More Caspian Gulls

I have been continuing my education at Shawell A5 Lagoons and I have found two more Caspian Gulls - both adults. The individual today was very helpful, as it did a nice fly past. The wings were very long and underneath they were really white apart from the classic black primary pattern. Compared to Yellow-legged Gulls there is much less black in the primaries. In flight the black appeared more like a black band across the wings on the underside.

The Leicestershire & Rutland Annual Bird Report

After almost a year in production,  I can now announce that the LROS 2010 Annual Bird Report will be ready in time for the Birdfair at Rutland Water. Any LROS members visiting the show will be able to collect their copy from the LROS stand (marquee 2/stand 32). I do hope you enjoy reading it! 

I would like to thank Ben Croxtall, Roger Davis, Jim Graham, Steve Lister, Andy Mackay and Mark Skevington for all the help they have given me. Also thanks to everyone else who contributed.

I hope you like the photo of the Little Owl by Paul Riddle, which I selected for the front cover - cheers Paul.

 

Carl Baggott, Editor.

Caspian Gull

On Wednesday (08/08/12) I stopped off for 1/2 hour at Shawell on my way to Northampton. Initially there were few gulls on the lagoon, but then they began to arrive from the nearby landfill site. Amongst the newcomers was a 1st-summer (2CY) Yellow-legged Gull and an adult, plus a 3rd-summer / 4th winter Caspian Gull. This bird exhibited a classic range of features, which can be seen in the photo below - small headed with a gently sloping forehead; dark forward set  eyes; a long slim dull yellow bill with dark markings on both mandibles; faint 'pencil' markings on the back of the neck and it was distinctly long bodied and long winged despite it having one of its longest primary feathers missing.

Caspian Gull

Here We Gull Again

Over the last couple of weekends I have further immersed myself into the dark arts of gull identification. To do this I have diced with death along the narrow verge of the A5 road and entered the leafy lair that overlooks the Shawell A5 Lagoons.