What a Gull-mare!!

Interesting last couple of days looking at Gulls in particular. Went to Richmond bank and a gull stood out with a yellow darvic labelled H8J8. After confusing its identity of what I thought was a 1st Winter Lesser black backed Gull, it appears to be a 1st winter GBBG x YLG hybrid - yellow h8j8 (Right leg) ringed as chick in frankfurt in 2012. Also seen at Silverdale CP on 7/12/12 and 21/11/12 and now recorded on Richmond Bank on 3/01/13! Who'd have thought?! Amazing!

 

When speaking to Zac H, he was only aware of yellow darvic ringing with YLG's so after he said that, looking at it. You'd happily take YLG as its i.d but after finding out its a German hybrid! Couldn't have predicted that!

The next Gull is a white-winger and has caused quite a stir already with mixed opinions across the net. Although the bird was quite a distance, at the moment, I think the feeling is that it is a Glaucous Gull. It appears to have a strong, horizontal bill, a small eye and a chunky, bulky build about it which tends to lean towards a Glauc. It is more brown than you'd expect an Iceland to be and has a 'hard' look about it! In flight, it looked heavy and the thoughts are that it could be a female.

 And then on to one, which I believe is a Yellow Legged Gull. I have had some critism to say otherwise, but surely they're not all hybrids!!!! A couple of people have pointed out that it looks more like a LBB x Herring hybrid (or just a pale LBB) which stumped me really as I've seen YLG's abroad with the same shade of grey. I think they're thinking more structually and features such short primary projection and the large white mirrors on the primary tips appear to rule out a pale graellsii, while the head streaking is an additional factor that rules out michahellis.

An adult bird with strong yellow legs, the only thing that does worry me is it has a little more brown streaking on the head, but surely, like Herring gulls, this must vary too?!

 

A comparison shot here with the Yellow Legged Gull below the Gt Black Backed Gull on the left and a Lesser Black Backed Gull below the YLG and right. Consideribly lighter than the LBB.

 

Youtube seems to have taken a lot of the hue out of the gull here(legs for example), but still worth a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yByH2L2ewW4&feature=player_embedded

 

If anyone else has any suggestions, please let me know your opinions.

Other than that, I had a great day starting at Moore NR, whereby I has lovely views of a redhead Smew. It showed well on Birchwood Pool.

 

For the Gullers amongst you...

Went to Richmond bank and found a couple of interesting gulls. First pic is of a white winger... Initially thought Iceland, then changed my mind to Glaucous, and back to Iceland... Scrowl down further for more pics on BF...the other ones are of what appears to be YLGull... any thoughts much appreciated esp on Iceland/Glaucous type gull!

 Blogger won't let me upload pics so I posted them on here last night! Cheers

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=247825

 

Perth and SW corner of Australia

Just back from a few weeks in Oz and kicked things off in Perth and a trip south to Cape Leeuwin then east to Albany and back to Perth over a week.  We were in Perth for three nights and my first exploration of a city open space produced Australian Ringneck (or Twenty Eight Parrot), Silver Gulls, a Striated Pardalote P.substriatus, Willie Wagtail, Australian Magpie, Magpie Lark, Red Wattlebird and Rainbow Lorikeet.  A walk up to King’s Park added Australian White Pelican, Eurasian Coot (Int), Silvereye, Pacific Black Duck, Dusky Moorhen, Tree Martin, Galah, Singing Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Australian Raven, Kookaburra, Laughing and Spotted Turtle Doves.

 Red Wattlebird

Australian Raven growing a beard

 Australian Magpies

The next day we took a day trip over to Rottnest Island from Freemantle or ‘Freo’.  A cinnamon coloured heron flew over the harbour before we set off and later I realised it was a Nankeen Night Heron, seeing more at Denmark.  It was actually raining but still well worth the visit adding Osprey, Pied Cormorant, Australian Gannet, Eastern Reef Egret, Red-necked Avocet, Banded and Black-winged Stilt, Sanderling, Red-capped Plover, Pacific GP, Fairy, Crested and Bridled Tern, Sacred Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-Eater, Golden Whistler, Turnstone, Australian Shelduck, Grey Teal, White-breasted Scrubwren, White-fronted Chat, Red-capped Robin, and Nankeen Kestrel.  The resident Quokkas (tiny Wallabies) were seen all over.

