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Iceland Gull

December 12, 2017, 12:02 pm
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This morning I spotted a juvenile Iceland Gull on the southernmost lagoon at Shawell A5 Lagoons. The video below shows the bird, but as you can see the bright sunlight has bleached it. It was darker in real life and it had marking on its primaries that had me considering Kumlien's Gull. To clinch that ID I would really need to photograph it with its wings open. There is a hint on the longest primary that the outer web is darker, but this might be shadow. For now I will call it an Iceland Gull.



Best watch the video at full screen to see the pattern on the primaries although it is no where near as obvious as in the field. The bleaching is obvious when compared with the adult Herring Gull.



I had deliberately took a couple of hours off work this morning knowing there was most likely to be ice on the A5 Lagoons near Shawell. I have had a good track recorded of turning up good gulls when the ice comes.

Not surprisingly the lagoons were frozen. There was lots of gulls on the larger lagoon and the highlight was a Herring Gull ringed near Troms, Norway. J3613 was also at in 2013 and 2105. Its life-history also shows a visit to Vardo near the very top of Norway.


Three Caspian Gull were on the ice as well: 2 adults and a second-winter.
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Iceland Gull Again

December 16, 2017, 12:19 pm
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Learning about and identifying gulls takes a great deal of time and patience. Ideally you need to travel to where the gulls are common. I've done that with quite a few species, but not yet for Iceland Gull. The latest white-winger at Shawell looks darker in the field than other juvenile Icelands I've seen. It shows quite distinct markings across the primaries on its folded wing and has quite dark underparts and well marked upperparts. The primaries are a darker buff colour compared to the usual white primaries I've seen on other juveniles..

My thoughts turned to Kumlien's Gull, but to clinch that I would need to photograph the spread upperwing. I didn't manage that on Tuesday, but with the help of a young Herring Gull today I managed to see get a glimpse (see the video). Initially it looked as though it had dark outer webs on the outer primaries, but further review of the video showed that it doesn't have the right pattern for a Kumlien's, so an interesting Iceland Gull it is in my opinion.

Juvenile Iceland Gull, Shawell, December 16th 2017

Juvenile Iceland Gull, Shawell, December 16th 2017


The Video is Best Watched at HD Quality.


Juvenile Iceland Gull, Shawell, December 16th 2017
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Merry Christmas

December 24, 2017, 11:47 pm
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Another Glaucous Gull Makes it a Record Year

December 29, 2017, 11:19 am
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I was quite surprised to find a snowed in Cotesbach landfill site yesterday morning. We had seen a little snow on Boxing day at home, but not as much as was around Lutterworth.

I had a bit of fun trying to get down the lane to the point where I watch the landfill. I then had wade through deep flood water, breaking the ice as I went. Eventually I was in place and many thousands of gulls were feasting on our Christmas waste.

Viewing proved a little difficult due to the bright sunlight in my face, but the white wings of an adult Glaucous Gull were unmistakable. This is the ninth Glaucous Gull at Shawell this year, which is a new record for the site.

Adult Glaucous Gull

A Red Kite drifted past and luckily I had the right tense connected to my camera.

Red Kite

My 2017 Caspian Gull tally passed the 100 mark with new 2nd and 3rd winter birds. 
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Hawfinch

December 31, 2017, 9:48 am
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Despite the Hawfinches at Burbage Common Extension being right on my doorstep, I had not really got any photos worth showing. That hasn't really changed, but I did manage to get a reasonable record shot this morning.

Hopefully one will stay until tomorrow and we can welcome everyone back for a 2018 year tick.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.


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The First White-Winger at Shawell of 2018

January 6, 2018, 11:09 am
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Last weekend's mission to find some gulls failed due to flooding and some very sticky mud. I lost a welly and nearly myself and my scope. So with new wellies and a can do spirit I returned hoping for better results. The flood water had receded and although the mud was still there I managed to avoid the worst of it and take up my usual hard won spot at Cotesbach landfill site.

Many thousands of gulls were there. I couldn't really estimate just how many, as massive flocks would just appear and then disappear behind the humps in the sand quarry. I would say that there was at least 7000 Herring Gulls, plus the other regular gull species. It was quite a sight when they all took to the air.

Anyway it was white-wingers that I was after, but Caspian Gulls entertained me early on. Seven today around Shawell - three first-winters, two second-winters and a couple of adults. The one below was a real eye-catcher.

First-winter Caspian Gull
Around mid-morning an Iceland Gull came onto the tip to feed. It was quite a showy bird and I saw it at several locations around Shawell. Best looked for at the A5 Lagoons. I initially assumed this was the second-winter that has been roosting at Draycote Water, but now I think it is most likely a first-winter. Its bill matches first-winter better than second-winter. The dark tip bleeds into the base whereas second-winter bills are clearly demarcated between the black tip and the whitish base. Also it eyes are still dark. So most likely a faded first-winter.

