San Sebastián International Gull Meeting

November 21, 2019, 11:34 pm

Last week I travelled to San Sebastián to take part in the International Gull Meeting. Peter Rock and I flew from Manchester to Bilbao on Wednesday morning and from there we hired a car and drove to San Sebastián.

The IGM Team Photo

First of all, however, we spent the day with Asier Aldalur, Gabriel Martin and Viorel Dumitru Gavril. Asier knows how to show a visitor the best side of the Basque Country - see below.

Rubbish Tip Near Bilbao.

It was at this rubbish tip that I got my first good view of the local Yellow-legged Gulls L. m. lusitanius (sometimes called Cantabrian Gull). They look slightly different to the lusitanius of Portugal although they are clearly closely related. The taxonomy of the gulls of the Altantic coast of Iberia is still being worked out.

A collection of Cantabrian Gulls

Adult

A couple of Griffon Vultures passed overhead and a Black Kite harassed the gulls.

First-winter

After the tip, a tour of several harbours added to our experience of the local gulls.

First-winter

Getaria

Watching Gulls in Getaria

A Real Treat - Thanks Asier!

After gull watching we were treated to a meal cooked by Asier and a couple of his friends. This was a real treat and something I was expecting.

Asier Cooking a Fantastic Meal

The first day of the IGM was spent listening to some very interesting talks. I gave a presentation on the Identification of the Yellow-legged Gulls of southern Portugal. This contrasted with some very scientific themes, but hopefully the participants enjoyed it.

Juan Arigaza and Peter Rock (left)

The morning of the second day was spent at a nearby fish harbour where a haul of gulls was ringed. This gave an opportunity for the ringers to work together and learn about each others techniques.

Gull Ringing

Luka Juronovic and Merijn Loeve

Peter Rock and I separated from the group at lunchtime and sneaked off to a steak restaurant called Casa Julian. Here we enjoyed steak cooked over an open wood fire.

A days gulling was in store for the last day. The weather was not doing us any favours on this trip, but we made the best of things.

Here's a few more Cantabrian Yellow-legged Gulls:

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Third-winter Kumlien's Gull

December 28, 2019, 9:28 am

≫ Next: Christmas Day for the Gulls

≪ Previous: San Sebastián International Gull Meeting

December had on the whole been a difficult month. Most Saturday's the gull had been shunning the sandpit and so most views were very distant. This was particularly frustrating especially after picking out juvenile Iceland Gull on the last day of November.

Today the gulls, filled with Christmas leftovers, were coming into the sandpit. After a flurry of Caspian Gulls I picked up a 'white-winger'. Obviously an Iceland Gull and a third-winter, but dark primary feather markings revealed it was a Kumlien's type. A Grey wash was very obvious on the outer webs of the primaries with the darkest markings being on the longest primaries. Considering the distance this has translated reasonably well in the photographs.

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Christmas Day for the Gulls

December 30, 2019, 9:55 am

≫ Next: Review of the 'White-Winged Gulls at Shawell

≪ Previous: Third-winter Kumlien's Gull

With experience I have learnt that once the dustbin lorries start rolling again after Christmas the gulls come to Shawell for their own Christmas Dinner. Today was not exception and many thousands dined out on our leftovers.

With so many gulls it can be difficult to work through them, but after Saturday's Kumlien's Gull, I was hoping for more 'white-wingers'. The gulls had obviously fed well and were not wanting to fly far. They began to concentrate on a close bank, which enabled me to read quite a lot of colour-rings.

It took a while, but eventually I spotted a pale juvenile Glaucous Gull, which eventually gave really good views. A smart adult Iceland Gull arrived a lttle while after the Glauc and made the day complete.

Juvenile Glaucous Gull, Shawell, December 30th 2019

Adult Iceland Gull, Shawell, December 30th 2019

These were the 39th Glaucous and 48th Iceland Gull for the site.

I'll see you all at the site soon - Happy New Year!

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Review of the 'White-Winged Gulls at Shawell

January 1, 2020, 12:31 pm

≫ Next: More From Shawell

≪ Previous: Christmas Day for the Gulls

We have now been watching the area around The Cotesbach Landfill site for 11 years. The landfill site attracts thousands of gulls on an almost daily basis, but it's the Arctic species that create the most excitement. Glaucous and Iceland Gulls can be seen in small numbers throughout winter and into spring. Occasionally a Kumlien's Gull is identified although they are very rare, but two were seen in 2019.