 Silver Gull checking out the breakfast menu at Freo harbour

Golden Whistler

 Eastern Reef Egret 

Quokka

 Crested Tern

Western Corella

On route to Bunbury a Wedge-tailed Eagle circled over the road near Capel (one of about 8 seen), New Holland Honeyeaters became commonplace as did Straw-necked and Australian white Ibis, Western Corellas were numorous around the Dolphin centre whilst Brown Honeyeaters and Silvereyes frequented the mangrove on the road into town.   We continued south to Bussleton and had a walk along the pier.  A couple of 2s Pacific Gulls were a lifer; real brutes of a gull. We stayed in Dunsborough which offered a chance to explore.  A White-faced Heron was on a coastal lagoon with Caspian Tern, Little Pied Cormorant, Greenshank, Sanderling, Lesser Sand Plover, Red-capped Plover whilst Common Bronzewing and flocks of Galahs were in nearby gardens along with a Grey Butcherbird.

 Wedgy

Galahs and Bronzewings in a back yard

 Red-capped Plover

Bronzewing

 Caspian Tern and Little Pied Cormorant

Silvereye

New Holland Honeyeater

 A walk up to Cape Naturaliste on a windy morning produced few birds in thick scrub but Rock Parrots were seen in flight.  This is a great whale watching headland at the right time of year!   

 Cape Naturaliste lighthouse

A wasp and Huntsman (i think) having a fight and the spider loosing.

The Margaret River wine region and town was our next stop and when in a wine region it feels sampling wine is the best way to pass the day.  I did see some birds though; Red-winged Fairywrens were in an open woodland by the main bridge and a Spotted Pardalote dropped out of the canopy to drink from a stream and White-breasted Robins called from the woodland.  A morning stroll the next day started with a flash of iridescent blue out of the hedge and round the corner. Wow! I’d never seen anything that bright, almost electrical.  It was a Splendid Fairywren and whilst the female sang above my head the male was a few metres away and I didn’t spend long trying with the camera because this really was something else.  Other new birds included Long-billed Black Cockatoo, Western Rosella, Western Thornbill and Black-faced Cuckooshrike.  Cape Leeuwin was a nice spot.  Australian Pipits fed amongst the lighthouse-keepers cottages and a Southern Emu-Wren was in the low heath.  Stopping at a lookout in the Shannon NP a Scarlet Robin and a flock of Purple-crowned Lorikeets were seen before dusk when Walpole was our next stop, a true one-horse-town.  A walk into the forest to see the giant tingle tree was a chance to add Pallid Cuckoo, White-browed Babbler, Red-eared Firetail, Red-capped Parrot and Little Eagle.  

 Splendid Fairywren male above, female below.  

 NH Honeyeater getting bogged down with pollen

Western Rosella eating lavender!

 Galahs and a sub-adult Red-winged Fairywren at Margaret River

 Kookaburra enjoying the sun

 Cape Leeuwin; where two oceans meet 

Scarlet Robin

 Australian Pipit having a stretch

Hmm, I think this is a Little Eagle taken near Walpole

 Straw-necked Ibis 

 Pacific beasts

Albany added Grey Currawong and Swamp harrier before our drive back to Perth and flight to Tasmania via Melbourne.  Flights were with Jetstar and I can only say this was the worst bit of airline service ever and I would highly recommend another company for internal flights.  Keep it to Qantas or Virgin if you can.  Tassie write-up to follow.

Robin

Cetti's Warbler - Rhyl

I was certainly put to shame yesterday when I only had a total of 8 birds for the day but I blame that on New Years Eve, so I came back in force today. With the car in the service, I decided to have a look around Rhyl Brickwork pools, and the first bird I pretty much locked on to was a superb Cetti's Warbler. Elusive to start but called a couple of times. If anyone is familiar with the site, it was in the small bushes and reeds on the far right of the car park next to a wooden carved out cormorant, so worth a look!

I was initially after the Scaup, but after trying to turn every tufty into one, I realised there wasn't one! Other decent birds there included a Water Rail, showing well, 2 Pintail and 5 Gooseanders.

 

Eventually moved on to Conwy RSPB where the Firecrest showed briefly and also had Hawinch at Llanbedr!

 

Not a bad day!

 

also ... has there been a Cetti's report in Denbighshire before?

