1st Winter Glaucous Gull still present this morning and showing very well from the slipway. Not put off by several kids with mums (what I call in these situations www.noise.com) who no doubt had just finished feeding the nearby geese and ducks. Managed to get a few half decent photos and spent twenty minutes or so having some good views before the sleet and snow set in.
Apologies for late posting,but I finally managed to catch up with the Glaucous Gull at Hollingsworth Lake,yesterday lunchtime!
Initially it was over the far side of the lake from the slipway,but it soon flew over to pose for the next half hour or so.It truly is a spectacular looking creature!
Whilst I was somewhat preoccupied with the Glaucous Gull,Jane drew my attention to a rather interesting Black headed gull, on the slipway about 8' away...this gull appears to have been ringed in Latvia, a brief search of the internet drew a blank.( any ideas on who to contact for further info and to report , Ian ? ) Images below.
Cheers Chris. Forgot to say the black headed gull had a metal ring on it's left leg reading ....LATVIA-RIGA. S3304. And a yellow ring on it's right leg reading KFL4
-- Edited by Chris Greene on Thursday 8th of February 2018 11:24:25 AM
-- Edited by Chris Greene on Thursday 8th of February 2018 11:27:29 AM
Monday 5th. went to see the Juvenile Glaucous Gull this morning at around 10.40 am. When I first arrived no sign of it on the jetty and the snow started to fall. Waited in the car for 15 mins and it flew onto the jetty. A lady was feeding the gulls and it flew to the ramp. Gave great views (see photos) and what a bird. Recommend you go and visit while its still here.
Sunday 4th Feb. Morning visit until around 1.15pm.
- Juvenile Glaucous Gull was showing extremely well. Sat out on the jetty for a while then flew on to the ramp to within feet of me. I must admit there was a few times it flew back to the jetty when some of the dog walkers let their dog right down to the waters edge. Nice to see it bathing and then preening. Absolutely cracking looking Gull.
- Great Black-backed Gull 1 juv - Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 - Common Gull 7 - Sparrowhawk 1 (Flew right over the car park and put nothing up at all)
I'd thought I'd give Hollingworth a visit for a spare afternoon since I got curious about the status of the glaucous gull there after I've seen some belting pictures of him around. Only took me about an hour to get to smithy Bridge station.
I'm not surprised he has stayed at the ramp and pontoon area as he has daily pickings with about 100 other gulls, and I suspect he is from a region that is close to a town because non of the noisy kids or the dog walkers bothered him in the slightest.
I've also noticed he was a tad paler then the one I've seen in North Wales in December and personally I prefer their 1st winter plumage then the other stages because the almost plain creamy white look gives them a more unusual and a more beautiful appearance. It was just a tad shame the lighting started to fade a tad after 45 minutes of being there due to some thicker cloud but still thrillingly good and managed plenty of decent pictures!
Other birds to note included; great crested grebe, 2 Pied wagtails and a lesser black backed gull.
1rst.Winter Glaucous Gull on slipway when I arrived at 11am. . Still there now, at 11.55 am... With Gordon Yates and Martyn Jones present too. Great to meet them.
County lifer for me -- Edited by keith mills on Wednesday 31st of January 2018 03:15:41 PM
No sign of the Glaucous Gull 12.00 to 16.00. Did full circuit of the lake - against the red tide but no sign of it anywhere, then a few hours back by the ramp to no avail. 3 Cormorant, inc. 1 breeding plumage bird 4 Goosander 2 Pink-footed Goose (came in when Canada's flushed by a helicopter) 1 Grey Heron 8 Great Crested Grebes All three usual larger gulls in a good selection of plumages plus Mallard, Tufted Duck, Common & Black-headedGulls.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 28th of January 2018 05:50:47 PM
Came after work and got some good views of the Glaucous Gull on the end of the jetty. A very smart looking Gull indeed!
Sunday 28th Jan. With Simon Gough and Chris Chandler. Nice to see other forum members there too.
- Glaucous Gull was a no show whilst we were there all morning. - Great Black-backed Gull 2 (1 ad, 1 juv) - Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 (2 ad, 1 1st W) - Common Gull 6 ad - Reed Bunting 1 - Santa Claus 40+ and a Rudolph
Great views of Glaucous Gull today, after waiting most of the morning - the bird having disappeared for a few hours. Glad we went for breakfast instead of coming home. Luckily the bird turned up whilst we were eating.
juvenile glaucous gull showing extremely well on the slipway of the yacht club from 2.25pm. it plonked itself down on the jetty later on for a period of time. just before 4.30pm it then joined all the gulls in the roost.
juvenile Glaucous Gull still present to at least 13:20 at the slipway off the main car park, among the throng of Mallards, Canada Geese and Black-Headed Gulls
-- Edited by dave broome on Friday 26th of January 2018 10:49:47 PM
A 1st winter Glaucous Gull was showing ridiculously well by the yacht club today. This is, as far as I am aware, the first record for the site. Apologies for the late posting of the sighting. It was still present at 3 pm.
At about 1045 I was amazed to hear a Grey Plover which flew over NE repeatedly calling
A Ring Ouzel was in the dell and then the field immediately behind Pavilion Wood (photos below)
Also of note 1 Little Grebe, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Tufted Duck, 7 Teal, 1 Kingfisher, 4 Redwing, 4 Goldcrest, 10+ Siskin over, 6 Lesser Redpoll over, 1 Linnet over
On Saturday 14th October Andrew Huyton had brief but conclusive views of a Yellow-browed Warbler at Shaw Moss (which is the first record for the Rochdale area as far as I am aware) but unfortunately there has been no further sign despite searching
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 19th of October 2017 08:40:37 PM
2 Whooper Swans on the lake mid morning but had disappeared by midday - one appeared to have wounded/back/wing - looked like blood to me rather than colour marking - I hope its not been wounded by the wind farm barrier around Rochdale!
Also 1 Redwing, 1 Swallow, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest and 10+ Siskins
Andrew Huyton had a Black tern on Monday evening (2/10) but unfortunately no sign this morning - just 1 Chiffchaff and 2 Siskin of any note.
Also late news from Saturday 23rd September when a local (non- birding) photographer took a photo of a Great White Egret at the nature reserve - presumably the same bird as had earlier been seen at Crime Lake and the first record for Rochdale if accepted. Another dip for me!
-- Edited by Simon Hitchen on Wednesday 4th of October 2017 12:18:40 AM