It's still a white out

Stayed at home for the first part of the day and managed to get Glaucous Gull on the "from the garden" list as a 1stW flew by.  Other highlights were two Peregrines having a spat, two Hen Harriers, four Golden Plover, 250 Curlew by The Shunan and of course the Tree Sparrow.

In the afternoon I went back to Marwick to look again at the ww gulls. But look at this...

Could this be a Yank HG?

Answering my own question, probably not. I've had a look at the Lonergan and Mullarney paper and also had a comment or two. The bird does not look big and bulky enough for AHG. In particular the bill looks too slight and as Stewart has pointed out the head isn't bulky enough, nor is it the correct shape, it should be longer and flatter I think. I'm also concerned that the tail pattern wouldn't be correct for an AHG of this age. The shade of grey of the mantle and back are not too far off Iceland, and it should be darker. So probably good try but no bananas.... However, what it actually is is quite another question as I don't think its a Herring Gull.

More pictures of the interesting gull. Many thanks to Alastair Skene for his permission to post these.

These five photos, thanks to Alastair Skene who took them today at Sand Geo.

All comments gratefully received.

Gull videos

Videos from Sand Geo, Marwick, West Mainland.

Gull blizzard

A quick post, I reckon to have seen about 90 WW gulls today. I took over 400 pix but will sort them out and post tomorrow.

 Selection box

 Glaucous Gull

 Selection box up

 Kumlien's Gull, juvenile

 Iceland Gull adult

 Iceland, 2nd winter

 Adult Iceland and 2nd W Kumlien's

 Glaucous Gull

 2nd W Kumlien's Gull

Skaill Bay and loch c 11:30 3 Kumlien's; 12 Iceland and 11 Glaucous (probably a
few more Glaucous but I couldn't be in two places at once...)

 Iceland and Kumlien's Gulls, sorting exercise

 Adult Kumlien;s Gull, a rather distinctive one

 Kumlien's Gull, 2nd W

Sand Geo, the fishing huts at Marwick; 3 Kumlien's (at least) but including two
smart and obvious adults; 45 Iceland Gulls (that's an estimate) and 7 Glaucous.
There's a large amount of decaying whale in the geo, the wwgs think it's a
bonanza.

The Choin, Marwick, 12 Iceland and 3 Glaucous.

Didn't have time to get to Birsay or anywhere else.

On the back of Skaill beach from the car there was a small flock of 8 or so
buntings that didn't show any white. Unfortunately I didn't hear them and was
driving at the time, rather suspected that they were laps.

At home the Tree Sparrow was present and a Woodcock flew through the garden at dusk. Also at dusk a hunting hen harrier and Short-eared Owl.

 Home sunsets, including Venus

Rain, tens of white-winged gulls, more rain

I got to Skaill a little later than ideal and the tide was falling, High tide would be best probably. However, at the loch birds were still flying in, so too early in the morn, when you can't see anyway, would perhaps not be so good.

I saw a minimum of 25 Iceland and 11 Glaucous Gulls today - I know AL counted more than me at Skaill (27), but at one point I managed 21 between the loch and the beach.  I think there were at least 8 different Glaucous Gulls at Skaill. There was some evidence that birds were moving though south with birds at Marwick (4 Iceland) disappearing in that direction around 2 or so. However, a short sea watch at Pt of Buckquoy did not reveal any white winged gulls on the move there, there was just a single 3cy Glaucous looking miserable on the Palace beach. There were two Glaucous at Marwick as well.

 I think this is Kumlein's

 Very dark Glaucous Gull

WWGs on Skaill beach

Great photos as usual, although it was slinging it down all day, barely got light

Of the 21 birds I saw at Skaill I think two were Kumlein's but I may be wrong, I have limited field experience of this form (just one I think). The first initially appeared to be an adult, but when I saw it again on the beach, initially thinking it was a different bird, I realised it was not a full adult. The basal 50% of the bill was a murky, pinkish grey, the tip 50% straw yellow with an indistinct red spot. The eye was dark. There appeared to be very feint grey smudges in the primaries, very indistinct. This was a petite bird compared to many of the others present. I don't believe glaucoides can have this combination of bill, eye colour can it? The other bird was a 3cy and had some grey in the mantle, a dark tipped greenish bill, a dark eye and distinct brownish smudges in the primaries, across all primaries, again I don't think this is a combination that's ok for glaucoides but I'll be happy to be corrected. I did see the eyes well at fairly close range and viewed with the scope.

A fantastic spectacle at Skaill, just brilliant, if a little damp in the continuous rain today.

Alastair

Bad weather

A lot of rain today, and hail;ouch! It caught me outside.

Seawatch early afternoon produced a Red-throated Diver, a Kittiwake, two Gannets, an auk, an Eider and 143 Fulmars west with 14 east. There were a few Shags and Fulmars hanging out as well.

The Tree Sparrow was in the garden during one of the brief periods it was possible to see outside.

Ring of Brodgar

On New Year's Day I went and had a mooch about by the Ring to see if I could find AL's warbler. He saw it in the bird crop but not so far away there are quite a few bushes by the loch side. Anyway, to no avail.

Woodcock flew from the fields by The Shunan around the house and garden and into the rookery somewhere, the Tree Sparrow showed first thing. First bird was a Hoodie, heard, and first seen was Blackbird.

Rook diary

I'm now publishing a diary of our rookery as a seperate blog, here.

