We were at Penny on Tues just gone - many thanks to the birder who took the time to point out the Iceland Gull - it made young (13) Adam's day as it was his first rare gull - mine too!! - we had dipped on an Iceland Gull back home in the IOM the week before - funny how birding fortunes can change - Anyway, just wanted to express my gratitude
Unfortunately, the all-important primary tips are a bit out of focus, but you can just see a hint of the pale grey markings.
Apparently, Kumlieni has not been ruled out as a possibility. I will leave this to birders with more experience to decide!
-- Edited by Chris Gregson on Thursday 23rd of February 2012 09:27:30 PM
I am sure Ian can comment more but I think to make it a Kumliens the primarys (tips and shaft) would be dark grey and very noticable. Just an nominate Iceland for me.
Cheers Jason
Mike Baron said
Sat Feb 25 2:02 AM, 2012
Adult Med in the roost this evening.
7400 Black-headed Gulls
4 GBBG
84 Herring
273 LBBG
80+ Common Gulls
Rob Smallwood said
Fri Feb 24 7:36 AM, 2012
Chris Gregson wrote:
Apparently, Kumlieni has not been ruled out as a possibility. I will leave this to birders with more experience to decide!
-- Edited by Chris Gregson on Thursday 23rd of February 2012 09:27:30 PM
My tactic too! Be interested in others thoughts, or are or the gull experts sunning themselves on Richmond Bank?!
Chris Gregson said
Fri Feb 24 3:39 AM, 2012
I did originally put a link to a fuzzy digiscoped shot of the 3rdW Iceland Gull.
I guess that's not allowed, as it has been removed.
Sorry for any inconvenience.
Chris Gregson said
Fri Feb 24 3:29 AM, 2012
Ha ha - sorry Rob. They say the eyes are the first thing to go!
Unfortunately, the all-important primary tips are a bit out of focus, but you can just see a hint of the pale grey markings.
Apparently, Kumlieni has not been ruled out as a possibility. I will leave this to birders with more experience to decide!
-- Edited by Chris Gregson on Thursday 23rd of February 2012 09:27:30 PM
Chris Gregson said
Thu Feb 23 4:45 PM, 2012
3rdW Iceland Gull on the end of the spit this morning.
The grey chevrons mentioned by Bob Smallwood were faintly visible (although they are so faint they can't be seen on the pic). They were just a sign of the gull's immaturity - far too faint for a Kumliens.
-- Edited by Weekend Birder on Thursday 23rd of February 2012 04:53:10 PM
-- Edited by Weekend Birder on Thursday 23rd of February 2012 04:53:32 PM
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 23rd of February 2012 06:02:12 PM
Mark Rigby said
Wed Feb 22 1:19 PM, 2012
1300hrs on the spit,
2 Shelduck Curlew 15 Snipe 300+Lapwing
2w Iceland Gull dropped in at 1325hrs off the far end of the spit.
-- Edited by Mark Rigby on Wednesday 22nd of February 2012 01:29:58 PM
Keith Mills said
Wed Feb 22 1:28 AM, 2012
Ian McKerchar wrote:
keith mills wrote:
Other Hides..usual numbers of Shell
all correct now thanks IAN
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Feb 22 12:57 AM, 2012
keith mills wrote:
Other Hides..usual numbers of Shell
Paul A Brown said
Tue Feb 21 8:53 PM, 2012
2nd W Iceland Gull around the spit this afternoon
Keith Mills said
Tue Feb 21 2:50 PM, 2012
Around the spit: 2nd-winter Iceland Gull at 12.30, as Paul's previous post. Oystercatcher....1 Snipe.....13 Other Hides..usual numbers of Shelduck, Shovelers and Tufties. Pair of Gadwall mating. Pochard...6 Singles of Little Grebe and Goosander(f)
No sign of this weekends Waders.
-- Edited by keith mills on Tuesday 21st of February 2012 02:51:50 PM
-- Edited by keith mills on Tuesday 21st of February 2012 05:20:55 PM
Rob Smallwood said
Mon Feb 20 11:14 PM, 2012
Rob Smallwood wrote:
I do. Too much Rioja and not enough thought!
Actually I can't blame ther Rioja, I was thinking that way when on site long before I'd had a drink!
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Feb 20 9:23 PM, 2012
This morning, singles of Ringed Plover, Redshank and Curlew on the spit.
Yesterday, 100 Great Black-backed Gull present early morning, plus 2 Oystercatchers.
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Rob Smallwood said
Mon Feb 20 6:38 AM, 2012
I do. Too much Rioja and not enough thought!