Pale Juvenile Glaucous Gull, April 16th 2018, Shawell Sandpit

The number being recorded at Shawell/Cotesbach landfill site has increased in recent years. This is probably due to high numbers of gulls visiting the sandpit off Gibbet Lane. Previously, only a fraction of the gulls in the area visited the A5 Lagoons, but now more are being seen.

Juvenile Iceland Gull on April 21st at Shawell Sandpit.

Total so far

Year	Iceland Gull	Glaucous Gull	Kumlien’s Gull
2019	8	7	2
2018	14	7	0
2017	4	9	0
2016	3	4	0
2015	1	2	0
2014	3	1	0
2013	2	7	0
2012	5	2	0
2011	1	0	0
2010	1	0	0
2009	3	0	1
11 yr totals	45	39	3

So when is the best time to search for these beauties?

Below are two graphs showing the months in which new birds have arrived. February and March are the peak times for Iceland Gull, but January is the best time to see Glaucous Gull at Shawell. Iceland Gulls can arrive well into spring.

So what age is the most common? Juvenile is the most common age for Glaucous and Iceland Gull. However, second-winter Iceland Gulls are also quite common.

Identification is straight forward as size wise and structurally they are not at all similar, however, ageing is not so straightforward. Compare the brutish look of the Glaucous Gull below to the gentle features of the Iceland Gull. Iceland Gulls typically are obviously long winged and lack the tertial step of Glaucous Gull.

Second-winter Glaucous Gull.

Third-winter Iceland Gull.

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More From Shawell

January 4, 2020, 1:38 pm

≫ Next: Kumlien's Still

≪ Previous: Review of the 'White-Winged Gulls at Shawell

Another Saturday and another one spent checking the gulls at my favourite spot. With news of the 'white-wingers' spreading it was no surprise to see a steady stream of visitors today. It was of course great to see everyone and the new viewing area provided by Tarmac is helping to make everyone's experience a little better. Parking is still an issue though.

Birdguides enhanced the sites reputation this week by saying the following in the review of the week:

'With it being such a poor winter for white-winged gulls so far, Shawell in Leicestershire only exacerbated the notion that it is one of the country's top gull-watching sites when it produced Kumlien's, Glaucous and Iceland Gulls between Christmas and New Year'.

Today we had a great time with a few other species vying for our attention. As well the gulls, both a Common and a Green Sandpiper were seen and also a female Merlin.

The first 'white-winger' to appear was the third-winter Kumlien's Gull that I first found on December 28th. It's primary markings were a little harder to see, but they were just visible.
It's strange how different light conditions make such a difference.

Third-winter Kumlien's Gull, Shawell Sand Quarry

The pale juvenile first seen on December 30th was seen briefly in flight and then later on it came down into the flooded sandpit.

Juvenile Glaucous Gull, Shawell Sand Quarry

Before the juvenile came on to the water an adult gull that I hastily identified as an Iceland Gull appeared. Reviewing the photos tonight I realised it is a small. probably female, Glaucous Gull. This is the 40th record of this gull species for Shawell. Note the large head and strong looking bill plus the short primary projection.

Adult Glaucous Gull, Shawell Sand Quarry

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Kumlien's Still

January 10, 2020, 12:55 pm

≫ Next: A New Kumlien's Gull at Shawell

≪ Previous: More From Shawell

A quick visit to Shawell this morning revealed that both the pale juvenile Glaucous Gull and the third-winter Kumlien's Gull were still taking advantage of the food the landfill provides. A surprise first-winter Med Gull was also there.

The place wash awash with gulls, so hopefully a few more white-wingers will join the party.

The primary markings on the Kumlien's can be really obvious in dull light, but in the bright sunlight today it was harder to spot. Its eyes are pale, but not as pale as typical sub-adult Iceland Gulls - more of a honey colour in most lights.

In the photo below the subterminal bar on P9 is just visible. This became more obvious went in flew back on to the water.

Third-winter Kumlien's Gull at Shawell Sand Quarry 10th January 2020

Open Image of Third-winter Kumlien's Gull

The open wing image shows the darker markings on the outer webs of P10 to P7. A sub terminal mark is just visible on P9. I have read that the markings darken as the bird ages.

