bank and this third-winter kept disappearing over the crest of the bank and then re-appearing somewhere else. Trying to recreate and do justice to what you see with the eye is difficult when digiscoping and it is made even harder if you are looking into the sun. The third-winter is not one of the two I saw earlier in the month.

Third-winter Caspian Gull

The gulls began to drift off into Warwickshire by about 14:30; mostly heading towards Draycote Water. As the numbers started to dwindle it was tempting to leave, but small groups continued to arrive from the landfill site just to the north. Amongst one of these groups was a fine near-adult Caspian Gull. The photo below shows the text book features: elegant and long winged, a small head, small dark eyes and a longish slender bill.

Near-adult Caspian Gull

As normal I was left puzzled by one of the gulls yesterday. I hadn't been at the lagoons long when I found a smallish gull that at first glance looked like a Caspian. I soon noticed its bill was a little short. I then turned my attention to its primaries and they were more third-winter like, but the gull itself looked more like a fourth-winter or adult. The longest primary (P10) was mostly dark with a small white mirror (see photo below). If it is a third-winter I would expect to see some dark markings on the tail, but it was clean white. Its bill ratio is 2.16. Of the 100 Caspian Gulls sampled in Identification of Caspian Gull. Part 2: phenotypic variability and the field characteristics of hybrids, by Chris Gibbins, Grzegorz Neubauer and Brian Small 13% had a similar bill ratio, but so did 59% of the Herring Gulls and 25% of known hybrids that were sampled. P5 showed a typical black band as far as Caspian Gull is concerned, but this is unusual in Herring Gulls. So this is either a hybrid or an extreme Caspian Gull.

I have considered whether it could be a Yellow-legged Gull, but its mantle colour appeared too pale and its primary feather pattern, especially on P8, 7 & 6, does not seem quite right. Its bill lacks the steep gonys angle and its dark eyes are unusual amongst Yellow-legged Gulls.

As always comments are welcomed.

Mystery Gull

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Possible 'Baltic yellow legged Argentatus'

December 4, 2014, 1:20 pm

≫ Next: Caspian Gull Extravaganza

≪ Previous: Highlights From Shawell This Week

I spotted another interesting gull at Shawell recently. It was amongst hundreds resting on the bank between the two lagoons. It looked like a Herring Gull, but it had obvious yellow legs. Unlike the recent probable hybrid Yellow-legged x Herring Gull, I could see no reason to suspect it was a hybrid. It is only a few days ago when talking about the probable Yellow-legged x Herring Gull that I said 'I considered 'yellow-legged' Herring Gull, but I would have liked to have seen a few dark streaks on its head at this time of year'. Well this gull has no obvious head streaking, but I believe it is a Herring Gull. The only thing that niggles me is the squarish head, which is more like a Yellow-legged Gull L.michahellis, but overall this gull feels much more like a Herring Gull.

Putative 'Baltic Yellow Legged Herring Gull'

Its legs are clearly yellow when compared to the pink legs of the nearby ordinary Herring Gulls. It had a longish white tip to P10, P9 had a white mirror split with a black band between the mirror and the white tip and P5 had a small dark mark on it. Its eyes had reddish orbital rings, which were similar to what is shown by adult Yellow-legged Gulls. Its mantle appeared slightly paler than the nearby Herring Gull, but this is not obvious in the photos. It was very bright at the time and the photos have been effected by shadows. Gulls on the bank are always difficult to photograph when the sun is out because until late afternoon you are looking to some degree into the sun.

Many Herring Gulls from the Baltic are said to have yellow legs and are described as having a black sub-terminal spot on P5 in adult plumage.

Below is a photo of the spread wing, although a LBB Gull has got his head slightly in the way and covered the longest primary. A small black spot is visible on P5.

This suggests that it may well be a 'Baltic yellow legged Herring Gull'. These yellow legged Herring Gulls are often referred to as being omissus type Herring Gulls, although the original omissus or Marsh Gull has been spoilt by mixing with ordinary western argentatus Herring Gulls. The omissus bit is now used to point out the yellow legs rather than refer to Marsh Gulls

Putative 'Baltic Yellow Legged Herring Gull'

The more time I spend looking at these gulls the more I see. Hopefully that will result in me finding something really good eventually.