2011 post-script

A tantalising lifer was found on 30th December and the site is within view of the kitchen, problem is it's across the sea. A Gyr Falcon was found by members of Orkney Climbing Club on the top of Ward Hill, Hoy; there's a photo, it looks good. On the same day a possible Hume's was in crop at the Ring of Brogdar, also within view of the kitchen; somehow I missed the posting on this or I would have looked for it yesterday.

The last bird of 2011 was a Short-eared Owl flushed from the ditch by the track as we returned yesterday evening, there was another as well around the byres, but I missed it.

Gyr Falcon or Hume's would be a nice kick-off for 2012, let's see what the year brings. Happy New Year and good birding to regular readers, and others who stubble across this blog.

Cold

The snow fall of yesterday had frozen this morn. Looking out from the kitchen we're white but its all green the other side of the Harray Loch.

Various jobs to do today but I did find time to go gull hunting. The sea was still mighty at Skaill and Marwick.

 There were two Whoopers by the road at Skara Brae.

 I managed to locate two 1st CY Glaucous. The first one was at Marwick and it then followed me down the coast, unless there are two with the same missing secondary, where it found a friend.

Winter seawatch

Point of Buckquoy is not a bad seawatch place, a bit low and the Brough does force some birds out but sitting in the car means that concentration is better. In a strong wind it can act like a trap, especially for petrels, although the danger is that birds will cut across the fields behind the car park.

Today the wind was not so high and there were Fulmars and Kitts passing at about 2km + and gulls close in and behind me. It was a toss up, look for the close in Ivory Gull or scan with the scope for the Wanderer. I kind of compromised and was lucky to get on to a mid range Sooty which showed well, bit late mate! The Fulmars were shifting at about 2000+ / hour and there were a good few Kitts. The close in gull passage was predominantly of Common Gulls but there were about 100 GB-bGulls in the hour as well as 60 Herring Gulls, loads will have gone behind me as well. Other bonus birds were one Little Auk and two Blue Fulmars. There was also three Red-throated Divers and a few Eider. Other things included a Grey Plover and Snow Buntings were heard.

I had a look at Marwick where there were a few gulls.

Then on to Skaill where was a nice 1cy Glaucous Gull, loads of waders and gulls and a Merlin.

Back at the ranch we had woken to the sound of Whooper Swans. The Tree Sparrow was present, a Grey Heron flew by and a female Hen Harrier was hunting most of the day. Louise found three Shorties between the stables and home. There are still Redwings about and at roost time there were three or four with the Blackbirds (17) and another 15 down at the Shunan. The Greenfinch record was shattered with an epic 47 at the feeders.

Iceland Gull

Amidst the mighty waves a white-winged gull approached the Brough of Birsay car park from the east this morning. Unfortunately, instead of sailing past 20 metres from my position it cut inland across the fields and headed for Marwick. Subsequent searching failed to reveal it. No doubt it was a 1cy with its rusty tones on upper wing coverts body and tail. At first I thought it looked huge, but it was a predominantly white bird against a grey background and thus bound to look big. The arm and especially the hand were long, the wings looked elegant, slender for a bird of this size, and the flight was graceful. The under body showed no sign of the dark grey tones that a Glaucous Gull might sport. It was too far away to see any detail on the bill, but would the characteristic and distinct Glaucous bill pattern of a 1cy have been discernible at that range (about 600metres or so).

My new found caution with this species pair left me initially to hum and ha. The buffeting of the breeze (ha, ha), the distance and the brevity of the view didn't help but it had to be an Iceland Gull.

We then contemplated a walk and I went around the back of the car to hold the door whilst Louise got the waterproofs out. Open door, Louise flails as waterproofs get out all on their own and head rapidly in a gangly, airwalk towards the ocean. Subsequent good fielding by Louise recovered two pairs and slightly mad wave dodging on the beach below the cliff captured the last unruly legs.

I've slowly been reading The Sound Approach since I borrowed a copy (thanks JB) and then was given it last summer. It took me a while to locate my old CD Walkman, ideal for listening as you read. (No don't try putting all the files on your iPod, totally hopeless - shuffle Floyd, Lupe, Kate, Golden Plover, The Stones, Willow Tit etc.) For Christmas Louise bought me Birding from the Hip. Now I've never been a fan of Birdwatch magazine so I was entirely ignorant of Anthony McGeehan's articles in that publication. This is just such a good read, and listen. The use of the CDs to make a kind of birders' Radio 4 is brilliant. This is the best book about birders and birding, and our obsession's impact on our nearest and dearest that you'll read; highly recommended.

Christmas morning

How is it that I'm blogging on such a morn?

Presents are opened, and more of that in a peedie minute. The usual awakening was delayed until six, a bit of a triumph that; having been banned from waking us until seven, offspring delayed the usual rousing until quite a reasonable hour. However, Louise is still in a sleep deprived state as eldest was too excited to sleep until around two or so and insisted on Louise sharing the spare room bed whilst she wriggled, talked etc, etc. Cooking, cooking is pretty much done, yesterday as the south-westerly blew and the rain deluged. So why not birding?

The picture makes it look better than it really is, its barely light at eleven.

And then it blew a hooley. Managed to prevent the garage doors disappearing into the distance, hadn't noticed that the last storm had damaged the hinges a well as the bolt, one is bent and knackered. Anyway emergency repairs done. Tree Sparrow on the feeders, Sparrowhawk under them, but no small body so it must have missed its prey. The breeze has eased a bit now, its possible to walk in the garden rather than just get blown about...