Richmond Bank

Henry Cook · Status: Offline

RE: Richmond Bank

Rory Newton · Status: Offline

Not Many gulls around today but there was 1 adult YLG but no sign of anything else apart from a few LBBGs.

JasonAtkinson · Status: Offline

In complete contrast to Pete's day yesterday 6 hours today produced:
3 Iceland Gull - ad & 2 juv
1 adult YLG

Cheers
Jason

pete berry · Status: Offline

A complete Whitewinger whitewash today,with not a single whitewinger being seen in 4 1/2 hours by myself,Jeff Clarke and several others.
In total at least 8 Yellow Legged Gulls present,all adults apart from 1 1st winter.
An adult LBB gull gull still with a complete black bill,and a 1st winter Herring Gull with a bill that a Black Skimmer would have been proud of were the only other things of interest.

Pete Kinsella · Status: Offline

Three and a half hours at the Bank today, in freezing, foggy conditions.Many more Gulls present than on the last couple of visits, in particular LBBs, with many hundreds of pristine adults , although all the Gulls gathered at the furthest points from the viewing area...which wasn`t great in the gloom.
However a nice selection of goodies were seen;
Two Caspian Gulls were picked out,an adult and a 1stw.The juv Glaucous Gull was only seen in flight as it headed west along the river as I arrived.
Three Iceland Gulls were logged, an adult, 2ndw and 1stw.Five Yellow-legged Gulls included 3ad, 3rdw and 1stw.
At least five Goldcrests were in the bushes.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Four and a half hours with Pete Berry and others today:

6 Yellow-legged Gulls (4 adult, 1 fourth-winter, 1 first winter)
3 Iceland Gulls (all probably juveniles)

Mike Baron · Status: Offline

With Jason Atkinson

3 Short-eared Owls - they flew from behind us calling and passed overhead. One disappeared, two flew over the tip and spiralled up high until lost to sight
2 Iceland Gulls (juvs)
6 Yellow-legged Gulls (4 ads, 1 4th winter and 1 third winter)

pete berry · Status: Offline

Unfortunately my computers crashed and I'm unable to access the e.mail with the gen on it(i'm doing this on a borrowed computer).From memory it was first ringed in August,almost certainly as a young bird,which would presumably make it' intermedius' rather than graellsi.I'll have to check when I get my computer up and running to confirm.

Tim Vaughan · Status: Offline

That's a good recovery. Is it l.f.intermedius ? If so its supposedly a Cheshire rarity although 5% of Winter birds in Lancs look to be of this type

pete berry · Status: Offline

Of interest an adult Lesser Black Backed Gull that I managed to read the ring a couple of weeks ago was first rung in Norway in 2006 and had been seen previously in winter 2008 at a landfill site in Gloucestershire.

JasonAtkinson · Status: Offline

About time a Glaucous Gull was logged, also do you think we are seeing more juv Iceland Gulls compared to a few weeks/months a go rather that 2w birds?
Maybe pop down for a few hours tomorrow, think I have withdrawal symptoms!

Cheers
Jason

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Two hours today with Pete Berry, until the huge tide came, complete with impressive roaring 2 foot bore and covered the bank!

Single juvenile Glaucous Gull showed very well
4 Iceland Gulls (one 2nd winter and 3 juveniles, including the long staying bird with pink on its right cheek)
3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 9th of March 2012 03:57:28 PM

Pete Kinsella · Status: Offline

A couple of hours very early this morning in cold, rainy conditions.Again far fewer Gulls than normally present, with just a few hundred on the bank at any one time.Highlight was a 1stw Caspian Gull that walked up to a 2ndw Iceland Gull that I was watching at the time! A total of three Icelands seen today, including a different 2ndw to the one mentioned above and a very biscuity-toned 1stw that had a dense buffy wash on the underparts, possibly a new individual for me this winter.Also seen were two 1stw Yellow-legged Gulls and c60 argentatus Herring Gulls.