Just after seeing this gull, I found another adult gull, which looked to be a combination of Caspian, Yellow-legged and Herring. Its body shape and wing length matched Caspian Gull, its bill was more Herring Gull like and its legs were bright yellow and its mantle colour was more of a match for Yellow-legged Gull L. michahellis. That one has been firmly dispatched to the no idea section of my mind.

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Caspian Gull Extravaganza

December 6, 2014, 1:11 pm

≫ Next: Another look at the advanced Third-winter Caspian Gull and a Puzzle

≪ Previous: Possible 'Baltic yellow legged Argentatus'

Four maybe five Caspian Gulls were at Shawell today. The first was difficult to clinch as the sun was hampering viewing at the landfill site. The gull did, however, appear ok, but I couldn't photograph it amongst the melee on the tip face, so I'm not happy to claim it for certain.

I joined Steve Lister at the lagoons and soon found a gull to flag up as 'an interesting one', this is the code Steve and I use when we find a Caspian Gull - long story. Its head and bill were spot on, but its legs looked a little short. Whilst it preened we got an extended view of P10 and this matched the correct pattern for Caspian Gull. Steve commented that its legs were pink, but I judged the legs to be pasty pink rather than bubble gum pink. In the paper on Identification of Caspian Gulls, Part 1 Typical Birds, Gibbins et al state: 'There is complete overlap in leg colour between cachinnans and the Herring Gulls of the eastern Baltic (from pure pink to lemon yellow) so this feature is of limited value'

I have done a quick trait score on the bird and it scores within the range of pure Caspian Gull. The legs are unusually short, but there is great variation in leg length amongst the other large gulls, so there is likely to be variation amongst Caspian Gulls also.

Adult Caspian Gull

Shortly after Steve left to go in search of a possible Rough-legged Buzzard, I found a third-winter Caspian Gull, which I believe I first saw on November 19th. It has distinctive streaking on the back of its neck. The streaking is quite heavy but within the parameters for a third-winter in December.

Third-winter Caspian Gull

After finishing watching the gull above, I turned my attention to the gulls on the water and amongst them was another third-winter, one that I've seen previously. This one is more adult like than the previous one, but its tail still has most of the dark tail band.

Third-winter Caspian Gull

The final Caspian Gull had me thinking it was the same adult as the one with the short legs, but on inspection of the photographs it obviously isn't. The bill shape and pattern easily separate the two. This one was quite small, so possibly a female. Its legs were longer than the other adult as well.

Adult or near-adult Caspian Gull

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Another look at the advanced Third-winter Caspian Gull and a Puzzle

December 13, 2014, 1:02 pm

≫ Next: An Iceland Gull Finds its Way to Shawell

≪ Previous: Caspian Gull Extravaganza

It was bloody freezing today at Shawell, but I felt it was my duty to keep the gulls company. Its not that often that you have to scrape the ice of your car windows during an afternoon, but that's what I had to do after finishing 'sea gulling'.

I managed to read the colour rings on five species of gull today, which may be a record for me at Shawell. The much hoped for white-winger didn't appear, so perhaps the 'weather bomb' has not fully exploded yet. The weather map earlier in the week looked great for pushing a few towards us but we'll have to be patient.

Since mid-October I have seen at least one Caspian Gull on each of my visits to Shawell, but today it looked as though I would be unsuccessful. Many gulls were out of site from my position, but after a bit of argy bargy amongst the gulls on the top of the bank I spotted the interesting regular third-winter lying down. It is interesting because it looks more like a fourth-winter: its tail still has most of the dark band, instead of a long white tip to its longest primary it has a large white mirror with a black tip to the feather and on the outstretched wing the black extends as far as the Alula. It could be a fourth-winter, but the extent of the black in the tail makes me feel more comfortable with third-winter.

Third-winter Caspian Gull

As normal there was a challenging gull. The one in the photos below looked like a Caspian Gull at times, but then it could look a little odd. It is often difficult to get a true reflection of what you see when looking through your scope compared to digiscoped photos. Its bill doesn't look as good as it did when I viewed it through my scope. Its plumage is most consistent with a fourth-winter, but it looked more adult like, but it did have lovely long spindly legs.