Iceland Gull, January 6th 2018
As I've said before, the landfill site is a dangerous place and is out of bounds. My access is not guaranteed and I have to renew my permission on a weekly basis.

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Glaucous Gull

January 13, 2018, 1:27 pm
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A brute of a Glaucous Gull was at Shawell today, which kicked off my tally for this species for 2018. It's one a piece for Glaucous and Iceland so far.

Early on the tip was smothered in gulls, but there was no fresh food being delivered today, as it was shut to waste lorries, so the gulls soon began to disperse.

Many gulls were loafing in the fields between the tip and Shawell village. Scanning through them revealed a few colour-ringed birds and an adult and first-winter Caspian Gull. My tally for Caspian Gulls for the day was six - two adults, and single fourth, third, second and first-winters.I was a bit disappointed that no white-wingers were with them, but hold on a minute what is that it the dip in the field. It was a juvenile Glaucous Gull. After the gulls were flushed by a couple of dog walkers I returned to the tip and the Glauc was there.

Enjoy the video but at HD quality remember.


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Caspian Gulls

January 20, 2018, 11:27 am
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It was raw at Shawell today. It rained or sleeted all day and the temperature struggled to climb above zero. However, my viewing spot at the tip is closer to the gulls than ever before. I was able to take photos of three different Caspian Gulls, although in total I saw seven or eight - an adult, three second-winters and three or maybe even four first-winters.

The photos were taken using my scope as the lens. The scope was set at 30 x and I had to use ISO2000 due to the appalling conditions.

First-Winter (bird 1)
First-Winter Caspian Gull Bird 1: note that it has replaced some wing coverts

First-Winter (Bird 2)
Second-winter Caspian Gull
I also took some video of one of the first-winters and I am very pleased with the quality.


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Glaucous Gull

January 20, 2018, 11:56 am
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After the gulls had deserted the restaurant many headed into the sand quarry. I altered my viewing spot to Gibbett Lane where I picked up what at first looked like a juvenile Glaucous Gull. However, as it moved closer I could see that its primaries were a greyey brown colour and the pattern on the underparts were a little odd and recalled a first-winter Herring Gull. My assumption is that it is a hybrid Glaucous x Herring Gull or a Viking Gull. It was quite a smart beast and structurally it was spot on for a Glaucous Gull. It's a shame it wasn't closer in better light.

I placed the bird on Facebook and an Icelandic birder commented that in his opinion it is a pure Glaucous Gull.

Yes, this one is imo pure glaucous. The primaries have all similar shading, apart from P7 and P10 which is whiter. This brown wash of the primaries is often much more variable (perhaps even the rule!) than for this individual. It does not appear to have darker tailband than the rump. Such brown wash over the primaries is also typical for many dark Iceland gulls.





Here's a bit of video of it (Don't forget to set the quality to HD)


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First-Winter Gulls

January 21, 2018, 1:27 pm
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I have been trying to get some good quality video of the gulls recently. Here is a comparison of first-winter gulls. These are filmed using an adapter that connects my DSLR to my Swarovski spotting scope.

The first one is a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull. This is a fine bird: note the contrast between grey mantle and brown scapulars, white head and black tail bar that tapers at the outside. Also note the new outer greater covert and some lesser coverts.

Next up is a Herring Gull, which is much more juvenile like than the other two species. This one is most likely an argentatus from a northern population.

Last is a Caspian Gull. Note the more elegant profile and the neatness of the bird. The coverts are much plainer than the other two and the mantle lacks the obvious dark markings of the Yellow-legged Gull.

Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls are born earlier in the year than Herring Gulls especially herring Gulls from northern localities. As a result they mature quicker.

Enjoy, but remember best watched at HD quality.


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Juvenile Glaucous Gull Again

January 25, 2018, 10:56 am
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I had a short while at Shawell again today and I concentrated my efforts on the gulls loafing around in the sand quarry off Gibbet Lane.

The Glaucous Gull I first picked out last Saturday was there again. The light was better and I'm now happy that it is a pure bird with darkish upper primaries.





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Juvenile Iceland Gull

January 27, 2018, 7:51 am
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It was bitter cold at Shawell this morning and very damp.

I persevered until just after lunch, but I was on my last pair of dry gloves by then and the gulls were dispersing, so I gave it best.

There was no rubbish tipping going on, so the gulls were a bit erratic in their appearances on the tip. Nevertheless I had a couple of nice Caspian Gulls including a belter of a second-winter. That one kept moving, so no pics, but a 'short-billed' adult was better behaved.

