Mon 5th June. Early afternoon visit, nipped out on my lunchbreak.
Id noticed Lesser Black-backed Gull numbers were starting to creep up in the last week or so so I gave them a quick count. I counted adults and various younger ages that I knew were LBb and they were all on the BCA roof.
- 86 Lesser Black-backed Gulls - 17 Herring Gulls
Rob Creek said
Thu Jun 8 9:18 PM, 2023
Tues 30th May. Afternoon visit on way back from Liverpool.
- Lesser Black-backed Gull N:W34 present again. Starting to look a bit older now.
On Friday teatime I nipped to ASDA Longsight and on the field belonging to the newly built Belle Vue Academy literally a minute away from Redgate I noticed around c150-200 Woodpigeon feeding, they mustve put grass seed down or something.
Few visits this week but Gull numbers have literally dropped off a Cliff!
Mon 20th March - 4 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Fri 24th March - 2 ad Lesser Black-backed - 3 ad Herring Gulls
Sat 25th March Not a single Gull, only thing of note was a Chiffchaff singing near PDSA grounds which is a bit of deja vu really as I had one started singing virtually a year to the day in the same place!
Rob Creek said
Sun Mar 12 7:43 AM, 2023
Forgot to mention Lesser Black-backed Gull N:W34 present Friday and Saturday
Thought it was worth mentioning an interesting development on Twitter this week.
Caspian Gull X15U that was here 29th Feb and seen in Northumberland in November, was seen about a week ago in Ravensthorpe West Yorks, then yesterday it was seen over in Widnes. Its certainly done some mileage in a relatively short time.
Rob Creek said
Sat Mar 11 10:19 AM, 2023
Few visits over the last week or so but nothing really of note.
Fri 10th March - 7 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls - minimum 10 Common Gulls inc 2 x 1w and a belting summer plumaged bird - 1 Common Buzzard circling distantly towards Openshaw - 1 Grey Wagtail - 3 Pied Wagtails
So far this morning (Sat) - 8 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls - summer plumaged Common Gull - 20+ Carrion Crows
Rob Creek said
Sun Feb 26 11:36 PM, 2023
Sun 26th Feb. Afternoon visit before the match.
The highlights - probable 1st w Caspian Gull (in flight only - didnt land) - Argentatus Herring Gull with yellow legs (The mysterious Omissus? )
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 26th of February 2023 11:37:20 PM
Fri 24th Feb Afternoon visit. - 1 Raven over - 1 Sparrowhawk roaming around - 7 Argentatus Gulls - 1 Common Gull chasing Black-headed Gulls - c300 Starlings
Sat 25th Feb am & pm visits - 6 Argentatus Gulls - limp winged Great Black-backed Gull - c300 Starlings - 2 Pied Wagtails - 10 Goldfinch over - 2 Greenfinch over
Rob Creek said
Mon Feb 20 6:14 PM, 2023
Caspian Gull X15U (not X150)
The ring had a mark on the code but natural movement enabled me to get a better view of the other side as it rotated.
Ringed in Laußig, Sachsen, Germany, 29.05.22. Sighted in Ashington, Northumberland, 22.11.22
A new Caspian for me and as far as I know not been seen here at Redgate before.
Rob Creek said
Fri Feb 17 5:40 PM, 2023
3 visits this week and an obvious reduction in Gull numbers noticeable each time. Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon and this afternoon.
Of note - Common Gulls becoming more frequent recently throwing their weight around chasing Black-headed Gulls - Lesser Black-backed Gull N:W34 (Tues & Fri) - 4 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Tues) - 1st w Great Black-backed Gull (Tues)
Nice to meet Craig Bell last Saturday, an Argenteus with yellow legs was on site briefly and wed both seen it.
Rob Creek said
Tue Feb 7 6:45 PM, 2023
Some images of the 1st winter Caspian Gull.
Quite an aggressive bird towards other Gulls, but a very showy bird at times flying low over my head at one point into the yard, and then landing on the Redgate machinery cages, nice!