Glaucous Gull

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A New Kumlien's Gull at Shawell

January 15, 2020, 10:56 am

≫ Next: Third-winter Kumlien's Gull Reappears at Shawell

≪ Previous: Kumlien's Still

I went to work early today, so I could spend a little time at Shawell at lunchtime. Very soon after arriving I spotted what I initially thought was the regular Kumlien's Gull, but on close inspection I realised that it was a different bird. It is more heavily streaked on the head and breast than the other bird. At first glance it looks good for a third-winter with the amount of adult like grey mantle and scapular feathers, however, the extensive streaking on the head, breast and flanks plus the markings on the tertials suggests it's probably an advanced second-winter. Also the bill is very like a second-winter although there are examples of third-winters with bills like this. It had a similar looking primary pattern on the closed wing to the regular Kumlien's.

So, regardless of age this looks like a good Kumlien's Gull - That primary pattern of darker outers is obvious whereas a 'dark end' Iceland would show the same shading on inner prims too, probably even darker on the inner primaries.

Also note that the adult grey tones are similar to the Herring Gull whereas Iceland Gull glaucoides tend to be paler.

All said Kumlien's Gull is classed along with Thayer's Gull as an Iceland Gull.

Kumlien's Gull, Shawell 15th January 2020

Compare it with the regular bird:

IF YOU DO VISIT SHAWELL, PLEASE PARK SENSIBLY FOR YOUR OWN GOOD AND DO NOT CLIMB OVER FENCES.

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Third-winter Kumlien's Gull Reappears at Shawell

January 18, 2020, 12:56 pm

≫ Next: Glaucous Gull

≪ Previous: A New Kumlien's Gull at Shawell

After a few days absence the third-winter Kumlien's Gull reappeared at Shawell today. However, before its reappearance the adult Glaucous Gull I first spotted on January 4th put in an appearance. It was only seen by one other though and many visitors left empty handed. It can be difficult for people to pick up the birds amongst the flock on the water.

An impressive total of 18 Caspian Gulls kept things ticking over and many of the visitors at least saw one of those.

The Kumlien's Gull appeared around lunchtime and stayed for a good while. The bright sun light made viewing the primary pattern difficult and it looked much paler today than on other occasions.

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Glaucous Gull

February 3, 2020, 1:29 pm

≫ Next: Kumlien's Gull at Shawell Again

≪ Previous: Third-winter Kumlien's Gull Reappears at Shawell

After a poor show on Saturday due to no tipping I was compelled to go to work early in order to get over to Shawell again at Lunchtime.

The first interesting gull I spotted was a giant of a Caspian Gull, which I first saw a few weeks back. It matched the Great Black-backed Gulls in size.

Next was a large Herring Gull that I have seen a few times recently. Apparently it was identified as a Glaucous Gull today, but it is most likely a Herring Gull with faded bleached primaries; certainly not a Glaucous Gull. The primary projection is too long for a Glauc to start with.

Anyway, the pièce de résistance was a new Glaucous Gull. A tricky one to age, but the obviously pale eyes, faded black tip to bill and the amount of adult like grey feathering on the mantle, scapulars and some coverts led me to conclude it is probably a third-winter.

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Kumlien's Gull at Shawell Again

February 5, 2020, 11:30 am

≫ Next: New Iceland Gull at Shawell

≪ Previous: Glaucous Gull

Another lunchtime at Shawell once again produced the goods. Lots of gulls were loafing on the steep banks and so I began harvesting colour-rings. Twenty in the notebook in the first half an hour was a great result, but then something created panic and the birds left the banks and huddled together in a noisy mass on the water. I scanned the flock and struck lucky when I spotted the long staying third-winter Kumlien's Gull. It is looking a fair bit paler than when I first saw it on December 28th 2019.

There was no sign of the third-winter Glaucous Gull whilst I was there, but a couple of Caspian Gulls were amongst the gulls, which were mainly Herring Gulls.

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New Iceland Gull at Shawell

February 7, 2020, 10:53 am

≫ Next: Another Good Day at Shawell

≪ Previous: Kumlien's Gull at Shawell Again

This new Iceland Gull was spotted by Steve Lister at Shawell yesterday and luckily it was still present today when I sneaked over.

It's quite a large bird, equal in size to many Herring Gulls and just like many 'white-wingers' it sits high on the water. It is most likely a third-winter based on its plumage and its very pale eyes. However, its bill is more second-winter like. Ageing gulls can be tricky and is often more of an educated guess. Colour-ringed birds show how difficult it can be. Some age fast and others slowly.

