Surf Scoter at Rutland Water

On Tuesday an immature scoter was spotted off the dam at Rutland Water. Its identity was revealed when it wing flapped and showed plain brown wings. Velvet Scoters have a white wing panel, so this bird was a first-winter Surf Scoter - a county first!

I was at work most of this week, so I had to wait until this morning to go for it. I thought I'd made a bad decision setting off early as it was very foggy on route. Luckily the fog wasn't too bad near the dam, although it was still very murky.

The Surf Scoter was still associating with a small flock of Tufted Ducks near to the shore about halfway along the dam.

Shawell Again

Since my last update I have visited Shawell a few more times. One of the highlights for me is welcoming back returning colour-ringed gulls. The Herring Gull pictured below returned to Shawell on December 17th. It was ringed in Finland in 2007 and since 2014 it has wintered at Shawell. Today I saw a Herring Gull that was colour-ringed near Kings Lynn. I have seen that one (1Z1B) ever winter since 2012. I also saw German ringed Caspian Gull (XNDJ) again today - that one has also been returning to Shawell regularly since 2014.

Adult Herring Gull (note the yellow legs), Colour-Ringed in Finland C02CN

The A5 Lagoons are a bit hit and miss these days, due to disturbance from various creatures including a man who walks round the edge of the lagoons fairly regularly. I haven't caught up with him for a chat yet, but I will. As a consequence I have been devoting most of my time to watching the gulls at the sand quarry next to Cotesbach Landfill site. The good thing there is that all the gulls have there legs out of the water. As a result I get to read more colour-rings.

There are at least seven Caspian Gulls around at present: three adults, one 4CY, two 3CY, one 2CY and one 1CY. The 1CY was seen by Martin Elliot, but I can see from his photo that I saw it in both September and October.

The 2CY in the video below showed very well this afternoon. The video doesn't do it full justice as the lovely silver grey of the mantle and the median coverts has lost something. Nevertheless it shows how distinctive the body shape is compared to the nearby Herring Gull.

Merry Christmas

Wishing Everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - thanks for visiting my blog during 2016.

Caspian Gulls and Other Stuff

Today was another dull day at Shawell, but the sun was shinning when I called in for my lunch break mid-week. Whilst I was eating my sandwiches the gulls were enjoying a splash about. One of the nearest gulls was an adult Caspian Gull, so I took lots of photos of it. The light was a bit harsh, but some of my digiscoped efforts turned out OK.

Adult Caspian Gull, Shawell 14/12/16

Adult Caspian Gull, Shawell 14/12/16

Today I saw five different Caspian Gull at the Shawell. One was a bird I have seen three winters in a row now, but the others were not so distinctive. Many of the Caspian Gulls return to Shawell year after year. It is not always easy to know whether I have seen them before without a colour-ring to help, however. I managed to photograph three of today's Caspian Gulls. The light was really awful, so photography was quite a challenge.

Adult Caspian Gull, Shawell 17/12/16

Adult Caspian Gull, Shawell 17/12/16

Adult Caspian Gull, Shawell 17/12/16

A Herring Gull that was ringed in Finland reappeared today. I have now recorded it three winters in a row at Shawell. It is a yellow legged individual with lovely long wings.

Finnish Ringed Herring Gull (C02CN)

I also saw a Lesser Black-backed Gull that I first saw back in 2013. This one was ringed as a breeding adult on the Isle of May, Scotland in 1991, so it is over 30 years old. It colour-rings are wearing out, the green one with the white letter M has migrated up its leg and the orange and red uncoded rings have broken up and become one ring.

Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, Shawell 17/12/16. Ringed on the Isle of May as an Adult in 1991

A Damp December Day at Shawell

Did it get light today? Very difficult conditions.

The gulls are a bit unpredictable at present - maybe the mild weather. The lagoons were the best spot until a buzzard came a hunting.

A first-winter Mediterranean Gull was a nice surprise. These are much rarer at Shawell than Caspian Gulls - I have only found 18 since 2012.

First-Winter Mediterranean Gull, Shawell A5 Lagoons, December 10th 2016

I'd love to be able to see all the gulls gathered together in one area at the moment, as I'm sure there must be more Caspian Gulls around. I had to settle for just one adult today. Compare its clean looks to the scruffy appearance of the Herring Gull. The small head and beady dark eye also help to separate it from the Herring Gull.

Adult Caspian Gull, Shawell A5 Lagoons, December 10th 2016