To me it isn't quite pure because it just doesn't quite tick all the boxes.

Its primary pattern fits sub-adult, as P10 has a long white tip and black that is slightly more extensive than on a full adult, P5 has a black band across it that is wider on the outer side and P4 had a black spot on the outer side. If it is an adult then the primary pattern is that of a hybrid, but if its a fourth-winter then it could be OK. Easy isn't it.

I'd be interested in any comments about the gull below, as trying to determine the borders of acceptability for this species is challenging. The trait scoring system only works with adults and first-winters.

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An Iceland Gull Finds its Way to Shawell

December 17, 2014, 11:17 am

≫ Next: Iceland Gull Again

≪ Previous: Another look at the advanced Third-winter Caspian Gull and a Puzzle

I had my usual Wednesday lunch break today at Shawell and I spotted what looked like a 'white-winger' resting amongst some gulls near the tip. It was facing me, so I couldn't see its primaries. Before I had the chance to confirm its identification, something spooked the gulls and they all took to the wing. Many were heading towards the A5 Lagoons, so I followed.

Hundreds if not thousands of gulls were at the lagoons, but initially I couldn't see any sign of the really pale bird. Working through the gulls I came across a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull and what may well have been a new hybrid Caspian x Herring Gull, but I didn't spend much time looking at it as I wanted the Arctic Wanderer.

It didn't appear to be at the lagoons but suddenly, as if by magic, it appeared on the far shore - it was an Iceland Gull - a result of last week's 'Weather Bomb'? Hopefully the first of many.

I have aged it as a third-winter, because of the bills lack of yellow and the patchiness of the coverts.

Third-winter Iceland Gull

White Wingers at Shawell

Adult Iceland Gull at Shawell

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Iceland Gull Again

December 20, 2014, 11:32 am

≫ Next: Christmas Greetings

≪ Previous: An Iceland Gull Finds its Way to Shawell

Herring Gull numbers are building up and just as in late December 2013 there are at least two thousand visiting Shawell at present. The throng of gulls at the tipping area is a wonder to see, but it is not a great place to practice your identification skills, as the gulls are constantly on the move. A first year gull with a soft brown overall colour and brownish tertials and primaries grabbed my attention for about two seconds before it was sucked up into the mass of gulls. Anyway whatever my first impressions were I never saw that gull again. On the periphery of the tip I did see a smart first-winter Yellow-legged Gull that had solid brown coverts and tertials that contrasted nicely with its grey saddle. I had not seen a first-winter for a while, so it was good to see another.

There was no sign of the Iceland Gull that I found on Wednesday at the tip, so it was time to move to the A5 Lagoons and hope for better luck. It didn't take long to find a smart fourth-winter Caspian Gull - a new one.

Fourth-winter Caspian Gull

This Caspian Gull was a real classic: a super slender long bill, a small head with a pair of dark eyes and an almost fully adult set of primaries. It hung about on the largest lagoon for over an hour, which gave me plenty of time to study it.

Fourth-winter Caspian Gull

At dead on 11:00 something, probably a Common Buzzard, caused the gulls to panic and amongst the first group to settle back down on the water was the third-winter Iceland Gull. It must have been hiding on the other lagoon.

Third-winter Iceland Gull

Almost as soon as it arrived it flew off again. It then returned briefly at about 11:30 and flew off again only to return about 15 minutes later. This time it stayed for about an hour.

Third-winter Iceland Gull

The light was brighter today, which made the Iceland Gull look much more ghost like. Remnants of the immature plumage were still visible on the tertials and greater coverts. The paleness of the eyes was easier to see today as well. The legs are pink, but in certain lights they look a little paler than normal for Iceland Gull.

After the Iceland Gull departed, I noticed a striking gull near the shore that proved quite challenging. It was as clean looking as the adult Yellow-legged Gulls are at present. However, its head shape was wrong and so was its primary pattern. Its head was quite small and its bill was very long. The bill had a similar shape to a Herring Gulls, but it seemed too long. Its legs were a pasty yellowy orange, not right for Yellow-legged Gull. This gull may well be a hybrid Caspian x Herring Gull, but it is difficult to be 100% certain - what do you think?