I moved round to the sand quarry, viewed from Gibbet Lane, and a juvenile Iceland Gull dropped in. At first I thought it was the bird I saw on January 6th, but its markings are different, so I believe it is a new one. A first-winter Caspian Gull was close by making it three for the day.

You can see an update on all the 'white-wingers' seen at Shawell so far by clicking HERE

Juvenile Iceland Gull
Adult Caspian Gull





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Watermead

January 31, 2018, 11:35 pm
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On Sunday I went over to Watermead to take some photos of any gulls present. My luck was really in, as I managed to photograph a Norwegian ringed Common Gull and a Danish Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Danish Colour-Ringed LBBG VK8C

Norwegian Colour-Ringed Common Gull J225
A pair of very confiding (dodgy) R C Pochards were hanging around with all the ducks and swans waiting to be fed.



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A New Glaucous Gull and Some More Caspian Gulls

February 3, 2018, 10:10 am
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First of all can I make a complaint - why does it have to rain every Saturday?

Despite the weather I was not put off and after arranging a passage through the massive plant machinery, operating by my access point, I was set for a good days gulling.

21 colour-ring readings today.

The highlight amongst the gulls was a new juvenile Glaucous. This one was a real beast of a bird and it got involved with a tug of war competition with a couple of Great Black-backed Gulls. It was every bit as massive as its two antagonists.


I thought I was going to be empty handed as far as Caspian Gulls today, but then in a ten minute flurry I saw three - two first-winters and a second-winter.

Below is a video of some recent sightings of Caspian Gulls.



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Battle of the Giants

February 4, 2018, 12:51 pm
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I managed to capture yesterday's Glaucous Gull at Shawell doing battle with two Great Black-backed Gulls.

Enjoy...


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International Gull Meeting, Ruse, Bulgaria

March 5, 2018, 11:51 am
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Apologies, I have been neglecting my blog lately for one reason or another. Back in February I participated in the International Gull Meeting (IGM) that was held in Ruse, Bulgaria. Unfortunately I had picked up a very bad bug somewhere (work I think) and arrived back home feeling very unwell. I  lost over a week feeling very poorly.

The IGM, organised by Strahil Peev, was very good and I really enjoyed the talks. I did a presentation on the Horsvaer, Baltic Gulls that went well I hope, but I have to be honest and say I was very nervous.

It is a really good opportunity to meet with new friends and old ones who share the same passion for gulls. It was my second meeting, so I am becoming a veteran although some there had been to every IGM ever held. I had a really good time talking with the Spanish guys and sharing my photos of gulls from Portugal with them.

We made two visits to the local dump. The first was a complete failure, as the gulls would not come in, but luckily we got some action on the second visit.

Ruse Tip
Some of the Gulls

Some of the Yellow-legged Gulls had a different primary pattern to the typical L. m. michahellis we see further west. They are like birds described elsewhere as 'Eastern' Yellow-legged Gulls. Others were more typical of the ones I am used to seeing. The one below shows a pale tongue on the longest primary feather (P10). Generally there is more black on P10 of an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Yellow-legged Gull, Ruse, Bulgaria

Yellow-legged Gull, Ruse, Bulgaria


The dominant species was Yellow-legged Gull, but some Caspian Gulls were present.

Caspian Gull, Ruse Bulgaria

Caspian Gull, Ruse, Bulgaria
We stayed in the Danube Plaza hotel, which of course was close to the River Danube. This great river was slightly disappointing as the best I could find was a few Coots and Mallards. I did see about 60 Hawfinches close to the river, so that was good.
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Juvenile Iceland Gull

March 11, 2018, 9:19 am
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During my protracted absence from Shawell I've missed some Iceland Gulls. On 21/02/18 Steve Nichols had an adult and second-winter and on 07/03/18 David Scott and Rod Baker had a juvenile and a second-winter.

Well hopefully things are back to normal for me and I've now managed a couple of visits. I spotted a juvenile Iceland Gull during both visits, but deciding whether they are the same bird or not isn't easy. I have a feeling that they might not be the same, but I can't see much difference in the video screen grabs. The first bird shows distinct spotting on its tertials, but they were not visible on the second bird. However, the second bird was distant, so they may just not have been visible.

I presume it or one of them is the same as the juvenile seen by David Scott and Rod Baker on 07/03/18.

Juvenile Iceland Gull, Shawell

Juvenile Iceland Gull, Shawell


Below is a short video:


A Russian ringed Herring Gull was a good sighting, only my second colour-ringed gull from Russia.

Russian Ringed Herring Gull KL47, Shawell

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Southern Portugal Birding

March 11, 2018, 11:25 am
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Dawn and I made our eighth trip to Southern Portugal last week. We were hoping for some winter sun, but it was in short supply. The first few days weren't actually that bad, but after that strong to gale force winds were the order of the day.

