Two years since the last visit from the North Side of the Mersey - access now possible again to the edge of the bend to the west of the Bank giving full views upriver to the Bank and downriver to The Ferry Tavern (and sneaky views over to Moore to catch anything on the patch there).
Went, primarily with the intent of doing a WinGS BTO count - tide timing (falling) was perfect for today and no storms, the Bank showed at 14:30 from the falling tide and quickly built up some nice avifauna. However at 15:20 all the gulls decided to fly off, in a roughly 50:50 flit by sightline and irrespective of whether small-gull or large-gull:
Either towards the Ship Canal, then turning as if to follow the Ship Canal to Frodsham;
Straight over to Fiddlers Ferry lagoon, thus;
The Bank was left with a big fat zero for a roost count.
Come back 2010, all is forgiven. Tell you what, there were ca. 1,600 gulls at peak on the Bank today when it was 2/3rds the way to low water, the 15,000 - 30,000s talked about a decade ago must have been a real spectacle.
Anyway a nice two hours, 37 species seen, highlights been Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Cetti's Warblers trying to outsing each other either side of me, eight Curlew, five Fieldfare "chacking" in a bush, three Grey Heron picking fish and an eel out the Mersey, eight Curlew, 27 Redshank and 320 Lapwing making up the waders (these all stayed when the gulls left).
Gulls, one Common Gull, 1342 Black-headed Gull, 165 Herring Gull (at least 12 Argentatus), 82 Lesser Black-backed Gull (~ 1/3 imm), six Ad Great Black-backed Gull.
-- Edited by Andy Slee on Thursday 25th of January 2024 07:42:30 PM
Andy Slee said
Tue Feb 15 10:37 PM, 2022
Chiffchaff at Gateworth. Didn't hear call, against light and whilst looked "grey" that could have been a trick of the light.
Richmond Bank. Ca 420 Black-headed Gulls, some starting to look very smart as they develop their caps.
27 Lesser Blacked-backed Gulls. 2 Great Black-backed. 1 Common Gull. 12 Herring Gulls including one absolute brute, as big as the GBBGs.
Three Redshank flew downriver.
Seven cormorant. My "friend" from Moore with the very white head (no dark on the crest at all) was present. Again light against to get a good view on the gular angle.
Great Spotted Woodpecker by Sankey Bridges plus numerous Coot, Moorhen and Little Grebe.
Looped back round to Moore; two of the three usual Woodpeckers species seen and on Lapwing Lane a Crow with a White Wing (right side from behind). I noted one on 2015, then haven't been much 2016 - 2019 and haven't seen a white winged Crow since frequent visits in 2020? Same bird?
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 15th of February 2022 10:41:51 PM
Mike Mulholland said
Thu Feb 3 8:30 PM, 2022
Its a couple of years since I last went to the bank, todays sightings:-
Lapwing 840
Redshank 41
Dunlin 14
Cormorant (Carbo) 4
Gulls-approx 400 mainly Black Headed but also Herring Gull (including 2 Argentatus), Lesser BB and a couple of Common Gulls.
On the capped tip a female Stonechat, 2 Cettis Warblers and a male Kestrel
Mike Mulholland said
Sat Apr 21 5:28 PM, 2018
A single Avocet feeding in channels on the bank earlier today........also 14 Black-headed Gulls and 2 singing Cetti's Warblers nearby on the landfill site.
pete berry said
Fri Jan 13 4:52 PM, 2017
An end of an era as Arpley Tip is now closed,and there aint going to be any more gulls
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Jan 3 3:31 PM, 2017
In four hours with Pete Berry today produced:
1 adult Caspian Gull (a new individual) 1 third winter Caspian Gull 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
pete berry said
Mon Dec 19 3:44 PM, 2016
3 hours this am with Jeff produced a cracking adult caspian Gull which hung around all morning and showed all the diagnostic primary patterns. Poor number of gulls on today,maybe only 1500 birds,and not many coming through,possibly as its Monday and the tip has been shut over the weekend birds need to spend more time feeding?