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Christmas Greetings

December 24, 2014, 10:15 am

≫ Next: Review of the Gulls at Shawell During 2014

≪ Previous: Iceland Gull Again

Before I start eating and drinking, I would like to thanks all those who have stopped by to read my blog or look at the pictures during 2014. I would also like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year - Ave a Good Un!

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Review of the Gulls at Shawell During 2014

December 26, 2014, 2:17 am

≫ Next: Last Visit to Shawell for 2014

≪ Previous: Christmas Greetings

During 2014 my fascination with gulls at Shawell continued unabated. The standout highlight for me was finding three juvenile Caspian Gulls during August. The subtle differences between the juveniles of other similar species and Caspian Gull juveniles take time and practice to appreciate.

My total gull species recorded was up by one this year thanks to my sighting of a Ring-billed Gull. I

n all I recorded 11 species and of these six were seen on most occasions.

I made visits during each month and found once again that there is no gull season, as interesting gulls can turn up at the site at any time.

All gulls found by myself unless indicated otherwise.

Great Black-backed Gulls

Species Accounts:

Black-headed Gull Chroiccocephalus ridibundus

Common throughout the year apart from June. By mid-July numbers began to build up and on the 12th 681 were recorded at the A5 Lagoons. The peak count was less than in 2013, but several gatherings of 2000+ were recorded

Five colour-ringed birds were seen: two from England and one each from Denmark, Scotland and The Netherlands

Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus

This species remains scarce, but four was a better return than the previous two years.

Adult, summer-plumage, March 15th
Adult, summer-plumage, April 5th
First-winter, September 17th
Second-winter, December 25th (found by Steve Lister)

Adult Mediterranean Gull, Shawell A5 Lagoons, April 2014

Common Gull Larus canus

This species is never common, the maximum day counts are rarely much above 50. The highest count was 102 on April 5th.

Three colour-ringed birds were recorded: two Norwegian ringed ones and one ringed by the North Thames Gull Group at Pitsea LF, Essex in February 2013.

Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis

A second-calender year was present briefly at the A5 Lagoons on March 30th. The LROS records committee has accepted this record.

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

For much of the year this species is the commonest, only being outdone by Herring Gull in the very depths of winter. Counts of over 1000 are achievable during most visits. Numbers peak in spring and autumn when they are migrating to or from warmer climes. During November several counts over 2000 were made with the best being around 2400.

In total I read 179 colour-rings from 12 countries. The furthest south that any of the ones seen this year have been reported is Morocco. However, one that I saw in 2013 (orange PB4T) was seen by Leicestershire & Rutland birder John Wright in Senegal during January 2014.

Several of the ones seen this year are fitted with data loggers. It will be interesting to see their wanderings as the data becomes available. Below is a map of the travels of one of them:

The Travels of Dutch Ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull (green MAFB)

One of the Colour-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gulls From 2014

Herring Gull Larus argentatus

Seen during all months with peaks in January and December when counts of 2000+ were made. A count of 23 on June 18th hinted at a local, so far undiscovered, breeding colony.

A probable 'omissus' or Baltic yellow legged Herring Gull was at both the lagoons and the landfill site on December 3rd.

25 new colour-ringed birds were seen throughout the year. Of these just one was ringed away from England. An adult ringed in Finland almost 2000 km away was at the A5 Lagoons on February 18th.

A fourth-calendar year that had been colour-ringed by the North Thames Gull Group at Pitsea LF, Essex on March 10th 2012 has already made some interesting journeys - see map below. To Visit the North Thames Gull Group's website click HERE.

Sightings of Colour-ringed Herring Gull FX7T So Far

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Seen during all month’s with a peak in mid-summer. All ages were seen; including several juveniles that first appeared near the end of July. An impressive 12 first-calender year birds were seen on August 30th.

Below is a chart showing the best day counts for each month of 2014.

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, Shawell A5 Lagoons, August 2014

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans

A total of 37 were recorded compared to 38 last year. No doubt some were returning birds, but many were new. This species offers many challenges and as well as the ones considered by myself to be OK, I also saw at least 12 hybrids.

Amongst them were three colour-ringed ones: two from eastern Germany and another from southern Poland. Another seen that was ringed as a Caspian Gull by the North Thames Gull Group was perhaps not a pure Caspian Gull.