Its round head, long primary projection and greenish bill rule out Glaucous Gull.

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Another Good Day at Shawell

February 8, 2020, 12:01 pm

≫ Next: Review of White-Winged Gulls at Shawell

≪ Previous: New Iceland Gull at Shawell

The last few Saturdays at Shawell have been poor, but this one proved a bit better.

I arrived just after 08:00 an already gulls were at the sandpit. A 'wave' of gulls appeared from the right and amongst them was the third-winter Iceland Gull, first found by Steve Lister on Thursday, and the subject of my last post.

The third-winter Kumlien's Gull also put in a brief appearance, but I only saw it on the ground facing me and then in flight.

A pair of Pintail were a welcome sight as the last record of a Pintail in this area was in 2017. A Barnacle Goose was with Canada Geese at the A5 Lagoons.

Third-Winter Iceland Gull, Shawell, February 8th 2020

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Review of White-Winged Gulls at Shawell

February 14, 2020, 1:35 pm

≫ Next: Camera Trap

≪ Previous: Another Good Day at Shawell

I have updated the report on the 'White-winged Gulls' recorded at Shawell.

To see the report as a PDF CLICK HERE

Iceland Gull

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Camera Trap

February 21, 2020, 1:09 pm

≫ Next: A Bit of Perfecting the New Trail Camera.

≪ Previous: Review of White-Winged Gulls at Shawell

Having spotted up to 800 gulls loafing about near a farm, I decided to take a closer look. The gulls appeared to be feeding near to the farmer's barns, so I contacted him and asked him if I could place a stealth camera in his farmyard. He was a decent chap and he said yes.

I did some research and decided on purchasing the Browning Recon Force Edge from the Nature Spy Shop. This offered all the settings I needed including the ability to set the time period the camera works for. This saves on battery life.

Once the camera arrived I set about making a secure box to house it in. An old metal electric box was perfect after some modifications. I am really pleased to say the camera was bone dry despite the horrible weather we have had over the last few days.

Anyway I retrieved the camera first thing this morning after three days. The batteries were still doing well at 75% and it had recorded something.

I swapped the memory card and secured the camera back in its box and left it to do its work.

Once downloaded I was pleased with the results although perhaps for reading rings the camera needs to be closer to the big tyre. I did move the tyre slightly, so we'll see next time.

The hope is that I will be able to read some colour-rings, but that will take time I think.

Here are some of the results:

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A Bit of Perfecting the New Trail Camera.

February 23, 2020, 1:10 pm

≫ Next: The Algarve

≪ Previous: Camera Trap

After looking at the first batch of photos from my new camera trap I decided to do a bit of a re-jig.

I have altered the angle to catch more of the foreground and rearranged the tyres a bit.

I swapped the memory card over and checking the images I was surprised to see a Raven perched on the big tyre. Not the rarity it once was but still a good catch in the first week.

Raven Caught on Stealth Camera.

New Layout

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The Algarve

March 14, 2020, 1:40 pm

≫ Next: Its Been a While!

≪ Previous: A Bit of Perfecting the New Trail Camera.

A bit of winter sunshine was what the Doctor ordered, but that wasn't what we got every day. Luckily there was still plenty of birds and some sunshine. The wind was quite chilly and I had to put my jumper on a few times 😊

A second-winter Ring-billed Gull had been resident at Salgados Lagoons for a while, so I made this one of my first targets. Luckily it was still present and a Common Gull was hanging out with it. Common Gulls are found only in small numbers during winter in the Algarve.

Ring-billed Gull

Common Gull

At Portimão fish port up to 100 Glossy Ibis were in residence, which was a first sighting there for me. During the trip I noticed that many were attaining their summer plumage like the one below. At one time I had five Glossy Ibises, two White Storks and a Caspian Tern standing amongst the gulls on a piece of waste ground close to the harbour.

Glossy Ibis

One of my favourite places is the mountain Fóia near Monchique. A small area on the north side always produces birds and this time Iberian Chiffchaffs were the stars. I saw a bird that at first glance looked more like a Willow Warbler than a Chiffchaff, but once it started singing I realised it was of course an Iberian Chiffchaff. Note the pale bill and the yellowish wash to the upperparts. Also the supercilium is yellow in front of the eyes.