Also in the scrubby area just right of where we sit a Cetti's Warbler was calling on and off all morning and at least 30 Snipe flying around
A few hours yesterday (30th November) with Pete Berry before the large high tide produced:
1 first calendar year Caspian Gull (a few poor photos attached include one in flight; camera's on its last legs!) 2 Yellow-legged Gulls (and adult and first calendar year, photo attached of the latter; the less white-headed bird)
Huge number of gulls in the area with anywhere up to 8000 on the bank at any one time and a good regular turnover of them to and from the tip and heading downstream
Images of today's Caspian Gull and Yellow-legged Gulls, with the Caspian displaying all the prerequisite features and perfect primary pattern on both upper and underwing.
A 4th winter Caspian Gull 6 ad. Yellow Legged Gulls 1 Knot and 4 Redshank
with up to 5000 birds on The Bank at any one time,and a lot of movement of birds to and from tip,the best numbers we've had here for a couple years,and hopefully the forerunner of a good winter.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Nov 10 11:05 AM, 2016
Late news for yesterday when four hours with Pete Berry produced only a single Yellow-legged Gull, a first winter bird.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Nov 3 2:11 PM, 2016
A few hours this morning with Pete Berry produced:
4 Yellow-legged Gull (3 adults and a third winter) 6 Dunlin Female Goosander
pete berry said
Thu Oct 6 3:19 PM, 2016
A couple of hours with Jeff today produced
5 Yellow Legged Gulls(4 ads and a 2nd w.) Greenshank and a Redshank
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Jul 27 3:27 PM, 2016
A few hours this morning with over a thousand large gulls present and along with Pete Berry before the sunny weather really stopped play produced:
5 Yellow-legged Gulls, including 2 adults, 1 third summer (4th calendar year) and two fine juveniles both the latter complete with one or two second generation scapulars each and a suite of other pro-juvenile Yellow-legged features. Two images of one juvenile included but admittedly extremely poor iphone-scoped examples taken at long range in poor light!
Plenty of juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls (many still begging for food from parents) and several juvenile Herring Gulls
Another stakeout for a Glaucous Gull but it wasn't to be! - Iceland Gull 1 juvenile - Great Black-backed Gull 2 adult + few large juv - Grasshopper Warbler 2 reeling then showed but not good photo opportunities - Sedge Warbler 3, more heard - Reed Warbler 2 - Chiffchaff 2 seen, more heard - Willow Warbler 1 seen, more heard - Common Whitethroat 2 - Lesser Whitethroat HEARD ONLY - Treecreeper 1 - Reed Bunting 2 - Bullfinch 1m - Linnet 4 - Swallow 4 through - Kestrel 1 - Common Buzzard 2 - Cuckoo heard but distant, seemed to be from the direction of Great Sankey.
Almost 4 hours today, until the last of the Gulls departed at around 1.45pm when the tide covered the bank.
- Iceland Gull 1 juvenile amongst the 100's of Gulls. (Primary projections were well beyond the tail )
Other birds of note... - Stonechat 1 male - Reed Bunting 1 male - Whitethroat 2 - Sedge Warbler 1 seen in the reeds near canal side / car park, more heard - Willow Warbler 1 seen, lots heard - Chiffchaff 2 seen, lots heard - Swallow 3 - Blackcap heard only - Skylark heard only - Kestrel 1 - Common Buzzard 3
I found it frustrating at one point as all the Gulls were put up at least 3 times by one individual walking along the bank encouraging their dog to go near the edge. It was a case of wait until they land again, and start again! No sign of a Glaucous Gull but I will try again tomorrow.
other birds of note:- 2 Common Sandpipers 1 Dunlin and a singing Lesser Whitethroat
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Apr 18 2:30 PM, 2016
Simon Gough wrote:
I'm a bit embarrassed about this one as we did discuss Iceland Gull, but failed to notice the primary projection. I will certainly be wiser for the experience, thanks for the help on the ID Ian and John.