Colour-ringed Second-winter Caspian Gull, Shawell A5 lagoons, October 2014

The most challenging are the juveniles, so it was really pleasing to identify three different ones. The first is pictured below. Juveniles are quite different to the first-winters seen later in the year. For those interested in learning more about juvenile Caspian Gulls and other age groups it is worth checking out gullresearch.org

Juvenile Caspian Gull, Cotesbach LF, August 2014

All Caspian Gull Sightings for 2014:

Second-winter, January 11th
Adult, January 18th
Second-winter, January 18th
Fourth-winter, February 1st
First-winter, March 5th
Second-winter, March 5th (also March 15th, 26th and 29th)
Fourth-winter, March 8th
Second-winter, March 22nd
Second-winter, March 29th
First-winter/summer, April 5th
Juvenile, August 2nd
Juvenile, August 5th, colour-ringed XDFV
Juvenile, August 9th (also August 13th and 20th)
Adult, August 9th, colour-ringed PADZ (also October 22nd)
First-summer/second-winter, August 19th
Adult, August 20th
Adult, August 23rd
First-winter, September 17th (also September 24th)
Second-winter, October 11th, colour-ringed XNDJ (also October 18th)
Adult, October 12th (also October 18th)
Adult, October 18th (also October 22nd, 28th & 29th)
Third-winter, October 19th
Fourth-winter, October 22nd (also October 29th)
Third-winter, October 28th
Adult, November 1st, (female)
Adult, November 1st (also November 10th)
Fourth-winter, November 8th (also November 19th & 22nd)
Fourth-winter, November 10th
Third-winter, November 19th (also December 6th)
Third-winter, November 20th (also December 6th, 11th and 13th)
Adult or fourth-winter, November 26th
Third-winter, November 29th
Adult or fourth-winter, November 29th (also December 3rd)
Adult, December 6th (short legged)
Adult or fourth-winter, December 6th
Fourth-winter, December 20th
Third-winter, December 22nd

Note: these are all considered to be different individuals - bill colour and unique marks plus eye colour was compared especially on adults to work out whether they were the same or not.

Hybrids:

All presumed to be Caspian x Herring

Adult, February 7th
Adult, March 5th
Adult, April 9th
Adult, July 5th (metal ring on right leg)
Second-summer/winter, August 20th (also August 23rd)
Adult, November 1st, (also November 5th and 8th)
Second-winter, November 10th (also November 12th & 22nd)
Adult, November 20th
Adult, November 22nd
Fourth-winter or adult December 11th
Adult, December 20th

Possible Caspian x Yellow-legged

Adult, November 29th

Adult Caspian Gull in Active Primary Moult, Shawell A5 lagoons, October 2014

Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides

This species appears to be an annual visitor, as I have now recorded it three years in a row.

Second-winter on 18th January (at both Cotesbach LF and Shawell A5 Lagoons)
Adult on March 15th (Shawell A5 Lagoons)
Third-winter on December 17th and 20th (at both Cotesbach LF and Shawell A5 Lagoons)

Second-winter Iceland Gull, Shawell A5 Lagoons, January 2014

Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus

Just one record:

Second-winter on January 18th (at both Cotesbach LF and Shawell A5 Lagoons)

Second-winter Glaucous Gull, Cotesbach LF, January 2014

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus

Seen during every month, although a single first-summer accounted for all the sightings during June and July. Numbers peaked in January, February and December with just over 500 being recorded.

Nine colour-rings were read, mostly from England, but also from Norway. One of the Norwegian ones was ringed at Hornøya, Vardø, Finnmark. It was back there during July of this year - see map below.

GBB Gull JA929 was at Shawell on March 8th 2014

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Last Visit to Shawell for 2014

December 30, 2014, 12:26 pm

≫ Next: Colour-ringed Caspian Gull Update - Red 16P4

≪ Previous: Review of the Gulls at Shawell During 2014

I couldn't resist one more visit to Shawell before the year end, so yesterday morning I donned my thermal underwear etc, and trotted off.

This was the first day the tip was up and running after the Christmas break and obviously most of the gulls had got the memo, as plenty had turned up for the feast.