A cracking individual showing well at times but flew off towards towards Manchester at one point. Returned after about 10 minutes, possibly a second 1st winter bird in flight around the yard whilst the first one was still on the 384 roof, but hard to pin down and be 100% sure.
Rob Creek said
Tue Feb 7 3:53 PM, 2023
Mon 6th Feb afternoon visit.
- 2nd winter (possible) Caspian Gull present briefly on 384 roof. Looked like the same bird as Sat 28th Jan
Rob Creek said
Mon Feb 6 5:25 PM, 2023
Reply from Iain Livingstone from Clyde R.G. regarding Herring Gull 69E:C
This Gull was sick and was rehabilitated by the SSPCA, it was ringed as an adult 11.05.22 and then released at Fishcross in Fife. Mine is the only sighting.
Rob Creek said
Sun Feb 5 7:02 PM, 2023
A sad post
Reply from Tim Frayling regarding Herring Gull N:23D.
Ringed at Walney Island, Cumbria, on 4th July last year as a chick, I then reported the sighting on Boxing Day, but sadly the bird was found dead at Audenshaw Reservoirs on 18th January.
Rob Creek said
Sat Feb 4 6:28 PM, 2023
Fri 3rd Feb.
Afternoon visit. - Sparrowhawk through, doing the rounds. - Not many Gulls, the best being c20 Argentatus Herring Gulls & 4 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Sat 4th Feb.
Morning visit approx 9am. Not a single Gull.
Lunchtime / early afternoon visit. - 18 Argenteus Herring Gulls - 10 Argentatus Herring Gulls - 3 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls - 3 ad Great Black-backed Gulls including the limp winged bird - c60 Black-headed Gulls - 2 Common Gulls - usual token Grey Wagtail - 1 imm Pied Wagtail
Rob Creek said
Mon Jan 30 2:38 PM, 2023
Mon 30th Jan
- 2nd winter Caspian Gull currently here. Same bird from a few weeks ago.
Also I had a Caspian-like Gull, a 2nd winter bird pretty similar (but different) to a bird seen here a few weeks ago. Some features though I wasnt quite happy with, shortish legs and a bit too pink, shortish bill too and showed a fairly definitive gonydeal angle producing a contoured effect towards the tip. That said though, I think theres likely to be Caspian genes in there, giving it an overall look of possibly being one but probably not enough to say it definitely is one. It will be submitted anyway, even if its not accepted it could be useful.
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 29th of January 2023 09:38:36 AM
Not much of note apart from a decent number of Argentatus Gulls probably around 20 each time.
Rob Creek said
Sun Jan 22 10:01 AM, 2023
Totally forgot, the ungainly winged Great Black-backed Gull has been present last few days too. No problem flying and you cant tell theres anything amiss until it lands.
am visit. - 2 Whooper Swans over flying North - 4 Dunnocks together around 384 - 1 Grey Wagtail - 1 Pied Wagtail - 1 Sparrowhawk patrolling round - not many Gulls around but of interest Lesser Black-backed N:W34 was present
pm visit. Better Gull numbers but nothing of note except c15 Argentatus.
Rob Creek said
Tue Jan 17 7:32 PM, 2023
Literally just had a reply from Jeroen at the NE Scottish ringing group regarding Herring Gull T:926 on Christmas Eve.
16/06/2013 New Bird Morrisons Garage, King Street, Aberdeen. 09/07/2020 Sighting Gravel bank opposite Duthie Park, Aberdeen, Dev Kapur 24/12/2022 Sighting Redgate Recycling, Gorton, Manchester, Rob Creek
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Tuesday 17th of January 2023 07:34:26 PM
Rob Creek said
Tue Jan 17 7:22 PM, 2023
Got back from Budapest stag do on Sunday afternoon so called in quickly to see what was about. Hardly a single bird.