Absolutely no need to be embarrassed, you're certainly not the first nor will be the last to mistake the two; it always looks easier when they're on nice painted plates in a field guide but out in the field it's often a different matter.
Rob Creek said
Sun Apr 17 11:12 PM, 2016
A mid afternoon visit with today's gang, after a Glaucous Gull was reported but no sign of anything bar the usual Gulls for us. Other birds of note... - Oystercatcher 5 - Curlew 8 - Chiffchaff 2 - Common Buzzard 1 - Kestrel 1
Simon Gough said
Sun Apr 17 6:58 PM, 2016
I'm a bit embarrassed about this one as we did discuss Iceland Gull, but failed to notice the primary projection. I will certainly be wiser for the experience, thanks for the help on the ID Ian and John.
Rob Creek said
Sun Apr 17 9:37 AM, 2016
Ian McKerchar wrote:
Primary extension beyond the tail rarely lies...
...making it an Iceland Gull. Damn you Glaucous Gull !!!
My apologies everyone for the misidentification, as a result I've picked the monkey up and put it back on my back! The Glaucous Gull remains a bogey bird.
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 17th of April 2016 10:50:26 AM
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Apr 17 9:12 AM, 2016
Primary extension beyond the tail rarely lies...
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Apr 17 8:23 AM, 2016
Rob Creek wrote:
Saturday 16th April - after work visit (approx 3.45pm - 5.30pm) with Simon Gough.
- Glaucous Gull - a Lifer for myself and Simon, and it was the target species so mission accomplished. A cracking all white individual so I'm assuming it's a 2nd cal yr bird...faded/Spring?
Other birds of note... - Blackcap 2 (1m 1f) - Bullfinch 2 (1m 1f) - Song Thrush 1 - Willow Tit HEARD ONLY - Shelduck 10+ - Common Buzzard 3
I can't be 100% sure from the pictures,but it looks smaller than the herring gull behind it? and a bit small billed in one shot or is it just the camera making it look that way,looks small for a Glaucous though,but pictures sometimes are not the best guide.
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 17th of April 2016 08:24:32 AM
Rob Creek said
Sun Apr 17 7:49 AM, 2016
Saturday 16th April - after work visit (approx 3.45pm - 5.30pm) with Simon Gough.
- Glaucous Gull - a Lifer for myself and Simon, and it was the target species so mission accomplished. A cracking all white individual so I'm assuming it's a 2nd cal yr bird...faded/Spring?
Other birds of note... - Blackcap 2 (1m 1f) - Bullfinch 2 (1m 1f) - Song Thrush 1 - Willow Tit HEARD ONLY - Shelduck 10+ - Common Buzzard 3
With Chris Sutton c.1.30-3.30pm. Icleand Gull 2 - one 1st winter and one 3rd winter (?) exhibiting partially grey scapulars. Juvenile Glaucous Gull was picked up in flight coming upstream and landing at 2.55pm
Mark Jarrett said
Mon Apr 11 5:42 PM, 2016
Three hours from 12 noon until high tide. I walked the length of the Bank, back to the western end and then back to the eastern end until it was covered in full by the high tide. Each time, I picked out one each of juvenile Glaucous Gull and juvenile Iceland Gull.
The Glaucous Gull appears to be the 'course' individual as seen by Ian and others. The Iceland Gull was bunkered down on the sand with its head tucked in but, on my second walk up to the eastern end, it was up and moving about, turning out to be the dark billed one.
Lunchtime up to the high tide at 2pm with Simon Gough.
Among the group of Gulls of note...
- 1 juvenile Iceland Gull - a yellow ringed Herring Gull (no chance of a number, sorry) - Lesser Black-backed Gulls including 1 with a very long thin bill, and another with a small black beady eye which I can't recall seeing on these before.
