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Horsvaer Trip
I have just returned from another excellent trip to Horsvaer, in Nordland, Norway with Morten Helberg. For a second time Morten had invited me back to help him colour-ring the chicks of the Baltic...
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Update From Shawell
July was a good month with lots of colour-rings read. Pride of place goes to a juvenile Mediterranean Gull which had a yellow colour-ring with the code AYKL. It was ringed on the 18 June 2018 at...
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An Obsession with Baltic Gulls
Since I started watching gulls regularly at Shawell in 2012 I thought the possibility of an identifiable Baltic Gull Larus fuscus fuscus turning up there seemed good. However, only colour-ringed birds...
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Update from Shawell
This is a good time, as lots of gulls are passing through Shawell at present. Over the weekend, including Friday afternoon, I read over 50 colour-rings, which is very good for the site. A few old...
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Back to the Algarve
I couldn't resist another visit to this great location. If you enjoy looking for your own birds then this is a great destination. Even in the seaside towns you can find interesting migrant birds such...
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Caspian Gulls at Shawell
I'm pretty sure my Caspian Gull haul today was my best day count so far at Shawell. Herring Gulls were already the most numerous species. This is noteworthy as they generally don't take over from the...
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Great White Egret
I couldn't make it out first thing this morning, so Adey went over to Brascote without me. Around 09:30 he sent me a message to say he had found a Great White Egret. Not quite the rarity it was but...
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Glaucous Gull
A juvenile Glaucous Gull, the first 'white-winger of the winter season, was at Shawell today. It frequented the sandpit off Gibbet Lane for much of the morning.Due to the distance I wasn't able to get...
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Another Glaucous Gull
Hot on the heels of the recent juvenile Glaucous Gull was another one. Based on how pale it is, I guess it's a second-winter. It was first seen in the roost at Draycote Water and then I saw it...
View ArticleWinter Gull Watching
I always try to get one gull watching session in just after Christmas when the tip is working. Lots of Christmas dinner was being delivered to the gulls today at Cotesbach landfill judging by the whiff...
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Another Glaucous Gull at Shawell
An adult Glaucous Gull roosted at Draycote Water last night, so I was hoping that it would put in an appearance at Shawell today. There were so many gulls that it was difficult to know where to look. I...
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Iceland Gull
The last day of 2018 and the last chance for another 'white-winger'. I was working this morning, so Steve Nichols was holding the baton at Shawell. A text mid-morning from Steve showed a photograph of...
View ArticleGlaucous Gulls Again
Happy New Year to you all!The original plan today was to have a gentle walk with the ladies of the house, but both were feeling under the weather this morning. I was told to go and enjoy myself, so off...
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Juvenile Glaucous Gull
It felt a bit more wintery at Shawell today.Due to the recent spate of 'white-wingers', it was positively boiling over with birders today.Brian Moore had picked up a new juvenile Glaucous Gull on...
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All the 'White-Wingers'
White-Winged gulls still have some magic judging by the steady stream of visitors to Shawell at present. Here is an updated report on all the Iceland and Glaucous Gulls seen at Shawell so far. In...
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Possible Heughlin's Gull
Updated January 12th 2019.Saturday July 22nd 2017 I found a second calendar-year gull at Cotesbach tip that had replaced all of its primary feathers. This is something not recorded in either graellsii...
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Shawell
There's a lot of excitement at Shawell at the moment with all the lovely 'white-winged gulls' offering up some easy year ticks.It's good to see people enjoying gulls and hopefully at least a few of the...
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More Glaucous Gulls
I was over at Shawell this morning and three juvenile Glaucous Gulls were in residence.The regular juvenile was there and also the bird that was at Stanford Reservoir on Saturday plus a new one.New...
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The Gambia
Tuesday 15th January, travel day:I have just returned from two great weeks in the Gambia. Dawn and I talked about doing a trip there about 28 years ago and then came along our two children. Well there...
View ArticleLink to White-winger Review
Due to problems with the layout of the review of the white-winger at Shawell I have created a pdf which can be read by clicking on the link below:White-Wingers at Shawell
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