Monday afternoon. - c15 Argentatus Gulls - 6 Common Gulls - single Redwing - 1 Grey Wagtail
Tuesday afternoon. - c20 Argentatus Gulls - 15 ad Great Black-backed Gulls - 1 ad Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2 Common Gulls - Herring Gull Y:432
Sudden large reduction in Gulls last few days, probably due to weather.
Yesterday afternoon. - 84 (quick count) Redwings over Hyde Rd towards Ardwick / Ashton Old Rd - c15-20 Goldfinch - male Greenfinch in grassy area by BCA gates
Rob Creek said
Wed Jan 4 5:34 PM, 2023
Early to mid afternoon visits, yesterday and today.
Nothing in the way of scarcities but of note yesterday - still quite a few Argentatus Gulls - 1 Grey Wagtail - 2 Pied Wagtail - 5 Redwings over
Then today - 60+ adult Great Black-backed Gulls on BCA roof alone
Rob Creek said
Tue Jan 3 6:20 PM, 2023
My apologies - what I thought was a sub adult Caspian Gull yesterday afternoon has been re-identified as a 3rd winter and looks to be the same individual seen here on 17th Dec.
Rob Creek said
Mon Jan 2 2:11 PM, 2023
Mon 2nd Jan. Second visit this afternoon.
- sub adult Caspian Gull on Stoodleys but now mobile
3rd W and 1st W Caspian Gulls also present around yard and later on the BCA rooftop
Rob Creek said
Tue Dec 27 1:57 PM, 2022
Forgot to say its the same bird that was here on 28th / 29th Nov, and at Audenshaw Res.
Rob Creek said
Tue Dec 27 1:52 PM, 2022
Tues 27th Dec
- 2nd winter Caspian Gull Nothing on 384 roof mid morning when I arrived but within minutes birds started coming in and the roof was full. The 2nd winter Caspian showed well for a while before becoming mobile. It was still there at lunchtime when I left.
Also a 1st winter Caspian Gull briefly in flight but it looked to land on one of the obscured roofs and I couldnt relocate it.
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Tuesday 27th of December 2022 01:53:25 PM
3 visits today, morning, lunchtime, and afternoon, in between a bit of shopping and nipping errands. No sign of any Caspian Gulls at all for me.
Of note - Lesser Black-backed N:W34 - Herring Gull (?) N:23D - 40+ ad Great Black-backed Gulls - 3 Common Gulls - 4 Redwing over - few 100 Woodpigeon over this morning in 3 or 4 flocks
Rob Creek said
Sun Dec 25 1:33 PM, 2022
Christmas Eve.
Only thing of note was Herring Gull T:926 that is likely a Scottish ringed bird.
Tues 20th Dec. Quick call in on way back from a very busy Liverpool route.
- 2 x 1st winter Caspian Gulls on 384 roof. As I got out of the van with my camera a wagon drove passed and clattered over a road divet flushing a few of the Gulls including 1 of the Caspians. The other one stayed and I could see it was Dutch red ringed. It did a quick fly round and landed back on the roof. The ring number was 5.3
Images to follow.
Rob Creek said
Tue Dec 20 9:20 AM, 2022
Tues 20th Dec
- 1st winter Caspian Gull on 384 roof at 8.28am until flushed by the gas scarers
Of note - 40+ adult Great Black-backed Gulls on 384 & BCA, many more Gulls in the air so possibly more
No sign of any Caspian Gulls for me but there was an intriguing 1st winter Herring Gull with a fairly white head and longish slim bill, on the 384 roof and then in the yard, but as it took flight its underwings were dark and it didnt look right for a Caspian, so for me it was a Herring Gull.
Rob Creek said
Sun Dec 18 4:56 PM, 2022
Sun 18th Dec
Morning visit. - 3rd winter Caspian Gull showing well at times on 384 roof then disappearing behind the rubbish mounds in the yard. It was still knocking around at 11am when I left.
Other birds of note - c15-20 Argentatus Gulls - 5 Redwings over - 1 Wren
Nice to see Pete Kinsella & Co today. They were present when I arrived for my 2nd visit and theyd had the Caspian Gull mid morning so I reckoned it was only a matter of time before it returned.