Other birds of note... - 2 Common Buzzard (put the Gulls up) - 2 Kestrel (1 carrying a small mammal) - 3 Shelduck - 4 Teal on far bank - 1 Oystercatcher - 2 Chiffchaff - 2 Linnet - 1 Reed Bunting heard only
Probably the best gulling session of the winter here this morning along with Pete Berry, until the very high tide covered the bank around 12:30. Those scarce gulls seen were:
Single juvenile Glaucous Gull (the coarsely marked individual) Three Iceland Gulls (two juveniles and an adult) Single Adult Yellow-legged Gull Cracking first winter Caspian Gull
Photos (taken with a digiscoping camera which is now on its last legs and battling with sunlight when I picked the Caspian Gull out!) from left to right are: Juvenile Glaucous Gull (two photos), juvenile Iceland Gull with all dark bill (2 photos), juvenile Iceland Gull with bi-coloured bill (2 photos), adult Iceland Gull (2 photos), first winter Caspian Gull (single record photo but a classic individual).
Four hours over the high tide today produced highlights of:
Two Iceland Gulls; a juvenile was later joined by an adult, each at different ends of the bank initially but with both eventually coming within metres of each other (of which rubbish record shots attached!) Three Yellow-legged Gulls (an adult, second winter and third winter) At least two Curlew Really good number of large gulls, well behaved and in excellent light.
4 Yellow-legged Gulls (two 1W, single 2W and 3W) Yellowhammer over south
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Feb 19 4:14 PM, 2016
Three and a half hours today with Pete Berry produced:
A beautiful very advanced 'new' first winter Caspian Gull which unfortunately flew off back to Arpley Tip almost immediately after its discovery (hence the extremely poor record shots!) Juvenile Iceland Gull Single adult and first winter Yellow-legged Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls (two adults and a second winter; a photograph of one of the adults below) A solitary Whooper Swan feeding in a field on the southern side of the Mersey, just west of the old landfill complex Single Raven Several Siskin over north
Looks like an influx of gulls into the area in the past week with probably up to 30,000 up over the tip at one point today. Birds visiting the bank were unusually flighty today though with rarely more than a couple of thousand on the bank at any one time.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Jan 19 9:34 PM, 2016
It looks very much like today's first winter Caspian Gull is the same individual as seen here on December 11th 2015. Images from both dates portray the same bird to my eyes but with expected more advanced scapular moult today (see images on the Manchester Birding galleries).
Shows how long these birds can hang around and just how infrequently they get seen despite many visits since December (not all of which are posted on here when nothing in particular is seen!).
pete berry said
Tue Jan 19 9:20 PM, 2016
Its good to note that since supermarkets started charging for carrier bags we,ve not seen a single "bagged bird",whereas before it was possible to see 4 or 5 in a single visit
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Jan 19 2:21 PM, 2016
Two and a half hours today around midday with Pete Berry produced:
Two superb Caspian Gulls (an adult and first winter) Three first winter Yellow-legged Gulls Flock of probably around 5000 Woodpigeons
pete berry said
Wed Jan 6 2:11 PM, 2016
3 hrs with Jeff this morning before the sun put in an appearance and finished off any hopes of getting views of anything,probably most gulls I've seen here recently was initially disapointing as although large numbers present,there was nothing of interest amongst them until just before the sun spoilt it I found:- a 1st winter Caspian Gull(poss. the same bird that we saw a couple of weeks ago)
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Dec 28 4:30 PM, 2015
As I say Mike, in retrospect I'd lean fairly confidently to Grey Seal on head shape and 'spotting' but couldn't be 100%.
Clearly I need to stick to gulls...
