Bag a Wild One: Update of White-Winger Sightings at Shawell.

White-wingers (Iceland and Glaucous Gulls) are the highlight of the winter months for any gull watcher prepared to suffer the cold. Below is an account of all the denizens of the frozen Arctic wastes that have graced Shawell.

The finder is the first name. I have used my initials (CDB) and everyone else is named in full.

Glaucous Gull

33 have been seen to date.

2012

1. Juvenile Glaucous Gull, Cotesbach Landfill site on January 4th (Neil Hagley).

2. Juvenile, Cotesbach Landfill site on December 28th (CDB).

2013

3. Fourth-winter at both Cotesbach Landfill site and the A5 Lagoons on February 16th (CDB, Andy Forryan and Garsham Roberts).

4. Juvenile at the A5 Lagoons on February 22nd (CDB).

5. Second-winter at both Cotesbach Landfill site and the A5 Lagoons on March 9th (Steve Lister, CDB).

6. Juvenile at the A5 Lagoons on March 16th (CDB). It spent all afternoon on the lagoons.

7.Juvenile at Shawell A5 Lagoons on March 27th (CDB). I consider it to be a different individual to the one on March 16th due to its small size and plumage differences.

8. Adult at Cotesbach Landfill site on March 28th (CDB).

9. Second-winter or pale juvenile at the A5 Lagoons on December 14th (CDB, Steve Nichols).

2014

10. Second-winter at Cotesbach landfill site and the A5 Lagoons on January 18th (CDB).

2015

11. Second-winter at the A5 Lagoons and Cotesbach Landfill site on January 20th (CDB) to 24th (CDB, Steve Nichols, Dave Scott and Andy Forryan).

12. Third-winter at Cotesbach Landfill site on January 25th (CDB).

2016

13. Juvenile at Cotesbach Landfill site on January 9th (CDB).

14. Juvenile on January 16th (CDB) & 21st (CDB) and February 18th (CDB, Steve Nichols).

15. Second-winter, January 21st at the A5 Lagoons (CDB, Steve Nichols). It had an injured leg.

16. Fourth-winter at both Cotesbach landfill site and the A5 Lagoons on February 18th (CDB).

2017

17. Juvenile at the A5 Lagoons on January 11th (CDB).

18. Juvenile at the sand quarry on January 21st (CDB).

19. Juvenile at the sand quarry on January 27th (CDB) & 28th (CDB) and February 4th (CDB, Steve Nichols, Mike Alibone).

20. Juvenile (dark individual) at the sand quarry on February 11th (CDB, Tim Kociuch, Steve Nichols).

21. Adult at the sand quarry on February 11th (CDB, Tim Kociuch). This one had a colour-ring (orange G1NT) that was fitted by the North Thames Gull Group in March 2015. It has also been seen in Northamptonshire and Cheshire. It or another was again seen on February 17th at the landfill (Steve Nichols) and on February 18th in the sand quarry (CDB). On both the 17th & 18th its colour-ring was not visible, but on the 18th CDB saw the same or a similar mark on the adults neck that is visible in the photo from the 11th. G1NT was last seen by Steve Nichols on March 4th.

22. Adult with some vestiges of winter plumage at the landfill on February 17th (Steve Nichols).

23. Juvenile at the sand quarry on February 18th (CDB).

24. Juvenile on the landfill area December 9th (CDB, Steve Nichols).

25. Adult at the landfill site on December 28th (CDB).

2018

26. Juvenile on January 13th in the sheep field near Shawell village and on the landfill (CDB).

27. Juvenile on January 20th (CDB, Steve Nichols) and 25th (CDB).

28. Juvenile on February 3rd (CDB), 21st & 22nd (Steve Nichols et al)

29. Pale juvenile on April 16th (Steve Nichols, CDB)

30. Juvenile on December 8th (CDB, Steve Nichols)

31. Second-winter on December 13th (CDB), 14th (Steve Nichols), 15th (CDB), 28th (CDB) 29th (CDB, Steve Nichols).

32. Adult on December 29th (CDB, Steve Nichols).

2019

Second-winter (no. 30 first seen 2018) again on January 1st 2019 (CDB, Steve Nichols, Robert Lee), 3rd (Brian Moore) and 5th (CDB, Chris Hubbard, Mike Alibone, Richard Penson).
Adult (no. 31 first seen 2018) again January 1st 2019 (CDB).