Iberian Chiffchaff

The day on the plains near Castro Verde is always a highlight and we weren't let down this time. A cold north-westerly wind greeted us and caused the long grass to sway dramatically and paint every changing patterns. By the LPN headquarters a Quail was just audible over the sound of the wind and the whispering grass. Lesser Kestrels hunted the steppe and Calandra Larks displayed above us. A distant ring-tail Hen Harrier was good to see, as were ten Black-bellied Sandgrouse, but the much hoped for Great Spotted Cuckoo eluded us.

As we approached the area where a few trees grow a bird flew up and landed on the fence. I new instantly what is was - a Great Spotted Cuckoo. It was quite tame and was allowing me to creep closer. However, a couple of birders approached very quickly as they were driving a car and oblivious to the cuckoo, which they drove past and flushed. This was frustrating as it was a footpath and certainly not designed for driving a car on.

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Moving on from the LPN centre we headed for Guerreiro where in the past we have enjoyed good views of Great Bustard. We weren't disappointed as about 30 of these heavyweights were quite close to the track.

Great Bustard

A little further along a large raptor flew low over the grassland flushing birds as it went. It was a second calendar-year Iberian Imperial Eagle and amongst the panicking birds were three Little Bustards that flew right past us. Checking the photos I could see that at least two of them had data loggers fitted to their backs.

Little Bustard

Lunch was taken at the church on the hill near Monte Salto. The church overlooks much of the area and is a good place for searching the skies for raptors. Whilst enjoying a sandwich Dawn spotted three large birds drifting past and these turned out to be Black Vultures. Three was the same total of Black Vultures I've seen in Portugal ever, but more where to come. I noticed some distant Griffon Vultures and watched them land amongst a gathering of vultures that were feasting on an unidentified corpse. Once satisfied the vultures began to leave and many flew directly past us. Amongst the Griffons were another six Black Vultures.

Black and Griffon Vultures

Coastal wetlands and saltpans are very good in the Algarve. On this trip we checked out a few new areas around Vilamoura. The highlight was three Black-winged Kites - all hunting - plus several Marsh Harriers, a Booted Eagle and an Osprey.

Black-winged Kite

Marsh Harrier

Booted Eagle

Good numbers of Avocet were seen at several of the saltpans with 126 at Olháo being the most impressive group.

At the fishing harbours the gulls were far from numerous, but I was pleased to see some colour-ringed lusitanius Yellow-legged Gulls from the Berlengas Islands. This adult was especially welcomed as normally it is first-winter birds that are seen with rings from this location.

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Its Been a While!

May 17, 2020, 1:04 pm

≫ Next: Camera Trap Update

≪ Previous: The Algarve

Well I haven't had much to say for a while, but I'm still here. A week and a half into lockdown and I managed to sprain my ankle, which left me immobile for nearly three weeks. However, I am now walking about in a fashion, as it's not right yet. Nevertheless I have managed to record 70 species around my garden or within a short distance on foot from home. I was quite surprised at how many common warbler species can be found on the outskirts of Earl Shilton. I have found over 20 Whitethroat territories, seven Lesser Whitethroat, many Blackcaps and also Reed and Sedge Warblers. Willow warblers are in short supply though - just one pair found.

Today I collected the memory card from my trail camera. I left it at the farm on March 21st, so it was going to be interesting to see how long the batteries had lasted. Checking the card I could see the battery failed on April 16th, which means it lasted 26 days on a cheap set of AA batteries and the camera took over 46,000 photos. Most of the photos were of corvids, but it did capture some gulls. Nearly all the gulls are young Herring Gulls, but it was interesting to see that sightings tapered off in early April. However, today at least 50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were there and that gives me more hope of recording colour-rings. I also moved the camera today, so fingers crossed.

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Camera Trap Update

May 31, 2020, 11:07 am

≫ Next: Catch Up

≪ Previous: Its Been a While!

Since lockdown was relaxed slightly I have managed to work with my camera trap some more. I have now managed to read four colour-rings. The camera has been moved to the feeding zone and as a result the camera is amongst the hordes now. Reading the rings from the photographs has been difficult, but I am slowly getting the camera closer to their legs. So far I have had birds from the Channel Islands, The Netherlands and Wales. CK from The Netherlands was at Shawell last September as a juvenile.