Mike Mulholland said
Mon Dec 28 3:46 PM, 2015
Thanks for your response Ian. In the 20 years or so I have been recording the wildlife in the area I have no records of Common Seal but I have seen Grey Seal on a couple of occasions in the Mersey between Fiddlers Ferry and Richmond Bank and also adjacent to Woolston Eyes no.4 bed. I wonder what the actual status of Common Seal is within area, just had a look at the Cheshire Mammal Groups The Mammals of Cheshire and there appears to be only one record of this species in the Mersey this century.
Rob Creek said
Sun Dec 27 10:43 PM, 2015
Ian McKerchar wrote:
Mike Mulholland wrote:
Presumably a Grey Seal Pete?
Unfortunately, mine and Pete's seal identification leaves plenty to be desired and despite being aware of the separating feature we thought it was a Common Seal and first but in retrospect it could well of been a Grey. We were too busy enjoying watching it with its prey and are happy with seal sp.!
If you both thought it was a Common Seal then stick with it Ian, both Common and Grey Seal are occasionally seen between Liverpool Bay and a good distance up river from the estuary. Bottlenose Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise also stray up a little further from the bay. Cheers
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Dec 27 7:35 PM, 2015
Mike Mulholland wrote:
Presumably a Grey Seal Pete?
Unfortunately, mine and Pete's seal identification leaves plenty to be desired and despite being aware of the separating feature we thought it was a Common Seal and first but in retrospect it could well of been a Grey. We were too busy enjoying watching it with its prey and are happy with seal sp.!
Mike Mulholland said
Sun Dec 27 5:23 PM, 2015
Presumably a Grey Seal Pete?
pete berry said
Tue Dec 22 2:49 PM, 2015
A few hours with Ian this morning produced:-
A juvenile Iceland Gull
3 Ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
a flock of 13 Bullfinch several thousand Woodpigeon
and a Seal eating a large Flounder it had caught
pete berry said
Sat Dec 19 6:45 PM, 2015
A frustrating few hours yesterday with Ian with several thousand gulls present on Bank all morning but the only thing of note :-
3 ad. Yellow Legged gulls
pete berry said
Fri Dec 11 3:40 PM, 2015
A very productive couple hours either side of high tide with Ian produced
A cracking 1st w. Caspian Gull
the first whitewinger of winter for the bank a_3rd w. Iceland Gull
and a 1st w. Yellow Legged Gull
Other birds seen 4 Raven,7 Snipe and a Yellowhammer over
-- Edited by pete berry on Friday 11th of December 2015 04:43:31 PM
Two years since the last visit from the North Side of the Mersey - access now possible again to the edge of the bend to the west of the Bank giving full views upriver to the Bank and downriver to The Ferry Tavern (and sneaky views over to Moore to catch anything on the patch there).
Went, primarily with the intent of doing a WinGS BTO count - tide timing (falling) was perfect for today and no storms, the Bank showed at 14:30 from the falling tide and quickly built up some nice avifauna. However at 15:20 all the gulls decided to fly off, in a roughly 50:50 flit by sightline and irrespective of whether small-gull or large-gull:
Come back 2010, all is forgiven. Tell you what, there were ca. 1,600 gulls at peak on the Bank today when it was 2/3rds the way to low water, the 15,000 - 30,000s talked about a decade ago must have been a real spectacle.
Anyway a nice two hours, 37 species seen, highlights been Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Cetti's Warblers trying to outsing each other either side of me, eight Curlew, five Fieldfare "chacking" in a bush, three Grey Heron picking fish and an eel out the Mersey, eight Curlew, 27 Redshank and 320 Lapwing making up the waders (these all stayed when the gulls left).
Gulls, one Common Gull, 1342 Black-headed Gull, 165 Herring Gull (at least 12 Argentatus), 82 Lesser Black-backed Gull (~ 1/3 imm), six Ad Great Black-backed Gull.
-- Edited by Andy Slee on Thursday 25th of January 2024 07:42:30 PM
Chiffchaff at Gateworth. Didn't hear call, against light and whilst looked "grey" that could have been a trick of the light.