Amongst the Herring Gulls I spotted an adult with a Norwegian ring. JX222 had been ringed in 2012 near Vardo during GULLFEST 2012. British birders, Martin Garner and Tristan Reid were present at the time. JX222 has travelled at least 2576 kilometres to visit Shawell, which is pretty impressive.

Norwegian Ringed Herring Gull (JX222) at Shawell, December 2014

Shortly after seeing JX222, I spotted a first year gull swimming in the shallows and I spotted it had a red colour-ring. It took ages for my Jedi mind tricks to will it to climb out of the water, but eventually it obeyed me. My first impression of the gull was that it might be a Caspian Gull or a hybrid.

It wasn't a classic but the more I looked the more I thought it could be a Caspian Gull. It was impossible to read the colour ring as it was wet and the sun was reflected by the water. The only figure I could read was a 1. Something spooked the gulls and I lost it amongst the hordes.

Luckily I soon found it again amongst a group of gulls resting on the shore slightly closer to my position. It didn't land on the shore, but stood in the shallow water at the edge.

Caspian Gull (16P4) or Hybrid, Shawell December 29th 2014

Eventually it climbed out on to the bank and I was able to read the number, which was 16P4. I have confirmed this by playing around with the photos on my PC. It is from a Polish scheme, which I have reported the sighting to and hopefully I'll have more details very soon.

Caspian Gull (16P4) or Hybrid, Shawell December 29th 2014

Most of the features are fine for Caspian Gull, the primary projection is a little short, although well within the range and some of the new scapular feathers have quite dark markings on them. It is difficult to judge primary projection in photos as just like bill length it can alter depending on angles and how the gull is standing.

There was also an adult, probably a female, Caspian Gull present, so I will have to update my premature Shawell review for 2014 posting.

Adult Caspian Gull, Shawell, 29th December 2014

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Colour-ringed Caspian Gull Update - Red 16P4

December 31, 2014, 12:02 pm

≫ Next: Caspian Gulls at Shawell During 2015

≪ Previous: Last Visit to Shawell for 2014

The Polish Bird Ringing Centre has replied very quickly to my report of the red colour-ringed Caspian Gull. It was colour-ringed as a chick on May 15th this year near Paczkow, Poland. Interestingly it was sighted by Reinhard Kunow on August 27th at Sierksdorf, Germany.

The Journey So far of Caspian Gull Red 16P4

Reinhard managed to photograph it when it stopped off in Germany - see below.

Juvenile Caspian Gull, Red 16P4, August 2014 - Photo Taken by Reinhard Kunow

I mentioned in my previous post that it was difficult to read the colour-ring, basically red and white rings can be difficult to read at distance especially when the white gets dirty. I was pretty happy that I had read it correctly and I did write 16P4 eventually in my notepad although at first I wrote 1GP4. Playing around in photoshop I could see that it was a 6 rather than a G - see below.

Lots of Playing in Photoshop Eventually Showed up the Code- Oh For Close Views

Another Image of red 16P4 AT Shawell A5 Lagoons

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Caspian Gulls at Shawell During 2015

January 1, 2015, 9:53 am

≫ Next: Improved Caspian Gull Photos

≪ Previous: Colour-ringed Caspian Gull Update - Red 16P4

Instead of heading off to Yorkshire for a Little Bustard (already on me British List) I sneaked off to, yes you've guessed it, Shawell. I didn't stay that long as the weather was miserable, but there was lots of gulls at the lagoons despite the tip being shut. I wanted a 'white-winger' to kick the year off, but instead I had to make do with a nice adult Caspian Gull plus another adult, which didn't quite make the grade.

Eventually this page will be the tally sheet for Caspian Gull sighting at Shawell for 2015.

Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all those who stop off at Bag a Wild One.

Caspian Gull Sightings at Shawell so far in 2015.

Adult, January 1st

Hybrids:

Adult, January 1st

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Improved Caspian Gull Photos

January 2, 2015, 1:23 pm

≫ Next: Lunch at Shawell

≪ Previous: Caspian Gulls at Shawell During 2015

Although the gulls are quite close at Shawell when compared to doing a gull roost at a large reservoir, they are still a little distant. Photography is restricted to digiscoping, so my images are generally just record shots. Occasionally a good subject comes closer than normal and the light is OK at the same time. Today I was pleased with my results on the Caspian Gull below. This gull looks to be the same as one that I saw on November 29th 2014 - see Here.