Pete Kinsella · Status: Offline

Four hours today in what can only be described as challenging conditions( too sunny, despite the weather forecast).
Also, rather strangely, only a few hundred Gulls were present at any one time despite all the mud being exposed throughout the visit and despite thousands appearing over the tip occasionally.( Maybe they were roosting on Pumphouse pool?).
Highlight was the brief appearance of an adult Caspian Gull.A typically dark eyed, long pasty legged bird with pale tongues visible eating into at least P8 on the upperwing with a nice underwing too.It didn`t hang round to really grill but it didn`t look like the bird photographed here last month, but difficult to say.Lovely structure with a small head , high chest and hanging rear belly, possibly a female(the bill was slender with little gonydeal angle).
Four Iceland Gulls were picked out, 3 x 1stw and a 2ndw.One of the 1stws is a large bird with a big pale based bill.I saw it here last saturday too, its got a smudge of pink paint on its right neckside.
Three Yellow-legged Gulls( 2 x 1stw and adult) and an adult Med Gull were also seen.
A Rock Pipit flew over calling and four Bullfinches were in the bushes.
More cloud needed next time!

JasonAtkinson · Status: Offline

An absolutely ridiculous decision to go to the bank this morning? The sky was nice and grey when I left home but got progressively brighter the nearer I got. Once on the bank there were about 1000 gulls max, and they lasted about 20 minutes? One of the tip employees was busy on the tip side of the bank and once the gulls took to the sky they never came back. So 45 minutes sat alone looking at next to nothing.
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull

Cheers
Jason

JasonAtkinson · Status: Offline

Another 5 hours with Ian and Pete.
5 Iceland Gulls - 2 adults, 2 juv/1w and a probable 2w seen in flight just before departure.
7 Yellow-legged Gull - 6 adults and a 4w
Hybrid LBBxHerring present most of the day.
Yellow legged argenteus Herring Gull.
3 Grey Partridge
1 Redshank
20+ Curlew.
Usual selection of photos here.

Cheers
Jason

-- Edited by JasonAtkinson on Thursday 1st of March 2012 05:36:55 PM

jason atkinson · Status: Offline

pete berry wrote:

After the recent whitewinger fest it was almost a whitewinger whitewash today.
4 hrs with Jeff and Jason produced the following:-

1 1st winter Iceland Gull
at least 6 ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
1 ad Yellow Legged argenteus Herring Gull
1 hybrid (presumably Herring X LBB gull)displaying to and paired up with an adult Herring Gull,god knows what their offspring will look like
10 readable ringed birds.

Three recent ringing recoveries are as follows
1st winter Herring Gull seen last week ringed in Montrose as a chick in August 2011
An ad ringed in Forest of Bowland
and another adult ringed in Northumberland at a landfill site as an adult in 2005,first sighting since then.

As usual all pics of todays birds can be found here.

cheers
jason

pete berry · Status: Offline

After the recent whitewinger fest it was almost a whitewinger whitewash today.
4 hrs with Jeff and Jason produced the following:-

1 1st winter Iceland Gull
at least 6 ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
1 ad Yellow Legged argenteus Herring Gull
1 hybrid (presumably Herring X LBB gull)displaying to and paired up with an adult Herring Gull,god knows what their offspring will look like

10 readable ringed birds.

Three recent ringing recoveries are as follows
1st winter Herring Gull seen last week ringed in Montrose as a chick in August 2011
An ad ringed in Forest of Bowland
and another adult ringed in Northumberland at a landfill site as an adult in 2005,first sighting since then.

jason atkinson · Status: Offline

A few hours either side of lunch. Great light but low numbers of gulls.
4x 2w Iceland Gull
1x adult Iceland Gull
3x adult YLG

All pics of todays birds.

cheers
jason

Mike Baron · Status: Offline

Quite a few gulls were hanging around the bank this morning until flushed by a birder coming down onto the far bank from the tip.

3 second winter Iceland Gulls and an adult Med were seen but the vast majority of the gulls flew off before I could sift through them.

26 Meadow Pipits were flitting in the nearby bushes

Pete Kinsella · Status: Offline

Three and a half hours in perfect light conditions with Gav Thomas produced the goods today.Highlight was a 3rdw Kumlien`s Gull.A very grey bird with a thin subterminal band on the bill.Obvious greyish markings in the primary tips.Also 9 Iceland Gulls today( two adults( one a very small bird), 3rdw, four 2ndws, two 1stw).
Just one 1stw Yellow-legged Gull but many Argentatus Herrings and one fairly obvious adult Herringx LBB hybrid.

pete berry · Status: Offline

A bit of a whitewinger fest today,with Jeff Clarke from 10.30am till 1pm when the big tide pushed al the gulls off the bank.

