Sunday 10 May 2015

Redpolls and Iceland Gulls

...plus a few other bits and bats. Some nice migrants over the weekend as Swallows increased quite dramatically, Sand Martins were around their colonies and my first Common Sands and House Martins appeared.

These Meally Redpolls on the feeders were my favourite birds of the weekend though, they didn't stay long but I managed these pictures which I;m quite pleased with.





As well as the migrants there was plenty of breeding activity with gulls and waders much in evidence. The first branchers from the rookery and a fledged Blackbird were also seen.


Once the rain started I abandoned the gardening, {peas, parsnips and tatties are in) and headed out to look for migrants. Somehow though I got distracted and started looking at gulls. At Yesnaby there were three Iceland Gulls and a selection of interesting Lesser Black-backs including at least thee intermedius and a very dark bird with one tiny white mirror in the primaries (but perhaps not small or long enough to really be fuscus). On to Skaill and another Iceland Gull, a big thug of a thing that had me confused for a while as it was lying in the grass and hard to see properly.






Bosquoy burn

3 comments:

Alastair said...

Thanks Linda

unclefish said...

the adult male (with butter knife tail feathers) flammea has a big brute of a ring on its right leg which looks foreign in origin

Alastair said...

Try as I might I can't read that ring, slightly disappointing that. This pair of redpoll were quick through, half an hour or so and they were gone.