Other birds of note - 14 Argentatus Gulls (probably more, difficult to count as there was lots of activity with Gulls coming and going) - 1 green ringed Herring Gull (missed the number) - 1 white ringed Black-headed Gull - 7 Redwings over - 1 Grey Wagtail - 2 Pied Wagtail
Rob Creek said
Sat Dec 17 2:58 PM, 2022
- 3rd winter Caspian Gull
I went back after Lucas football class and after a bit of a wait I picked up a bird in flight over Redgate Lane. It continued over the yard then towards Hyde Rd before swinging round the 384 building and landing in full view on the roof. What a beauty of a Gull this is! It continued to show well on the roof before dropping into the main yard where it showed on and off, it kept disappearing behind the rubbish mounds.
Early afternoon visit, nipped out on my lunchbreak.
Id noticed Lesser Black-backed Gull numbers were starting to creep up in the last week or so so I gave them a quick count. I counted adults and various younger ages that I knew were LBb and they were all on the BCA roof.
- 86 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 17 Herring Gulls
Afternoon visit on way back from Liverpool.
- Lesser Black-backed Gull N:W34 present again. Starting to look a bit older now.
- Herring Gull N:11R now in its 3rd year
Sun 30th April.
- 7 Herring Gull incl 2 ad
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls incl 4 ad
- 1 ad Great Black-backed Gull over
Mon 1st May. (Around 25 large Gulls)
- 6 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- Partially leucistic Carrion Crow - quite striking really
On Friday teatime I nipped to ASDA Longsight and on the field belonging to the newly built Belle Vue Academy literally a minute away from Redgate I noticed around c150-200 Woodpigeon feeding, they mustve put grass seed down or something.
Mon 20th March
- 4 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Fri 24th March
- 2 ad Lesser Black-backed
- 3 ad Herring Gulls
Sat 25th March
Not a single Gull, only thing of note was a Chiffchaff singing near PDSA grounds which is a bit of deja vu really as I had one started singing virtually a year to the day in the same place!
Caspian Gull X15U that was here 29th Feb and seen in Northumberland in November, was seen about a week ago in Ravensthorpe West Yorks, then yesterday it was seen over in Widnes.
Its certainly done some mileage in a relatively short time.
Fri 10th March
- 7 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- minimum 10 Common Gulls inc 2 x 1w and a belting summer plumaged bird
- 1 Common Buzzard circling distantly towards Openshaw
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 3 Pied Wagtails
So far this morning (Sat)
- 8 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- summer plumaged Common Gull
- 20+ Carrion Crows
Afternoon visit before the match.
The highlights
- probable 1st w Caspian Gull (in flight only - didnt land)
- Argentatus Herring Gull with yellow legs
(The mysterious Omissus? )
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 26th of February 2023 11:37:20 PM
Afternoon visit.
- 1 Raven over
- 1 Sparrowhawk roaming around
- 7 Argentatus Gulls
- 1 Common Gull chasing Black-headed Gulls
- c300 Starlings
Sat 25th Feb
am & pm visits
- 6 Argentatus Gulls
- limp winged Great Black-backed Gull
- c300 Starlings
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 10 Goldfinch over
- 2 Greenfinch over
The ring had a mark on the code but natural movement enabled me to get a better view of the other side as it rotated.
Ringed in Laußig, Sachsen, Germany, 29.05.22.
Sighted in Ashington, Northumberland, 22.11.22
- 1st winter Caspian Gull X150 this afternoon.
A new Caspian for me and as far as I know not been seen here at Redgate before.
Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon and this afternoon.
Of note
- Common Gulls becoming more frequent recently throwing their weight around chasing Black-headed Gulls
- Lesser Black-backed Gull N:W34 (Tues & Fri)
- 4 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Tues)
- 1st w Great Black-backed Gull (Tues)
Nice to meet Craig Bell last Saturday, an Argenteus with yellow legs was on site briefly and wed both seen it.
