Arctic GullFest, April 2012: The Programme

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

Click on couple time to see larger version. Feel free to pass it on.

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Dungeness area, Kent

Posted on January 20, 2012 by

Do you live in…

London, Kent or elsewhere in the South-east of England?  Would you like to join me and Marcus Lawson for a day of ‘frontier birding’?

Thursday 9th February 2012, mainly focusing around Dungeness and surrounding area.  Gulls, Geese and local Passerines.  Every guided event continues to create new stories.  Don’t miss out on being part of this one!

£30 per person.  Contact me here to book or for more information.

(places limited, booked on first come, first served basis)

Followed by evening talk

9th February (Thursday)  Kent Ornithological Society, Evening Talk.  7:15 for 7:45 start, Maidstone, Kent. More here

“Please note that this is a ticket only event with an admission price of £4, email kosmeetings@yahoo.co.uk to reserve your ticket for what will undoubtedly be a very special evening.”
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Iceland Gull and its dark mark

Posted on January 30, 2012 by

Stubber’s Green, West Midlands 30.1.12

Went back to look for the candidate American Herring Gull. No luck, but great views of the Iceland Gull, reckoned to be a 4th winter (a returning bird) by the keenest local birders. That’s in spite of its brownish marking in wings and tail.

I have also been a little disquieted that when preening and sometime when perched I got the impression of some darker marks in outer primaries- along webs. Today I got pics that show darker pigmentation at least on the outer web of p9- on the left wing in this shot. Birding is always interesting ; ) !

Also saw 1 adult Caspian Gull and at the Chasewater roost, 1st winter Caspian Gull, two 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull, the Iceland Gull (again) and an adult Mediterranean Gull. No bad!

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Iceland and Caspian Gulls- together

Posted on January 29, 2012 by

Nice combo!

On the shoreline at Stubbers Green. Preening 3rd winter Iceland Gull (left) and adult Caspian Gull just along shoreline to its right. Not sure I have seen that before.

and the 3 adult Caspian Gulls

Here photos of the 3 different adults in the Stubbers area. I am pretty confident now I was fortunate to see all 3 on 26th Jan (big male in flight over the tip). Plenty to look out for in the area.

Number one: The BIG beefy one (long legs and little black bill marks). This one I understand has been regularly seen in the area.

Number two. Proper black bill band- lovely head and bill shape. A big one as well. Have only seen this one once.

Number three: smaller (female ?) with no black bill marks. Seen this one a couple of times

 

This is the big (male) in flight. Bird number one.

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is it one or not?

Posted on January 28, 2012 by

American Herring Gull that is…

I will be back tomorrow for another look. I saw this 1st winter ‘Herring-type’ gull this afternoon at Stubber’s Green, West Midlands. I have seen a  fair few young argentatus Herring Gulls that made a good effort with various characters to look like a young American Herring Gull but not really seen one like this before though. This one comes much closer in a bunch of characters to American Herring Gull. I am not sure what I think about it and would like more views- but just letting anyone interested know. Here’s a few photos and videos to look though. I know all the arguments, pros and cons and some appreciation of the variation. I didn’t see the uppertail tail at all and would very much like to. Tomorrow might be interesting…  (at least there have definitely been 3 adult Caspian Gulls and a 3rd winter Iceland Gull there in the last couple of days).

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Wood Duck friends

Posted on January 28, 2012 by

In the news

I see the North American Wood Duck is in the news again with a male out in the wilds of western Ireland. Highly likely that some reach Britain and Ireland from N. America for a bunch of reasons. Watching a few Mallard in bright sunshine at Stubber’s Green yesterday reminded me that Mallard are an association species of Wood Duck- in case I find a Wood Duck in a Mallard flock, not to be put off!

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nearly grown up Iceland Gull

Posted on January 27, 2012 by

Stubbers Green, 27th Jan 2012

Another great couple of hours spent at this prime urban gulling sight. Enjoyed meeting Kevin Clements as we watched the returning Iceland Gull (now in its 3rd or 4th winter??) fly in. Meanwhile 2 adult Caspian Gulls performed well, one of them a different bird from yesterday, a well-known large male. I reckon then I really did see 3 adults yesterday- certainly there are 3 adult Caspian Gulls in the area. Fab! More on them coming, for now the Iceland  Gull (what age is it?):

Now planning some Gull Masterclasses, thank to Kevin, at Stubbers Green. SOON! Contact me if interested.