 

A January 1 walk

I, too, decided to do the BTO "footit" style New Year's Day challenge. Like Marc Hughes, Sally and I covered 13 miles, from Bryncelyn to Pwllheli Harbour and back. I took Sally with me as 6 eyes are better than 4. Our first bird was Great-spotted Woodpecker on our feeders and the last was Goldcrest about 1/2 mile from the house. Birds of the day included Water Rail and Siskin (heard only), Goosander, 2 Golden Plovers, Great-crested and Little Grebes, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Kestrel. Major dips included Moorhen, Coot and Long-tailed Tits. Total at (utterly knackered) finish : 63 (unchecked so far).

Birdrace on foot - who's idea was that?

Well, I don't think I will be able to walk properly for a week now! I was birding from 7am till gone 6pm, and Les came along for the craic. The first hour I saw Blackbird and heard Snipe and never had the desired Tawny and Little Owl, so I could have had an extra hour in bed. We did Cemaes,Wylfa,Cemlyn then finished at Llyn Llygeirian. We managed 76 species but it was a stuggle and was hard work in more than one way.Hats off to Tony White who did a similar route Llygeirian, Llanfairynghornwy, Hen Borth and Cemlyn and he got 78 inlcluding good views of a female Marsh Harrier. I know Eddie got 63 around his gaff and Geoff and Kate got 44 in 4 and a half hours around Aber/Morfa Madryn. What did anyone else get? Reg had a flyby Little Auk at Cemlyn Yesterday. I think the Auk and Kittiwake passage off Wylfa was one of the highlights for me. Martin Jones had Red Squirrels showing well at Llyn Parc Mawr today (a day late and not birds!) ;-) Another Marsh Harrier was on Llyn Penrhyn yesrday and 2 Firecrests were at SH 414672 yesterday (ta Alan), by the way Alan had 36 species on the Orme yesterday,so even Geoff and Kate Gibbs beat Alan ;-) Also thanks to Steve Stansfield for wishing me Happy New Year 6 times. Finally I'm off to tend to my sore feet. I thought walking was supposed to be good for you? Maybe not in wellies? See Marcs post for other scores but did anyone else have a go?

January 1st 2013 - Penrhyn Bay

I love New Years Day; up early and out the door with everything feeling new. This year I left the car keys behind and set off on foot as the darkness slowly made way to a murky gloom, nine hours and 13 miles later I returned home, shattered but having enjoyed every minute of the day. Despite the brisk breeze the weather was good and it was nice to finally see some sunshine!

I'm sure the festive fireworks from last night's celebrations meant that a few of my 'pinned down' birds had departed - Mute Swans, Shovelers and Coot - all difficult birds in Penrhyn Bay but present over the last few weeks and all there yesterday. However, no sign anywhere today! I can't complain too much though as I managed to log a total of 74 species in the area including the following highlights;

Lapland Bunting - I saw this bird a few weeks ago but haven't seen it since, so I was thrilled that today in showed well as it flew around the middle stubble field between Glanwydden and Rhos on Sea Golf course with some twenty Skylark. If you go and look, take your wellies!

Water Rail - at least 7 birds logged along Glanwydden Lane. Surely a site record.

Purple Sandpiper - 11 logged at Rhos on Sea, 1 at Rhos Point and 1 at Penrhyn Bay.

Brambling - at least one in the stubble fields at Glanwydden.

Other nice January 'local' records included several Grey Wagtails, Kestrel, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Knot, Grey Plover, several Kittiwake, Fulmar, Red throated Diver, several Rock Pipit, Guillemots, Razorbills, Stock Doves and 20+ Reed Buntings.

 The local Purple Sandpipers didn't disappoint showing well along the prom along with 30+ Turnstone, on rocks in front of the house with the Monkey Puzzle Tree in the garden. It was nice to also see one on the Penrhyn Bay breakwater - haven't seen one here for ages.

 A good patch bird - Grey Plover was once a regular bird at Penrhyn Bay but the last 5 or 6 years have seen them become quite scarce.

The reeds at Glanwydden are holding 20+ Reed Bunting at the moment and also contain many Water Rails and several Snipe. Great local birds.

Still several birds to get on the patch over the next month of foot it challenge - jay, peregrine, Red breasted Merg, Woodcock, Owls, Marsh Tit, Chough, Little Grebe, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll all up for grabs and hopefully Shoveler, Mute Swan and Coot will all make a return now the celebrations have calmed down.