Little Stint at Shawell

It's been a good month for waders at Shawell Sandpit. Highlights include a Wood Sandpiper, five Sanderlings and a count of 19 Dunlins. A Little Stint found yesterday by Steve Nichols was a really good find. It was still present today.

The video below shows a Sanderling at first and then the Little Stint wanders in frame.

Cairngorms National Park

It had been a while since my last visit to the Cairngorms National Park, but I was back last week. Being busy during the run up to the trip, I had neglected to check the weather forecast. However, I did hear the weather man saying that it was likely to be cold in the north.

A Beautiful View From the Cairngorm Plateau to Glenmore and the Rothiemurchus Forest

Well the weather man was not wrong about the cold and so a world of adventure awaited high up in the mountains. Monday saw Georgina, Sam and myself striding out from the Ski car park. Our first outing was a gentle reacquaintance with winter walking. We chose my regular Northern Corries route starting at the Fiacaill a Choire Chais ridge up on the the plateau east of Cairngorm; and then followed the edge of Coire an t-Sneachda and Coire an Lochain. We descended between Lurcher's Crag and Coire an Lochain to eventually arrive back in the car park.

Georgina and Sam on the Early Part of Fiacaill a Choire Chais

Looking down into Coire an t-Sneachda and Across to  Fiacaill Ridge

A male Ptarmigan could be heard 'croaking', as we made are way up hill and luckily he was close to our route.

Male Ptarmigan

Coastguard Rescue Helicopter

It was reassuring to see a rescue helicopter was out checking on things, but luckily we were not in need of their help.

The conditions were perfect on the plateau, as the snow was deep but soft and our boots gripped well without the need for crampons. Visibility was also generally good although we did encounter a few cloud patches that drifted over an enveloped us for a short while.

Angel's Peak

Georgina

Sam

During the week we enjoyed some fabulous days trail blazing through fresh snow and as you can see there were some happy smiling faces.

Georgina

Cairn Toul and Angel's Peak from the Route to Ben Macdui

We still had time for some low level walking in the forest and the Capercaillies were showing well for once although very early in the morning when the light was poor.

Female Capercaillie

The snow fall in the mountains has caused many birds to descend to lower levels. Up to 30 Snow Buntings were taking refuge in the ski car park.

Male Snow Bunting

Female Snow Bunting

Second Calendar-year Yellow-legged Gull

I started today by visiting both Cropston and Swithland reservoirs hoping for something to have been blown in on Storm Hannah, but I was disappointed. Brascote Pits was my next choice of location, but all was quiet there too.

I eventually arrived at Shawell just before lunch and you guessed it, it was quiet there too.

The only gull that took my eye was a second calendar-year Yellow-legged Gull that was skulking amongst a few hundred gulls on the bank between the two lagoons by the A5 road. The white squarish head with an obvious mask caught my eye, but other features are quite subtle. The mantle colour and pattern is very similar to many same aged Yellow-legged Gulls that I've seen in Portugal in spring. There are several replaced lesser coverts and a singe greater covert. This is quite retarded for most michahellis, but about right for lusitanius. However, I have seen similar looking birds in Bulgaria in January, so probably within variation of michahellis.

Second Calendar-year Yellow-legged Gull, Shawell

Second Calendar-year Yellow-legged Gull, Shawell

Winter's last Vestiges

An Iceland gull was enjoying the free buffet at Cotesbach landfill site today despite the sunshine and unusually warm temperatures for the Easter Bank Holiday

Four Wheatears had also stopped off before continuing north. Also two Yellow and a single White Wagtail were feeding around the fringes of the flooded sandpit.

Gulls were still present in big numbers but most are now immature birds.

Juvenile Iceland Gull, Shawell Sanpit, April 20th 2019

Video of Third-Winter Iceland Gull

The third-winter Iceland Gull was at Shawell again on Friday and Saturday. Below os a bit of video -enjoy!