Nevertheless we boosted our all time Portuguese list up to 226 species. The highlights were Red-knobbed Coot, Sociable Plover, Richard's and Water Pipits plus Alpine Accentor.

We visited most of the well known areas during our stay. The sites are shown using the yellow pins on the map below.






Alpine Accentor, Cape St Vincente, Near Sagres


We stay at Praia da Rocha, as it is a central location and close to the Portimao Fish Harbour. Although it is a tourist spot it can be quite good along the cliffs and even on the beach for birds; especially at migration time. The sea is generally very calm, but when the wind blows things alter very quickly and during winter storms birds like Great Skuas can be seen from the beach boardwalk. Sea Watching can be good in winter and I've seen Cory's and Balearic Shearwaters, Great and Arctic Skuas, Common Scoters and Razorbills. During our holiday the storm completely destroyed several beachside bars. A small group of Purple Sandpipers could be found near the mouth of the River Arade on the far end of the Praia da Rocha beach, but photography was impossible with large waves breaking close to them.

Praia da Rocha During a Winter Storm


A Sociable Plover had been present at Salgados Lagoons near to Pera since November, but it hadn't been seen for about a month so I thought it had gone. Just prior to leaving home it was reported again. It was hiding with a small Golden Plover flock and I got to see it twice in flight, but not on the ground as the vegetation was too tall where it was residing. It was on the same day at Salgados lagoons that I saw my first Richard's Pipit for Portugal.

Red-knobbed Coot is rare in The Algarve and it is also a species I had not seen before. I was really excited by the news that one was at Quinta do Lago near Faro, but luckily due to logistics I had to wait a few days before trying for it. Luckily it was still there and easily identifiable.

Short Video of the Red-knobbed Coot:



Quinta do Lago is an excellent place for birding, as around the freshwater lake are saltpans and also salt marsh. A large day list is easily achieved in this area. Western Swamphens are easy to see and photograph on and around the large freshwater lake by the golf course .

Western Swamphen

One of the highlights of the trip was watching nine Caspian Terns at the Portimao Fishing Harbour. The first two arrived just as it was getting dark. They landed about 3 metres away from where we were parked and settled amongst the roosting gulls. Amongst the nine was one that was colour ringed and it had been ringed in Finland. The photo below was taken when it was almost dark, but an ISO setting of 6400 makes things look much lighter. My car headlights helped illuminate the scene.

Caspian Tern, Portimao Fish Harbour


I only read 34 colour rings this time and the gulls although around in good numbers were very mobile due to the strong winds. I did spot a Herring Gull amongst the Yellow-legged Gulls, which was nice. Not quite the rarity it was but still a good bird in The Algarve.

Herring Gull, Portimao Fish Harbour




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Iceland Gulls at Shawell

March 17, 2018, 7:29 am
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It was very cold today at Shawell. I was staring straight into the jaws of a very cold easterly wind. My access to view the landfill site is coming into question at present due to the condition of the walkway to my viewing position. It is really muddy and in many places the mud is very deep. Nevertheless I managed to find a position to stand. Strong winds make gulls mobile and they were not staying on the ground for long today.

My first good bird was a fresh looking juvenile Iceland Gull. After that I located a couple of Caspian Gulls - a first-winter and a second-winter. I also spotted an obvious hybrid Caspian Gull. The gulls then drifted of, but on their return I picked up a splendid adult Iceland Gull. I only managed a few poor images of it, but at one point it came really close. Sadly it never stayed in one position for long.

I gave up just before lunch as the wind chill was starting to bite!

Adult Iceland Gull, Cotesbach Landfill Site

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Colour-Ring Readings

March 21, 2018, 1:21 pm
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I have recently read colour-rings on a couple of exciting birds.

The first one was in Portugal at the Portimao Fish Harbour. I mentioned in a previous blog that I had see nine Caspian Terns arrive and settle down on some rough ground with roosting gulls. Well one of them had a yellow cr and the code PFS. It had been ringed as a chick at NÄRPIÖ, POHJANMAA, VAASA (SF88), FINLAND. 62°30′N 21°06′E. 


Map Showing Ringing Location in Finland and My Sighting of it in Portugal

Caspian Tern Photographed in the Dark at Portimao (6400 ISO)

The second sighting was of a colour-ringed Herring Gull that was ringed in Russia at Kandalakshskiy Nature Reserve, Severnoe lesnichestvo, isl. Farvaternaya. I saw it on 09/03/18 at Cotesbach Landfill site. Amazingly this bird KL47 was relocated at Poolsbrook Country Park on 15/03/18 by Richard Lowe.

Map Showing Ringing Location in Russia and Cotesbach landfill site

Russian Ringed Herring Gull KL47
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