The camera resolution does not compete with a good DSLR, so as you zoom in the detail becomes pixilated. The bright sunshine has also caused problems with shadows etc, but I'm up and running so that's good.

I now need to take care of the battery situation as they are only lasting four days with the amount of action. A solar charger should be available for the camera in July.

Can you spot two Yellow-legged Gulls?

A Fox tried his luck, but the gulls escaped his jaws.

F:581 ringed on Flat Holm Island, Wales

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Catch Up

June 29, 2020, 7:45 am

≫ Next: Back at Shawell it was Quite Baltic

≪ Previous: Camera Trap Update

It been a while since I posted anything on my Blog. I have been off work due to the dreaded Covid-19. However, I have used my time wisely writing as much as possible for the book I'm working on with Adey Baker - 'Birds of Hinckley & Surrounding Areas'. It is really beginning to take shape, with around 200 pages done so far and I have some fabulous illustrations and photographs to brighten it up - more later...

It has been quite an exciting time. The BBRC have accepted a number of colour-ringed Baltic Gulls from Horsvaer, Norway including two of mine from Shawell. This is an excellent outcome for all the effort Morten, Mars and I put in producing the paper for BB.

Another recent highlight was finding a Roseate Tern at Shawell Sand Quarry. This was quite a surprise as I'm sure you can imagine. I noticed a tern sitting on a small sandy island at about 150 metres distance. Picking it up in my scope I though that's not quite right for a Common Tern. It was facing head on and the first thing I noticed was its black bill although not totally black as the base was red. Its head was nicely rounded and the black cap seemed to be a shade blacker than that of a Common Tern. I placed my video camera on, as I fetched my little Sony compact camera from my car boot. I couldn't believe it was gone after only about 20 seconds. A Black-headed Gull had chased it from its island and it didn't look back. The video showed two important characters, the long tail streamers and the pale upperparts. The upperparts were paler than that of a Black-headed Gull and so also paler than Common Tern. I also picked out a contrast between the paler inner primaries and the darker outer ones. It is with the records committee, but hopefully everyone will agree and it will be the fifth record for Leicestershire & Rutland if they do.

Roseate Tern, Shawell Sand Quarry on June 20th 2020

Roseate Tern, Shawell Sand Quarry, 20th June 2020

The camera trap has yielded some interesting results although the number of ringed birds is low. I have left it working all night and a Fox family have been quite entertaining.

Another fun highlight of the last few days was paddling in a pond getting up close and personal with Red-eyed Damselflies, Small Red-eyed Damselflies and female Emperor Dragonflies.

Red-eyed Damselfly

Small Red-eyed Damselfly

Emperor Dragonfly

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Back at Shawell it was Quite Baltic

September 29, 2020, 11:22 am

≫ Next: Lusitanius Yellow-legged Gull at Shawell?

≪ Previous: Catch Up

I have only visited Shawell a few times since lockdown, as there has been no weekend tipping and I've been at work in the week. Today I was away from work and so I spent the morning there. The first thing of note was a record breaking count/estimate of the number of Lesser Black-backed Gull. There was a minimum of 8000 probably 10,000. The water levels had dropped and so I was also able to read colour-rings once again. The highlight of the colour-ring birds was a first calendar-year Caspian Gull from Germany - XJNJ.

Whilst scanning through the hordes I spotted a real belter of a gull. Although it is not safe to identify an adult Baltic Gull without a colour ring, this one for me was spot on. It was initially standing sideways on and it was long-winged and elegant. Unfortunately when I attached my camera the bugger turned its back on the camera.

Pro Baltic Gull features include: jet-black upperparts with no contrast between primaries and the rest of the upperparts, long-wings and only replaced two inner primaries. However, no colour-ring no cigar.

As well as the putative Baltic Gull there were five Caspian Gulls and at least 11 Yellow-legged Gulls plus a Ruff and two Dunlin.

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Lusitanius Yellow-legged Gull at Shawell?

December 9, 2020, 1:10 pm

≫ Next: 2020 Highlights

≪ Previous: Back at Shawell it was Quite Baltic

I was at Shawell today and winter is definitely upon us judging by the large number of gulls using the site. There were some smart looking adult and near adult Caspian Gulls, but it was a Yellow-legged Gull that caught my eye. Having travelled to Iberia on many occasions, I am familiar with the subspecies L. m. lusitanius. This subspecies frequents the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. In The Basque Country the Yellow-legged Gulls are quite distinctive and are sometimes thought to be closer related to Herring Gull than Yellow-legged Gull. Today an adult Yellow-legged Gull in the sandpit off Gibbet Lane really reminded me of this form. Without a colour-ring it is perhaps not possible to prove, but the head shape, fine head streaking and general body shape fit well. The Yellow-legged Gulls from the Basque Country are generally sedentary, but one ringed bird has been seen in England and I have seen a colour-ringed bird from there in the Algarve.