6 Iceland Gulls(5x 2nd. winters/1x 3rd winter,one of the 2nd winters showing characteristics of Kumliens Gull,but may just have been a coarsely marked Iceland)
2 ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
a probable ad Herring X LBB Gull hybrid
3 Oystercatchers
1 Snipe

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 24th of February 2012 02:44:14 PM

pete berry · Status: Offline

A good day at The Bank today for Jason & myself :-

At least 10 Yellow Legged Gulls(all adults apart from a fourth winter bird)
3 Iceland Gulls(all 2nd w.)

DAVID KENNEDY · Status: Offline

7.30 to 9.45am today produced:

2nd winter Iceland gull
2 grey partridge on path
Little grebe
2 curlew flying over
Lapwings and teal as normal

Mike Baron · Status: Offline

In addition to the 1w Iceland and adult YLG that Jason mentions, also earlier had a 3rd winter Iceland Gull and two other YLG's (adult and 1w). Also 2 Bullfinches and 2 Grey Partridges

JasonAtkinson · Status: Offline

2 1/2 hours today.
1w Iceland Gull
Adult YLG
Adult Med Gull

Cheers
Jason

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Five hours today with Pete Berry:

6 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 second winter Iceland Gull
3 Curlew east

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

Hi Ian, I spoke with one of the patch regulars yesterday and he'd had a couple of views of a seal recently in the Mersey just west of RB and thought it had a long muzzle and hence it was a grey seal. I suppose there could be more than one seal in the river and that perhaps there are two species. I'm intending to stake out the river at HWH on friday morning for a few hours, even if there are no seals around there should be plenty of gulls and a few waders (and maybe otter).

Ian Coote · Status: Offline

There have been several reports of either a grey or common seal in the river since January 4th when a Common Seal was seen at Howley Weir and a Grey or Common at Pickerings Pasture on more than one occasion. Reoprts of a Grey at Spike Island too. Would it be right to assume that this is the same animal?

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

Hi David, interesting record. Over the years a few pinnipeds and cetaceans have made it to our stretch of the Mersey including a Hooded Seal off Widnes in 1996 and of course the Minke Whale that beached itself on a sandbank west of Runcorn Bridge in 1998.
I've had a few sightings of Grey Seal in the river between Richmond Bank and Wigg Island and 2 records of Harbour Porpoise, (I've also had this species in the Manchester Ship canal - it had to turn round at Latchford Locks but not before it performed to a small crowd that had quickly assembled).

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

According to local dog walkers this seal has been around for a couple of weeks (at least?) and we purposefully looked for it over the high tide yesterday but without success. Must be brilliant to see one there.

DAVID KENNEDY · Status: Offline

Early morning (40min visit) today gave me my 1st ever (2nd winter) Iceland gull.

Just as thrilling was videoing a common seal swim by eating a fish for breakfast!

-- Edited by DAVID KENNEDY on Sunday 12th of February 2012 07:58:37 PM

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Nearly 4 very cold hours today with Pete Berry produced:

Adult Caspian Gull (different to the bird earlier this week)
7 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
2 second winter Iceland Gulls
Adult Mediterranean Gull

Terry Long · Status: Offline

was there yesterday at about 10am ish , there was only about 1000 gulls on the bank and from half of them that was just off the bank near the ferryboat i seen 2 yellow-legged gulls and the caspian gull. No white-winged at this time but i left around 11.

pete berry · Status: Offline

After complaining about the lack of Whitewingers yesterday,4 were seen at same time this morning:-

4 Iceland Gulls (1 1st winter/3 2nd winter birds)
2 ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
1 probable LBBx Herring Gull hybrid
and a site tick:- 2 Sanderling picking round the edge of the bank on the rising tide
Far less gulls than yesterday,and the high tide at lunchtime pushed all the gulls off the bank,leaving no birds in view.