Caspian Gull, Shawell A5 Lagoons, January 1st 2015

Caspian Gull

As well as a couple of adults there was a third-winter Caspian Gull plus at least three hybrids.

Third-winter Caspian Gull

One of the hybrids, an adult, had a perfect primary pattern for a Casp but its bill and head shape were too Herring Gull like. The one in the photo below was a real brute, but its bill was very long and its head was similar to a Casp's although larger. It had dull yellow legs, but lacked an obvious red orbital ring around the eyes and the black of its primaries was too dull for a Yellow-legged Gull. To be honest it is difficult to be sure about some of these funny gulls, but you get a feel for the features if you look at gulls for long enough.

Hybrid Caspian x Herring Gull?

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Lunch at Shawell

January 7, 2015, 1:33 pm

≫ Next: Hard Going at Shawell Today

≪ Previous: Improved Caspian Gull Photos

Today I had my first Wednesday lunch break of the Year at Shawell and, you guessed it, there was a couple of Caspian Gulls in residence. Both appear to be ones that I've not seen before. I briefly saw a third-winter on the opposite shore, but it flew off just after arriving. Next an adult appeared on the bank between the lagoons and it was a bit more cooperative than the third-winter. The adult appeared to have short legs but that was down to the height I was viewing it at, because as it moved up the bank I could see that the legs were typical of most Caspian Gulls. The third-winter reappeared on the same bank as the adult and gave prolonged views.

Adult Caspian Gull, Shawell A5 Lagoons, 07/01/15, (2015.6)

The longest primary P10 was still growing and was just slightly shorter than P9, so it will look even longer winged in the near future. This one was quite large so most probably a male. The image above is quite typical of Caspian Gulls on the bank as they all seem to be quite sleepy when resting on it.

Third-winter Caspian Gull, Shawell A5 Lagoons, 07/01/15 (2015.5)

The third-winter had noticeably long legs, but in the photo above a bit of each leg is hidden by the grass.

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Hard Going at Shawell Today

January 10, 2015, 1:49 pm

≫ Next: I Egret Not looking (Bad)

≪ Previous: Lunch at Shawell

Strong winds today kept the gulls on the move and only small groups were at the A5 lagoons. The wind in the morning made it very uncomfortable for the gulls that tried to rest on the bank. They weren't at the landfill site either, but I bumped into the manager and he told me that many gulls were in fields between the landfill and the M1 motorway. These are only visible from the high ground on top of the tip.

Amongst a small group of gulls that did pitch down at the lagoons was the third-winter Caspian Gull that was also at the lagoons on January 7th. Also a Norwegian colour-ringed Great Black-backed Gull put in an appearance and surrendered its code - JP600. In October and November 2012 it had been sighted on a couple of different oil rigs in the North Sea. Another colour-ringed GBBG was there but this one avoided having its colour-ring read. I did, however, manage to confirm the code of an adult Black-headed Gull that I first saw in December 2014. This one spends much of its time around the Ythan Estuary in Aberdeenshire.

Third-winter Caspian Gull, Shawell A5 Lagoons

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I Egret Not looking (Bad)

January 11, 2015, 8:51 am

≫ Next: Aggressive Caspian Gull

≪ Previous: Hard Going at Shawell Today

This morning Adey Baker and I had a walk around the perimeter of the Earl Shilton Sewage Works hoping to find a Siberian Chiffchaf. The hoped for Sibe was obviously hiding today, but we did see an ordinary Chiffchaff. As we arrived at a spot where we saw a Green Sandpiper in 2014, I noticed a couple of white looking birds in the field. I decided that they were probably gulls reflecting the winter sun and ignored them, but Adey actually looked at them through his bins and got the find. Not a rarity nationally or in Leicestershire but locally they are still a good species. I'm sure my corny title gave the game away - yes there was a couple of Little Egrets in the field. They were too distant for anything other than a record shot as you can see from my heavily cropped photo below. We also got a Green Sandpiper, so not a bad hours work close to home.

Little Egrets Near Earl Shilton Sewage Works

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