Quite an aggressive bird towards other Gulls, but a very showy bird at times flying low over my head at one point into the yard, and then landing on the Redgate machinery cages, nice!
- 1st winter Caspian Gull
A cracking individual showing well at times but flew off towards towards Manchester at one point. Returned after about 10 minutes, possibly a second 1st winter bird in flight around the yard whilst the first one was still on the 384 roof, but hard to pin down and be 100% sure.
- 2nd winter (possible) Caspian Gull present briefly on 384 roof.
Looked like the same bird as Sat 28th Jan
This Gull was sick and was rehabilitated by the SSPCA, it was ringed as an adult 11.05.22 and then released at Fishcross in Fife.
Mine is the only sighting.
Reply from Tim Frayling regarding Herring Gull N:23D.
Ringed at Walney Island, Cumbria, on 4th July last year as a chick, I then reported the sighting on Boxing Day, but sadly the bird was found dead at Audenshaw Reservoirs on 18th January.
Afternoon visit.
- Sparrowhawk through, doing the rounds.
- Not many Gulls, the best being c20 Argentatus Herring Gulls & 4 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Sat 4th Feb.
Morning visit approx 9am.
Not a single Gull.
Lunchtime / early afternoon visit.
- 18 Argenteus Herring Gulls
- 10 Argentatus Herring Gulls
- 3 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 ad Great Black-backed Gulls including the limp winged bird
- c60 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Common Gulls
- usual token Grey Wagtail
- 1 imm Pied Wagtail
- 2nd winter Caspian Gull currently here. Same bird from a few weeks ago.
Lunchtime to early afternoon visit.
- Lesser Black-backed Gull N:W34
- 6 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- Herring Gull Y:685
- c25 Argentatus Gull
(including a pristine clean looking adult
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 2 Pied Wagtails
Also I had a Caspian-like Gull, a 2nd winter bird pretty similar (but different) to a bird seen here a few weeks ago. Some features though I wasnt quite happy with, shortish legs and a bit too pink, shortish bill too and showed a fairly definitive gonydeal angle producing a contoured effect towards the tip. That said though, I think theres likely to be Caspian genes in there, giving it an overall look of possibly being one but probably not enough to say it definitely is one.
It will be submitted anyway, even if its not accepted it could be useful.
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 29th of January 2023 09:38:36 AM
Afternoon visit on way back from Liverpool.
- adult Yellow-legged Gull
- Herring Gull 69E:C (Scottish ringed)
- Lesser Black-backed Gull N:W34
- c20 Argentatus Gulls
Not much of note apart from a decent number of Argentatus Gulls probably around 20 each time.
am visit.
- 2 Whooper Swans over flying North
- 4 Dunnocks together around 384
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Sparrowhawk patrolling round
- not many Gulls around but of interest Lesser Black-backed N:W34 was present
pm visit.
Better Gull numbers but nothing of note except c15 Argentatus.
Literally just had a reply from Jeroen at the NE Scottish ringing group regarding Herring Gull T:926 on Christmas Eve.
16/06/2013 New Bird Morrisons Garage, King Street, Aberdeen.
09/07/2020 Sighting Gravel bank opposite Duthie Park, Aberdeen, Dev Kapur
24/12/2022 Sighting Redgate Recycling, Gorton, Manchester, Rob Creek
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Tuesday 17th of January 2023 07:34:26 PM
Hardly a single bird.
Monday afternoon.
- c15 Argentatus Gulls
- 6 Common Gulls
- single Redwing
- 1 Grey Wagtail
Tuesday afternoon.
- c20 Argentatus Gulls
- 15 ad Great Black-backed Gulls
- 1 ad Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Common Gulls
- Herring Gull Y:432
Yesterday afternoon.