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Feb 20 6:33 AM, 2012
You may mean P9 and P8 Rob? P10 is the outer most (longest) primary in gulls
Rob Smallwood said
Mon Feb 20 6:14 AM, 2012
Both present until spooked by a para-glider ( hurumph) when they moved out onto main flash.
Also present an adult Med Gull with 3/4 hood.
At times I thought the 3rd winter bird was showing grey chevrons on P2 & P3 at least - but this may have been a trick of the light.
Too many "trophy" dogs about for my liking!
Nick Isherwood said
Mon Feb 20 12:55 AM, 2012
Both Iceland gulls still present on the end of the spit at 4.30pm.
Rob Smallwood said
Sun Feb 19 10:46 PM, 2012
Now 2, 2nd & 3rd winters....
colin moran said
Sun Feb 19 9:47 PM, 2012
icland gull end of spit 10.30 am poss 2nd winter
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Feb 19 12:05 AM, 2012
am/pm wigeon-2 common snipe-12 oystercatcher-2 little grebe-5 goldeneye-23 goosander-8 stock dove 12 lapwing-c300 cormorant-16 kestrel-1 plus the usuals
Tony Coatsworth said
Sat Feb 18 10:05 PM, 2012
45 species this morning with Manchester RSPB
All the usual species. Of note
Displaying GC Grebes Goldeneye 2 Gadwall Goosander 2 Oystercatcher on Spit 4 Snipe singing Skylark good views of 2 Stock Doves below the feeders
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Feb 17 8:30 PM, 2012
Peter Alker flushed at Bittern from Ramsdale's Reedbed at 12:25 this afternoon. The bird was reluctant to fly and dropped back into the reeds after a short distance. Needless to say the remainder of the requirement to enter the reedbed was abandoned at this point!
Aslo 2 Whooper Swans flew over (may have dropped in?) from the east around midday.
Info thanks to Peter Alker
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Feb 17 7:43 PM, 2012
This morning's sightings:
A pair of Pintail at 7:14 and then 3 (1 male, 2 females) at 10:01. 18 Goosander 14 Snipe on the spit 4 Shelduck Adult Mediterranean Gull on the spit at 08:40 (seen by Bill Harrison) 15 Curlew flew NW at 08:55 1 Dunlin on the spit 1 Green Sandpiper on Teal Scrape (seen by Jim Ball)
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Feb 17 7:39 PM, 2012
Late news for yesterday morning (16th):
1 Raven over NW 120 Jackdaw 1 Shelduck
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
JOHN TYMON said
Fri Feb 17 6:47 PM, 2012
no signs of whoopers or bittern 1pm onwards green sandpiper-on from rammies hide 18 goosander 17 common snipe plenty of goldeneye plus the usuals
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 17th of February 2012 06:48:22 PM
Paul Richardson said
Fri Feb 17 7:11 AM, 2012
Wednesday 15th Feb 2.30 - 4pm
Ramsdale's Hide 20 Goosander very frisky 2 Wigeon 4 Little Grebes
Several hundred Lapwing airborne for a long time in the background over the spit.
Pengy's 1 Kingfisher over on the red Dogwood ... sat very still for a long time and refused to come any nearer
Bunting (feeders) No feed left, very windy, almost no small visitors.
1 Reed bunting 4 Mallard approx 20 Moorhens!
Mark Rigby said
Wed Feb 15 10:47 PM, 2012
Ian McKerchar wrote:
Breeding plumaged adult Mediterranean Gull in the roost this afternoon.
Is that a prediction or a fact?
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Feb 15 6:03 AM, 2012
Breeding plumaged adult Mediterranean Gull in the roost this afternoon.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Tony Coatsworth said
Wed Feb 15 1:49 AM, 2012
I'm leading a trip for Manchester RSPB members on Saturday - meet at the Gateway Hotel at 08:30 or Pennington Flash 09:10.
Anyone is welcome
Tony Mossman said
Wed Feb 15 1:28 AM, 2012
Lunchtime visit
c700 Lapwing and 1 Oystercatcher on the spit, Sparrowhawk (m) at feeding station missed its target completely confused by the sheer numbers of birds present.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Feb 14 7:32 AM, 2012
Sightings from this morning:
14 Goosander 14 Pochard 2 Wigeon 7 Snipe
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Feb 12 11:53 PM, 2012
LATE AM/PM Bar Tailed Godwit-1 came in at 12.30 landed on ice with teal then departed east about 1300. kingfisher-1 grey wagtail-1 teal-180 on ice goosander -6 common snipe-12 goldeneye-15 plenty of herring/lbb gull on ice plus the usuals at the bunting hide
Karen Foulkes said
Sun Feb 12 3:19 AM, 2012
No sign of the Knot or the Dunlin late morning or early afternoon. Four Snipe did land on the left hand side of the spit though this afternoon.