33. Juvenile on January 3rd (Brian Moore) and 5th (Chris Hubbard, CDB, Mike Alibone).

Iceland Gull

A total of 38 (possibly 37) have been seen to date.

2009

1. Juvenile between February 9th and 19th (Neil Hagley et al). Photo Here

2. Adult on February 23rd (Andy Howes).

3. Second-winter on December 11th and 12th (Neil Hagley and Dave Gray). Photo Here

4. Second-winter (Kumlien's Gull) March 6th to 18th (Neil Hagley et al) Photo Here

2010

5. Second-winter on the A5 Lagoons on February 24th (Dave Gray).

2011

6. Un-aged on the A5 Lagoons on December 27th (Garsham Roberts). Possibly the same as one on January 9th and 28th 2011, but CDB not confident that this bird was aged.

2012

7. Third-winter at the A5 Lagoons between January 9th and 28th (CDB, Neil Hagley et al).

8. Second-winter at the A5 Lagoons on February 29th (CDB). This one was probably a male and it had a distinctive bill pattern. Not photographed due to camera failure.

9. Second-winter at the A5 Lagoons on March 3rd (CDB, Steve Lister, Garsham Roberts).

10. Adult at the A5 Lagoons on March 10th (Neil Hagley) and 17th (CDB, Steve Lister). Not photographed.

11. Second-winter at the A5 Lagoons on March 23rd (Dave Gray, CDB).

2013

12. Biscuit coloured Juvenile at the landfill site on February 9th (CDB). Not photographed.

13. Pale juvenile at the A5 Lagoons on March 9th (CDB, Steve Lister), 27th (CDB) and 28th (CDB) plus April 6th (CDB).

2014

14. Second-winter at both the landfill site and the A5 Lagoons on January 18th (CDB, Steve Nichols, Dave Gray).

15. Adult at the A5 lagoons on March 15th (CDB).

16. Third-winter at the A5 Lagoons on December 17th (CDB) and 20th (CDB, Steve Nichols)

2015

17. Juvenile at the A5 Lagoons briefly on March 14th (CDB).

2016

18. Juvenile at the A5 Lagoons on February 12th (CDB).

19. Faded juvenile at the A5 Lagoons regularly from March 16th (CDB, Steve Nichols et al). Sadly it broke its wing and had to be taken into care and put to sleep on March 30th, as the injury was too severe.

20. Third-winter at both the landfill site and the A5 Lagoons on April 9th (CDB).

2017

21. Juvenile at the sand quarry on January 21st (CDB, Steve Nichols) and February 7th (CDB) and 11th (CDB, Tim Kociuch, Steve Nichols,).

22. Adult at the sand quarry on February 4th (CDB).

23. Faded juvenile on April 1st, 8th and 15th (Steve Nichols, CDB)

24. Juvenile at the lagoons on the ice on December 12th (CDB) and at the landfill on December 16th (CDB, Steve Nichols).

2018

25. Juvenile at the landfill on January 6th at the landfill site (CDB).

26. Juvenile on January 27th in the sand quarry (CDB, Roger Davis).

27. Adult on February 21st and 22nd (Steve Nichols et al) and it or another on March 17th (CDB), 21st (CDB) and 24th (CDB, Steve Nichols) Two adults have been roosting at Draycote during February and March.

28. Second-winter in the sandpit on February 21st (Steve Nichols)

29. Second-winter in the sandpit on March 8th (David Scott, Rod Baker).

30. Juvenile at various locations around the area, on March 8th (Dave Scott, Rod Baker) 9th (CDB), 10th (CDB), 24th (CDB) 27th (Steve Nichols) and 31st (CDB).

31. Juvenile (a fresh looking bird not bleached) on March 17th (CDB) and 24th (Steve Nichols).

32. Second-winter, quite large headed probably a male, at the landfill on March 31st (CDB). Not photographed.

33. Second-winter at the landfill on March 31st (CDB).

34. Juvenile at the landfill and sandpit on March 31st (CDB, Steve Nichols). Showed some characters of kumlieni.

35. Juvenile April 5th at the sandpit (Steve Lister) and at the A5 Lagoons on April 7th (CDB, Steve Nichols). Also on April 14th, 16th, 21st and 25th (CDB) and May 12th (CDB, Steve Nichols). May 12th is the latest date for an Iceland Gull seen in Leicestershire & Rutland.