- 84 (quick count) Redwings over Hyde Rd towards Ardwick / Ashton Old Rd
- c15-20 Goldfinch
- male Greenfinch in grassy area by BCA gates
Nothing in the way of scarcities but of note yesterday
- still quite a few Argentatus Gulls
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 2 Pied Wagtail
- 5 Redwings over
Then today
- 60+ adult Great Black-backed Gulls on BCA roof alone
Second visit this afternoon.
- sub adult Caspian Gull on Stoodleys but now mobile
- c30+ Argentatus Herring Gulls
- 41 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Wagtail
Mon 2nd Jan
- c60 Fieldfare over
- Lesser Black-backed Gull N:W34
No sign of any Caspian Gulls so far
- 2nd winter Caspian Gull on roof opposite BCA.
Now in its 1st day of being a 3rd CY
- 2nd winter Caspian Gull on BCA roof and now mobile this morning (Saturday)
1.30 -3 pm ..
3rd W and 1st W Caspian Gulls also present around yard and later on the BCA rooftop
- 2nd winter Caspian Gull
Nothing on 384 roof mid morning when I arrived but within minutes birds started coming in and the roof was full. The 2nd winter Caspian showed well for a while before becoming mobile. It was still there at lunchtime when I left.
Also a 1st winter Caspian Gull briefly in flight but it looked to land on one of the obscured roofs and I couldnt relocate it.
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Tuesday 27th of December 2022 01:53:25 PM
3 visits today, morning, lunchtime, and afternoon, in between a bit of shopping and nipping errands.
No sign of any Caspian Gulls at all for me.
Of note
- Lesser Black-backed N:W34
- Herring Gull (?) N:23D
- 40+ ad Great Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Common Gulls
- 4 Redwing over
- few 100 Woodpigeon over this morning in 3 or 4 flocks
Only thing of note was Herring Gull T:926 that is likely a Scottish ringed bird.
11.30 - 2pm
Caspian Gulls - a 1st W (not Red 5.3), a 2nd W and a 3rd W all in the area during the time I was there.
Caspian Gull 5.3
Ringed 17.05.22 at Lelystad (Bataviahaven), Flevoland, NL
18.11.22 seen in Sheffield
Unfortunately I didnt manage to capture the other bird, could well have been the bird from this morning.
Quick call in on way back from a very busy Liverpool route.
- 2 x 1st winter Caspian Gulls on 384 roof.
As I got out of the van with my camera a wagon drove passed and clattered over a road divet flushing a few of the Gulls including 1 of the Caspians.
The other one stayed and I could see it was Dutch red ringed. It did a quick fly round and landed back on the roof.
The ring number was 5.3
Images to follow.
- 1st winter Caspian Gull on 384 roof at 8.28am until flushed by the gas scarers
1st Winter Caspian Gull on roof of 384 at 15:45 today.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 19th of December 2022 08:03:16 PM
Of note
- 40+ adult Great Black-backed Gulls on 384 & BCA, many more Gulls in the air so possibly more
No sign of any Caspian Gulls for me but there was an intriguing 1st winter Herring Gull with a fairly white head and longish slim bill, on the 384 roof and then in the yard, but as it took flight its underwings were dark and it didnt look right for a Caspian, so for me it was a Herring Gull.
Morning visit.
- 3rd winter Caspian Gull showing well at times on 384 roof then disappearing behind the rubbish mounds in the yard. It was still knocking around at 11am when I left.
Other birds of note
- c15-20 Argentatus Gulls
- 5 Redwings over
- 1 Wren
Other birds of note
- 14 Argentatus Gulls (probably more, difficult to count as there was lots of activity with Gulls coming and going)
- 1 green ringed Herring Gull (missed the number)
- 1 white ringed Black-headed Gull
- 7 Redwings over
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 2 Pied Wagtail
I went back after Lucas football class and after a bit of a wait I picked up a bird in flight over Redgate Lane. It continued over the yard then towards Hyde Rd before swinging round the 384 building and landing in full view on the roof. What a beauty of a Gull this is!
It continued to show well on the roof before dropping into the main yard where it showed on and off, it kept disappearing behind the rubbish mounds.