A Quiet Time

Things have been a little quiet for me over the last couple of weeks. I tried a local site that looked like it might attract a Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis. So far I've not located a Siberian one, but there are at least two ordinary Chiffchaffs wintering at the site and also a male and female Blackcap. I've also seen a Green Sandpiper there, so the site looks like it will be worth further attention.

Female Blackcap

Gulling at Shawell has been a bit slow, since the day of the 'white-wingers'. Just one Caspian Gull plus a Casp hybrid in three visits. Iceland and Glaucous Gull numbers appear to have dropped off in the Midlands at present, but hopefully they'll be back in March, as this is usually the peak time for them. Lesser Black-backed Gull numbers are increasing at the moment and as a result I've managed to read a few colour-rings. Amongst the small number of LBBG that have over-wintered are a couple of colour-ringed birds. J20T a Norwegian ringed LBBG  has been present since November 2013 and I also recorded it in February 2013. Belgian ringed LBBG 7F Appeared in early December and was still present yesterday.

J20T

7F (white ring with code 7F is on the left leg)

In addition to these gulls, I read the colour-ring on a third-winter Great Black-backed Gull, which was ringed in Norway as a chick.

Great Black-backed Gull JP155

As I said, gulling has been hard work, as many of them are choosing to fly to flooded areas that are difficult to view, so I ended up entertaining myself digiscoping the moon.

Digiscoped Moon Shot