Richmond Bank. Ca 420 Black-headed Gulls, some starting to look very smart as they develop their caps.
27 Lesser Blacked-backed Gulls. 2 Great Black-backed. 1 Common Gull. 12 Herring Gulls including one absolute brute, as big as the GBBGs.
Three Redshank flew downriver.
Seven cormorant. My "friend" from Moore with the very white head (no dark on the crest at all) was present. Again light against to get a good view on the gular angle.
Great Spotted Woodpecker by Sankey Bridges plus numerous Coot, Moorhen and Little Grebe.
Looped back round to Moore; two of the three usual Woodpeckers species seen and on Lapwing Lane a Crow with a White Wing (right side from behind). I noted one on 2015, then haven't been much 2016 - 2019 and haven't seen a white winged Crow since frequent visits in 2020? Same bird?
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 15th of February 2022 10:41:51 PM
Its a couple of years since I last went to the bank, todays sightings:-
Lapwing 840
Redshank 41
Dunlin 14
Cormorant (Carbo) 4
Gulls-approx 400 mainly Black Headed but also Herring Gull (including 2 Argentatus), Lesser BB and a couple of Common Gulls.
On the capped tip a female Stonechat, 2 Cettis Warblers and a male Kestrel
A single Avocet feeding in channels on the bank earlier today........also 14 Black-headed Gulls and 2 singing Cetti's Warblers nearby on the landfill site.
1 adult Caspian Gull (a new individual)
1 third winter Caspian Gull
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
3 hours this am with Jeff produced a cracking adult caspian Gull which hung around all morning and showed all the diagnostic primary patterns.
Poor number of gulls on today,maybe only 1500 birds,and not many coming through,possibly as its Monday and the tip has been shut over the weekend birds need to spend more time feeding?
Also in the scrubby area just right of where we sit a Cetti's Warbler was calling on and off all morning
and at least 30 Snipe flying around
1 first calendar year Caspian Gull (a few poor photos attached include one in flight; camera's on its last legs!)
2 Yellow-legged Gulls (and adult and first calendar year, photo attached of the latter; the less white-headed bird)
Huge number of gulls in the area with anywhere up to 8000 on the bank at any one time and a good regular turnover of them to and from the tip and heading downstream
An excellent day today with Ian produced
A 4th winter Caspian Gull
6 ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
1 Knot
and 4 Redshank
with up to 5000 birds on The Bank at any one time,and a lot of movement of birds to and from tip,the best numbers we've had here for a couple years,and hopefully the forerunner of a good winter.
Late news for yesterday when four hours with Pete Berry produced only a single Yellow-legged Gull, a first winter bird.
4 Yellow-legged Gull (3 adults and a third winter)
6 Dunlin
Female Goosander
A couple of hours with Jeff today produced
5 Yellow Legged Gulls(4 ads and a 2nd w.)
Greenshank and a Redshank
5 Yellow-legged Gulls, including 2 adults, 1 third summer (4th calendar year) and two fine juveniles both the latter complete with one or two second generation scapulars each and a suite of other pro-juvenile Yellow-legged features. Two images of one juvenile included but admittedly extremely poor iphone-scoped examples taken at long range in poor light!
Plenty of juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls (many still begging for food from parents) and several juvenile Herring Gulls
A single Common Sandpiper
Another stakeout for a Glaucous Gull but it wasn't to be!
- Iceland Gull 1 juvenile
- Great Black-backed Gull 2 adult + few large juv
- Grasshopper Warbler 2 reeling then showed but not good photo opportunities
- Sedge Warbler 3, more heard
- Reed Warbler 2
- Chiffchaff 2 seen, more heard
- Willow Warbler 1 seen, more heard
- Common Whitethroat 2
- Lesser Whitethroat HEARD ONLY
- Treecreeper 1
- Reed Bunting 2
- Bullfinch 1m
- Linnet 4
- Swallow 4 through
- Kestrel 1
- Common Buzzard 2
- Cuckoo heard but distant, seemed to be from the direction of Great Sankey.