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Feb 11 5:03 PM, 2012
This morning so far, on the ice to the left of the spit;
1 Knot 2 Dunlin
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
JOHN TYMON said
Sat Feb 11 3:37 PM, 2012
penny friday 10th with Paul Brown flash still 80% frozen-all the pools frozen still Little Grebe-10 west end Goosander-10 goldeneye-18 shoveler-20 teal-85 shellduck-2 plus the usuals at the bunting hide.
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Feb 10 6:15 AM, 2012
This morning:
19 Goosander 1 Dunlin 3 Snipe 10 Little Grebe
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Feb 7 12:15 AM, 2012
This afternoon; the flash still 80% frozen with the western end the only real open water (apart from a narrow strip off the spit):
37 Goldeneye 32 Fieldfare (on Ramsdales Ruck) 193 Teal 32 Shoveler 3 Dunlin still
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Feb 6 5:11 AM, 2012
4 Dunlin still present on the spit this morning, at close range from Horrocks Hide as the visibility was dire!
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Feb 4 3:30 AM, 2012
This morning:
27 Goosander at the Slag Lane end early on Female Pintail still about Only 3 Dunlin then 32 Goldeneye
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
JOHN TYMON said
Fri Feb 3 5:35 PM, 2012
am/pm almost totally frozen this aft,even round the car park was solid-a small patch end of point open. 5 dunlin(seems to be a bit of passage with dunlin) 4 shelduck 8 common snipe goosander -6 dabchick-3 goldeneye -6 the usuals at the bunting hide
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 3rd of February 2012 07:27:47 PM
Keith Mills said
Thu Feb 2 4:39 PM, 2012
Early afternoon meeting Bernard Hooley for the first time:
Spit: On and around the Spit, c90 Teal. Goosander 12 Lots of Cormorants and Mallard A few Shovelers. Stock Doves A single Snipe flew in and paraded about. Among the Gulls were 2 1st-W Herring Gulls with an Adult and a few Lbb Gulls
Also visited Ramsdale;s and Tom Edmondson's hides, both looking out on to 100% ice with no birds visible.
-- Edited by keith mills on Thursday 2nd of February 2012 06:23:49 PM
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Feb 2 4:11 PM, 2012
08:10am this morning:
Juvenile Iceland Gull present on the end of the spit. 6 Dunlin 6 Shelduck 9 Goosander
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Feb 2 4:09 PM, 2012
Yesterday:
2 Dunlin 8 Goosander 2 Shelduck 4 Snipe
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Gordon Taylor said
Wed Feb 1 1:17 AM, 2012
Treecreeper and 1 Redwing seen from Bunting Hide this Afternoon.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Jan 31 4:54 AM, 2012
Second winter Iceland Gull present in the roost this evening up to 5:10pm at least.
I am sure Ian can comment more but I think to make it a Kumliens the primarys (tips and shaft) would be dark grey and very noticable. Just an nominate Iceland for me.
Cheers
Jason
My tactic too! Be interested in others thoughts, or are or the gull experts sunning themselves on Richmond Bank?!
I guess that's not allowed, as it has been removed.
Sorry for any inconvenience.
Bob the Birder
http://www.flickr.com/photos/weekendbirder/6777445634/in/photostream
Unfortunately, the all-important primary tips are a bit out of focus, but you can just see a hint of the pale grey markings.
Apparently, Kumlieni has not been ruled out as a possibility. I will leave this to birders with more experience to decide!
-- Edited by Chris Gregson on Thursday 23rd of February 2012 09:27:30 PM
The grey chevrons mentioned by Bob Smallwood were faintly visible (although they are so faint they can't be seen on the pic). They were just a sign of the gull's immaturity - far too faint for a Kumliens.
-- Edited by Weekend Birder on Thursday 23rd of February 2012 04:53:10 PM
-- Edited by Weekend Birder on Thursday 23rd of February 2012 04:53:32 PM
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 23rd of February 2012 06:02:12 PM
2 Shelduck
Curlew
15 Snipe
300+Lapwing
2w Iceland Gull dropped in at 1325hrs off the far end of the spit.
-- Edited by Mark Rigby on Wednesday 22nd of February 2012 01:29:58 PM
2nd-winter Iceland Gull at 12.30, as Paul's previous post.