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2 Caspians + baby Yellow-legged

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

Stubber’s Green 26th  Jan 2012

I was nearly tempted to claim 3 adult Caspian Gulls today. I was at the urban gull mecca of Stubber’s Green in the West Midlands. Cold but good! I managed to dig out at least 2 adult Caspian Gulls, a lovely advanced moult Yellow-legged Gull (1st winter), which was my favourite bird of the day, and a scarily pale young Lesser Black-backed type.Yellow-legged Gull is very cool I think!

Dedicated to all those who have recently been in Gull Masterclass days:

Adult Caspian one:

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Adult Caspian two

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Adult Caspian (presumed no. one again later in day)

a quick burst of preening argentatus (Northern Herring Gull) to compare:

Caspian one and ? probably two? in flight over nearby tip

Number one:

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Number two

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First winter Yellow-legged Gull- an easy one!

 

young and pale and scary Lesser Black-backed type Gull

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Eastern Lesser Whitethroat

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

Fenton Park, Stoke

Thanks to Nick and Martyn on Twitter (amazing thing this Social Networking), found my way to Fenton Park. Asked gardener Andrew Finch for directions. Turns out he knew his birds and took me to the spot and bingo, up popped the bird. After that is was pretty skulky. Not especially remarkable looking as Lesser Whitethroats go but before I had any recording stuff ready it gave a lovely blast of Sardinian Warbler like ’churrrrr’. Flip! well worth going to see just to hear that call. It also gave more typical Lesser Whitethroat ’tack’ calls. These sounded a little ‘thicker’ than usual to me but maybe just wishful thinking. See what the sonagram says. It even seemed to start with ‘tack’ which sped up and merged into a churrrrr. The chur call, from the little I know makes it an ‘eastern bird’, probably a little more North-Eastern than South-Eastern. Might  try for more sound recordings and info on tail pattern. Some nice photos on Staffordshire Bird News. Beware when looking at Lesser Whitethroat photos. The nuances of plumage tone can be massively affected /corrupted by different cameras/ light/ photo processing! A few not so good pics from me today (poor light, v. skulky bird and host of other lame excuses). 25th Jan 2012

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Join the Party!

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

Arctic Norway –  April 2012

I am booked and ready to go…

What promises to be a highlight of the coming year! I will be leading a ‘Gullfest’ in Varanger in April 2012 in association with Tormod A. and Destination Varanger.

My flights are booked for 11th – 19th April. I am leading a group.  Places are limited.  options to come slightly later/ leave slightly earlier depending on your budget/ time constraints. I will be leading a Dog Sled trip into the Taiga on Thursday 12th, then on Friday 13th we’ll head up to Vadso for the Gull Fest   This should include chumming, ID workshops, Base Camp in a Sami tent, ringing of Glaucous Gulls and inspiring talks each evening.  After the Gull Fest I will be leading excursions to see Sea Duck, Arctic Redpolls, White-tailed Eagles and all the other Arctic fare, returning home Wednesday/Thursday.

Contact me to say you would like more info!

Plans:

  • Mixture of dynamic field experience and warm cosy classroom input!
  • Unique experience of thousands of Glaucous Gulls.
  • Gull ringing special
  • Searching for Pacific Rim  and High Arctic Gull species
  • Seaduck extravaganza- King Eiders, Steller’s Eider, Scoters, Long-tailed Duck numbering in the 1000’s. Chance of ultra rare seaduck.
  • up to 100.000 Brunnich’s Guillemot!
  • Special dog-sled trip to a cabin in the Taiga forest, with Siberian Tits, Siberian Jay, Pine Grosbeak, and more.
  • Sort out those Mealy and Arctic Redpolls!
  • King crab dinners

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more on 2nd winter Kumlien’s Gull

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

from North East Scotland

Thanks to the wonderful Chris Gibbins, who ‘texted’ on Saturday to say he was having Kumlien’s and Iceland Gull fun as we perseverd in Teesside. His blog here.

He found this 2nd winter Kumliens’ Gull

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and more on 2nd winter Iceland Gull from N. Wales

…the one that got labelled as a Glaucous. Here it is coming in and then couple flight shots showing big white tips to inner primaries and plain white rump- unlike the Kumlien’s type (which also had barring on rump- see below). They are very similar  looking, especially from below) but not the same. One headed off west and the second was seen a few minutes later far off to he east. Dark iris and bit of tail band on the paler Iceland. Maybe it was pale kumlieni ; )  - ooooooh , don’t go there!

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and below, another of the Kumlien’s type thing. More on that bird.

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