- Iceland Gull 1 juvenile amongst the 100's of Gulls.
(Primary projections were well beyond the tail
Other birds of note...
- Stonechat 1 male
- Reed Bunting 1 male
- Whitethroat 2
- Sedge Warbler 1 seen in the reeds near canal side / car park, more heard
- Willow Warbler 1 seen, lots heard
- Chiffchaff 2 seen, lots heard
- Swallow 3
- Blackcap heard only
- Skylark heard only
- Kestrel 1
- Common Buzzard 3
I found it frustrating at one point as all the Gulls were put up at least 3 times by one individual walking along the bank encouraging their dog to go near the edge. It was a case of wait until they land again, and start again! No sign of a Glaucous Gull but I will try again tomorrow.
A few hours today with Jeff produced
2 juvenile Iceland Gulls
3 Yellow Legged Gulls(an adult and 2x 2nd.w.)
other birds of note:-
2 Common Sandpipers
1 Dunlin
and a singing Lesser Whitethroat
Absolutely no need to be embarrassed, you're certainly not the first nor will be the last to mistake the two; it always looks easier when they're on nice painted plates in a field guide but out in the field it's often a different matter.
Other birds of note...
- Oystercatcher 5
- Curlew 8
- Chiffchaff 2
- Common Buzzard 1
- Kestrel 1
...making it an Iceland Gull. Damn you Glaucous Gull !!!
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 17th of April 2016 10:50:26 AM
I can't be 100% sure from the pictures,but it looks smaller than the herring gull behind it? and a bit small billed in one shot or is it just the camera making it look that way,looks small for a Glaucous though,but pictures sometimes are not the best guide.
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 17th of April 2016 08:24:32 AM
- Glaucous Gull - a Lifer for myself and Simon, and it was the target species so mission accomplished.
A cracking all white individual so I'm assuming it's a 2nd cal yr bird...faded/Spring?
Other birds of note...
- Blackcap 2 (1m 1f)
- Bullfinch 2 (1m 1f)
- Song Thrush 1
- Willow Tit HEARD ONLY
- Shelduck 10+
- Common Buzzard 3
The Glaucous Gull appears to be the 'course' individual as seen by Ian and others. The Iceland Gull was bunkered down on the sand with its head tucked in but, on my second walk up to the eastern end, it was up and moving about, turning out to be the dark billed one.
Among the group of Gulls of note...
- 1 juvenile Iceland Gull
- a yellow ringed Herring Gull (no chance of a number, sorry)
- Lesser Black-backed Gulls including 1 with a very long thin bill, and another with a small black beady eye which I can't recall seeing on these before.
Other birds of note...
- 2 Common Buzzard (put the Gulls up)
- 2 Kestrel (1 carrying a small mammal)
- 3 Shelduck
- 4 Teal on far bank
- 1 Oystercatcher
- 2 Chiffchaff
- 2 Linnet
- 1 Reed Bunting heard only
2 glaucous gulls, one of them being the same juvenile as ian's plus a pale individual.
3 Iceland gulls, adult & 2 juveniles.
photos attached.
other birds around...
4 shelduck
8 gadwall
5 teal
1 oystercatcher
4 sand martin
4 willow warbler
6 chiffchaff
1 reed bunting
5 linnet
1 jay
2-4 buzzard
Single juvenile Glaucous Gull (the coarsely marked individual)
Three Iceland Gulls (two juveniles and an adult)
Single Adult Yellow-legged Gull
Cracking first winter Caspian Gull
Photos (taken with a digiscoping camera which is now on its last legs and battling with sunlight when I picked the Caspian Gull out!) from left to right are: Juvenile Glaucous Gull (two photos), juvenile Iceland Gull with all dark bill (2 photos), juvenile Iceland Gull with bi-coloured bill (2 photos), adult Iceland Gull (2 photos), first winter Caspian Gull (single record photo but a classic individual).