There are many difficult gulls to be seen at Shawell with yellow legs, but these don't fit Yellow-legged Gull (michahellis). Their primary patterns tend to give the game away, but this bird had the typical very black (dipped in ink) pattern of a Yellow-legged Gull. Herring Gulls with yellow legs are seen fairly regular at Shawell, but they are easily separated from today's bird.

Putative lusitanius Yellow-legged Gull, Shawell

lusitanius Yellow-legged Gull, The Basque Country, November 2019

Another view of the bird at Shawell today.

I will finish off by saying anyone visiting Shawell should know that parking is even more limited now than before and even the viewing point can be blocked by plant vehicles. Please take care. If it gets too bad in the New Year news may have to be withheld.

Oh and here is a Caspian Gull from today...

Caspian Gull, Shawell December 9th 2020

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2020 Highlights

January 1, 2021, 9:47 am

≫ Next: Bramblings, Gulls, Starlings and Stonechats

≪ Previous: Lusitanius Yellow-legged Gull at Shawell?

For me personally 2020 was a good year despite all of the problems. I have mostly stayed locally apart from a quick holiday in February before Covid 19 became a thing. At some point Adey Baker and I decided that we could make a book out of the Southwest Leicestershire List and so lockdown and a twisted ankle gave me time to get going. 268 pages later it looks like our Sunday morning pipe dreaming is becoming a reality. There is still a fair way to go and we are not able to offer an expected publishing date yet, but hopefully late 2021/2022.

Bird wise it has been a fantastic year and arguably the best for this area. Below is a list of my local highlights for 2020; I hope you saw some of these and thanks for sharing your finds and company.

January:

The third-winter Kumlien's Gull and juvenile Glaucous Gull from December 2019 still at Shawell; a new sub-adult Kumlien's Gull at Shawell on the 3rd; an adult Glaucous Gull and a Merlin at Shawell on the 4th; 144 Snipe and 27 Jack Snipe at Kirkby Mallory; a first-winter Mediterranean Gull at Shawell on the 10th; a new second-winter Kumlien's Gull at Shawell on the 15th and four Goosanders at Stoney Cove on the 21st.

February:

A new third-winter Iceland Gull at Shawell on the 7th and the third-winter Kumlien's Gull was still present.

March:

Three Avocets at Shawell A5 Lagoons on the 14th.

April:

Curlew singing near Tooley Spinney, Earl Shilton on the 3rd and a Hobby on the 26th.

May:

A pair of Avocets at Brascote Pits on the 18th & 19th.

June:

A pair of Avocets (one with a colour-ring) at Shawell A5 lagoons on the 8th; another pair of Avocets at Brascote Pits on the 13th and a Roseate Tern at Shawell Sandpit on the 20th.

July:

Juvenile Mediterranean Gulls at both Brascote Pits and Shawell Sand Quarry on the 28th.

August:

A Cuckoo at Brascote on the 1st and single Pied Flycatchers at Croft Hill on the 14th and the 30th & 31st.

September:

A Shag at Stoney Cove from September 2nd; Wryneck at Brascote Pits from the 5th; two redstarts at Brascote Pits on the 6th and a remarkable influx of Stonechats into the area began with a pair at Brascote Pits on September 25th;

October:

a Knot and a Red-breasted Merganser on the 4th; three Yellow-browed Warblers: one at Croft Hill on the 6th and singles at Brascote Pits on the 16th and 26th; a Rock Pipit over Croft Hill on the 6th; Crossbill over Croft Hill on the 11th; 1270 Redwings over Croft Hill on the 11th; Woodlark over Croft Hill on the 17th; Bramblings over Croft Hill on 18th & 19th and four Goosanders at Brascote Pits on the 31st.

November:

Single Goosander on the 1st at Brascote Pits; a single male Brambling on the 21st heralded the start of a nice influx at Brascote; a Goosander flew low over Brascote on the 22nd; a Cetti's Warbler at Shawell GP on the 27th and eight Bewick's Swans low over Earl Shilton on the 28th.