Oystercatcher....1
Snipe.....13
Other Hides..usual numbers of Shelduck, Shovelers and Tufties.
Pair of Gadwall mating.
Pochard...6
Singles of Little Grebe and Goosander(f)
No sign of this weekends Waders.
-- Edited by keith mills on Tuesday 21st of February 2012 02:51:50 PM
-- Edited by keith mills on Tuesday 21st of February 2012 05:20:55 PM
Actually I can't blame ther Rioja, I was thinking that way when on site long before I'd had a drink!
Yesterday, 100 Great Black-backed Gull present early morning, plus 2 Oystercatchers.
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Also present an adult Med Gull with 3/4 hood.
At times I thought the 3rd winter bird was showing grey chevrons on P2 & P3 at least - but this may have been a trick of the light.
Too many "trophy" dogs about for my liking!
wigeon-2
common snipe-12
oystercatcher-2
little grebe-5
goldeneye-23
goosander-8
stock dove 12
lapwing-c300
cormorant-16
kestrel-1
plus the usuals
All the usual species. Of note
Displaying GC Grebes
Goldeneye
2 Gadwall
Goosander
2 Oystercatcher on Spit
4 Snipe
singing Skylark
good views of 2 Stock Doves below the feeders
Aslo 2 Whooper Swans flew over (may have dropped in?) from the east around midday.
Info thanks to Peter Alker
A pair of Pintail at 7:14 and then 3 (1 male, 2 females) at 10:01.
18 Goosander
14 Snipe on the spit
4 Shelduck
Adult Mediterranean Gull on the spit at 08:40 (seen by Bill Harrison)
15 Curlew flew NW at 08:55
1 Dunlin on the spit
1 Green Sandpiper on Teal Scrape (seen by Jim Ball)
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
1 Raven over NW
120 Jackdaw
1 Shelduck
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
green sandpiper-on from rammies hide
18 goosander
17 common snipe
plenty of goldeneye
plus the usuals
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 17th of February 2012 06:48:22 PM
Ramsdale's Hide
20 Goosander very frisky
2 Wigeon
4 Little Grebes
Several hundred Lapwing airborne for a long time in the background over the spit.
Pengy's
1 Kingfisher over on the red Dogwood ... sat very still for a long time and refused to come any nearer
Bunting (feeders)
No feed left, very windy, almost no small visitors.
1 Reed bunting
4 Mallard
approx 20 Moorhens!
Is that a prediction or a fact?
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Anyone is welcome
c700 Lapwing and 1 Oystercatcher on the spit, Sparrowhawk (m) at feeding station missed its target completely confused by the sheer numbers of birds present.
14 Goosander
14 Pochard
2 Wigeon
7 Snipe
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Bar Tailed Godwit-
kingfisher-1
grey wagtail-1
teal-180 on ice
goosander -6
common snipe-12
goldeneye-15
plenty of herring/lbb gull on ice
plus the usuals at the bunting hide
1 Knot
2 Dunlin
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
flash still 80% frozen-all the pools frozen still
Little Grebe-10 west end
Goosander-10
goldeneye-18
shoveler-20
teal-85
shellduck-2
plus the usuals at the bunting hide.
19 Goosander
1 Dunlin
3 Snipe
10 Little Grebe
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
37 Goldeneye
32 Fieldfare (on Ramsdales Ruck)
193 Teal
32 Shoveler
3 Dunlin still
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
27 Goosander at the Slag Lane end early on
Female Pintail still about
Only 3 Dunlin then
32 Goldeneye
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
almost totally frozen this aft,even round the car park was solid-a small patch end of point open.
5 dunlin(seems to be a bit of passage with dunlin)
4 shelduck
8 common snipe
goosander -6
dabchick-3
goldeneye -6
the usuals at the bunting hide
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 3rd of February 2012 07:27:47 PM
Spit:
On and around the Spit, c90 Teal.
Goosander 12
Lots of Cormorants and Mallard
A few Shovelers.
Stock Doves
A single Snipe flew in and paraded about.
Among the Gulls were 2 1st-W Herring Gulls with an Adult and a few Lbb Gulls
Also visited Ramsdale;s and Tom Edmondson's hides, both looking out on to 100% ice with no birds visible.
-- Edited by keith mills on Thursday 2nd of February 2012 06:23:49 PM
Juvenile Iceland Gull present on the end of the spit.
6 Dunlin
6 Shelduck
9 Goosander
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
2 Dunlin
8 Goosander
2 Shelduck
4 Snipe
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
4 Goosander
2 Shelduck
4 Snipe
Info thanks to Barry Hulme