Iceland gulls 2 immature & smart looking adult
Glaucous gull 1
Swallows a few around for a while
Willow warbler present but not singing
Grey Partridge 2 pairs along edge of reed bed
Common Seal noted over the weekend but not seen today
A few hours either side of high tide with Jeff produced
2 juvenile Iceland Gulls
A juvenile Glaucous Gull(different,much "coarser" marked bird than last week)
2 adult Yellows Legged Gulls
and a few Swallows,House Martins over and plenty of singing Chiffchaffs
Juvenile Glaucous Gull
Third summer Iceland Gull
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
Two Iceland Gulls; a juvenile was later joined by an adult, each at different ends of the bank initially but with both eventually coming within metres of each other (of which rubbish record shots attached!)
Three Yellow-legged Gulls (an adult, second winter and third winter)
At least two Curlew
Really good number of large gulls, well behaved and in excellent light.
2nd winter Iceland Gull
Adult Yellow Legged Gull
4 Yellow-legged Gulls (two 1W, single 2W and 3W)
Yellowhammer over south
Three and a half hours today with Pete Berry produced:
A beautiful very advanced 'new' first winter Caspian Gull which unfortunately flew off back to Arpley Tip almost immediately after its discovery (hence the extremely poor record shots!)
Juvenile Iceland Gull
Single adult and first winter Yellow-legged Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls (two adults and a second winter; a photograph of one of the adults below)
A solitary Whooper Swan feeding in a field on the southern side of the Mersey, just west of the old landfill complex
Single Raven
Several Siskin over north
3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
5 Redshank
1 Oystercatcher
Looks like an influx of gulls into the area in the past week with probably up to 30,000 up over the tip at one point today. Birds visiting the bank were unusually flighty today though with rarely more than a couple of thousand on the bank at any one time.
Shows how long these birds can hang around and just how infrequently they get seen despite many visits since December (not all of which are posted on here when nothing in particular is seen!).
Two superb Caspian Gulls (an adult and first winter)
Three first winter Yellow-legged Gulls
Flock of probably around 5000 Woodpigeons
a 1st winter Caspian Gull(poss. the same bird that we saw a couple of weeks ago)
Clearly I need to stick to gulls...
Thanks for your response Ian. In the 20 years or so I have been recording the wildlife in the area I have no records of Common Seal but I have seen Grey Seal on a couple of occasions in the Mersey between Fiddlers Ferry and Richmond Bank and also adjacent to Woolston Eyes no.4 bed. I wonder what the actual status of Common Seal is within area, just had a look at the Cheshire Mammal Groups The Mammals of Cheshire and there appears to be only one record of this species in the Mersey this century.
If you both thought it was a Common Seal then stick with it Ian, both Common and Grey Seal are occasionally seen between Liverpool Bay and a good distance up river from the estuary. Bottlenose Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise also stray up a little further from the bay.
Cheers
Unfortunately, mine and Pete's seal identification leaves plenty to be desired and despite being aware of the separating feature we thought it was a Common Seal and first but in retrospect it could well of been a Grey. We were too busy enjoying watching it with its prey and are happy with seal sp.!
Presumably a Grey Seal Pete?
A few hours with Ian this morning produced:-
A juvenile Iceland Gull
3 Ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
a flock of 13 Bullfinch
several thousand Woodpigeon
and a Seal eating a large Flounder it had caught
3 ad. Yellow Legged gulls
A very productive couple hours either side of high tide with Ian produced
A cracking 1st w. Caspian Gull
the first whitewinger of winter for the bank a_3rd w. Iceland Gull
and a 1st w. Yellow Legged Gull
Other birds seen 4 Raven,7 Snipe and a Yellowhammer over
-- Edited by pete berry on Friday 11th of December 2015 04:43:31 PM