December:

22 Bramblings at Brascote Pits on the 1st; eight White-fronted Geese low over Brascote also on the 1st; a Merlin at Cotesbach landfill site on the 9th; a very good candidate for a Yellow-legged Gull of the form known as lusitanius at Cotesbach Landfill site also on the 9th a drake Goosander over Brascote Pits on the 14th and two Starling roosts in the area: one of c10,000 and another of c30,000.

Male Brambling Brascote

Starling Murmuration

Here's to an even better 2021!

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Bramblings, Gulls, Starlings and Stonechats

January 2, 2021, 12:19 pm

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≪ Previous: 2020 Highlights

This winter has been dominated by Bramblings, Gulls, Stonechats and Starlings locally.

There have been a couple of Starling roosts that have been really exciting.

Photos taken in Southwest Leicestershire.

Male Brambling

Female Brambling

Stonechat

Caspian Gull

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Iceland and Glaucous Gulls at Shawell

May 4, 2021, 11:48 am

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As a result of the recent lockdown I didn't report any of the 'white-winged' gulls that were recorded during the few visits I made to Shawell between January and March. This was of course to avoid gatherings at the site. Most of these observations were made whilst carrying out my WeBS counts, which I felt was safe to do as I was on my own outdoors.

These gulls were found by myself unless stated otherwise.

The first white-winger appeared on January 15th - a juvenile Iceland Gull, which I presume, after comparing photographs from both sites, was the same bird that had been at Watermead in late December 2020 and early January 2021.

Juvenile Iceland Gull glaucoides on January 15th

On the same day I also spotted a juvenile Glaucous Gull, which remained until April 13th. Below are a series of photos showing how much it faded throughout its stay. This one could fool you into thinking it was a different bird, but it was recognisable because it had some very white scapulars and lesser coverts.

January 15th 2021

February 16th 2021

March 17th 2021

April 10th

A very pale juvenile Iceland Gull on January 22nd.

Juvenile Icleand Gull glaucoides, January 22nd

Next came two Iceland Gulls, a dark juvenile and a second-winter. The juvenile was presumed to be one seen a few days earlier at Watermead CP. This was a different one to that seen on January 15th.

Second-winter Iceland Gull glaucoides on January 22nd

Juvenile Iceland Gull glaucoides

On February 22nd Steve Nichols found an adult Iceland Gull, which was seen a few more times up until March 25th.

Adult Iceland Gull glaucoides

A very pale second-winter Iceland Gull on April 10th & 17th.

Second-winter Iceland Gull glaucoides

The best was saved until last when a really smart second-winter 'Kumlien's Gull' appeared on May 1st. There was nothing subtle about this one as its dark primary marking could be seen from a long way off. Initially it looked like a juvenile as the bright sun bleached the plumage details, but when the sun went in grey scapular feathers could be seen. The second photo shows the J shaped pattern of the dark on the outer primaries. The inner primaries were almost white and the inner side of the outer primaries was pale, which is the normal pattern for "Kumlien's Gull'.

This is the sixth example of this form to be found by myself at Shawell since 2018. The previous and only other 'Kumlien's Gull' at Shawell was found by Neil Hagley in March 2009.

Second-winter Kumlien's Gull on May 1st

In addition a couple of hybrid Glaucous x Herring Gulls aka 'Viking Gulls' were seen. The first was considered to be the same one seen a Watermead CP in December 2020 and January 2021. Steve Nichols picked it up at Shawell on March 2nd and it was also seen on the 4th, 5th & 6th, but then disappeared only to be seen again on April 10th to 17th.

This bird was considered OK, by some, but the Herring Gull like coverts and tertials were obvious, the black on the bill was a little too extensive and the dark outer primaries contrasting with the paler inner ones all point to a mixed parentage. It may not be a first generation hybrid though.

Viking Gull on March 7th 2021

Viking Gull on April 17th 2021

The other "Viking Gull' was less obvious, but in real terms it stood out amongst the first-winter Herring Gulls. Initially thoughts were it looked to be very similar to a hybrid American Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull "Cook Inlet Gull'. However, a search of the internet found several similar examples from Iceland.

Viking Gull on March 4th 2021

Here's to next winter 😊

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Camera Trap

April 6, 2022, 12:16 pm

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