Saturday 22 October 2011

White-winged Gulls


Wednesday morning's seawatch was a bit of a disappointment all the same there were a few skuas and a good passage of Kittiwakes, 150 in 90 minutes, A mystery bird gave brief views, scary but I must have mis-seen the features, surely.

Returning to Birsay in the afternoon with the family to look at the waves a first winter Iceland Gull appeared over our heads, nice one.

The next day I went down to Waulkmill Bay late in the afternoon with dog, offspring and relative, onto the beach and reprise (of a kind) a first winter Glaucous Gull circled our heads as we stepped onto the beach.


Today on the way back from the airport we stopped off at the PDC to show our guests some close views of Long-tailed Ducks and in amongst the twenty or so gulls on Tesco Corner was a second winter Iceland Gull. (Ooops, now on examination age is reviewed, the bill colour would make this a first winter, plumage is not totally reliable for aeging I have learnt.)


Ivory Gull tomorrow?...

In and around the garden of late: Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Redwing, Fieldfare, Robin, (piles of Blackbirds moving through), Chaffinch, Brambling and several Reed Buntings.

Twite have been evident on the track and over the house of late.

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