JasonAtkinson · Status: Offline

Apart from the obvious self delight in finding one I am glad the site has one, it's been a lengthy omission from the sightings page. Thanks for all your help in understanding probably the most complex taxon in birding. Aren't gulls just great.
Pictures here.

Cheers
Jason

pete berry · Status: Offline

A couple of hours in ideal conditions after the sun had gone behind clouds,some of time with Jason produced

7 Ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
1 poss Caspian Gull(no views obtained of underwing)
no sign of any Whitewingers,amazing considering there must have been 10,000+ gulls on the Bank today,and not a Whitewinger amongst them

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

After being asked my opinion about todays possible Caspian from Jason's images (I unfortunately was stuck in work!), there's no doubt it is indeed a classic adult Caspian Gull.

Nice one Jason, you got there in the end. Who says perseverance doesn't pay off

?

pete berry wrote:

A couple of hours in ideal conditions after the sun had gone behind clouds,some of time with Jason produced

7 Ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
1 poss Caspian Gull(no views obtained of underwing)
no sign of any Whitewingers,amazing considering there must have been 10,000+ gulls on the Bank today,and not a Whitewinger amongst them

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 7th of February 2012 07:47:30 PM

JasonAtkinson · Status: Offline

An afternoon visit is the warm sunshine produced 5 adult YLG and a 1w Iceland Gull.
Pics and video here

Ches
Jason

JasonAtkinson · Status: Offline

A few hours this am with Ian before the freezing rain really set in!
2w Iceland Gull
Adult YLG
And an unidentified 1w Herring type. Took a video but it was at a distance and doesn't really show a great deal.

Cheers
Jason

pete berry · Status: Offline

A couple of hours with Jeff Clarke this am produced only 2 Yellow Legged Gulls,due to extremely difficult viewing conditions because of the bright sun,and the fact that the gulls were refusing to settle for any length of time on The Bank.
A switch to Moore for an hour,watching the gulls on the landfill site from the public right of way,produced a couple more Yellow Legged Gulls and two flight views of a 2nd winter Iceland Gull.

Mike Duckham · Status: Offline

Visited today with Henry C, and bumped into a Wigan chap i've met out and about a few times - should have asked your name! Next time.
Challenging light conds for first hour or so, at least it was dry and calm for once.

1 2nd W Iceland
At least 3 YLG (2+ad, one FW)
one presumed intermedius
a few argentatus.
A very enjoyable and, as always, educational couple of hours.

pete berry · Status: Offline

3 1/2 hours today with Ian produced
Two 2nd. winter Iceland Gulls
Five ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
good numbers of gulls throughout,but very few new birds after 1pm.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 28th of January 2012 08:23:03 PM

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Two and a half hours up to the big high tide around midday today:

2, possibly 3 second winter Iceland Gulls (difficult to judge between a couple of individuals but probably 3).
2 Yellow-legged Gulls (adult and first winter).

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Five hours today with Jason Atkinson and Tom McKinney:

5 Yellow-legged Gulls (3 adult and 2 first winter)

3 Iceland Gulls (strongly bi-coloured, Glaucous like billed juvenile, the usual second winter and an adult)

pete berry · Status: Offline

3hrs today with Jeff Clarke

2 Iceland Gulls(a 1st winter and a 2nd winter)
4 Yellow Legged Gulls(3 ads/and a 4th winter)
1 adult Med Gull
and an adult Yellow Legged Argenteus Herring Gull
2 Greylags over
nothing like the number of whitewingers reported on Birdguides there yesterday.

JasonAtkinson · Status: Offline

4 hours in bright sunshine after the fog had lifted.
1000's of gulls today with constant turnover. The conditions hampered my ability to pick birds out but managed 2 adult YLG, a streaky headed large bird and a clean dainty bird. Also a single 1w/2w Iceland Gull, 2 tone bill but no pale iris though I do know they can be variable.
Also of note c.100 Pinkfeet heading west and swarming starlings over Moore.

Cheers
Jason

JasonAtkinson · Status: Offline

I forgot bird of the day? A Green Woodpecker 'yaffling'

Cheers
Jason

jason atkinson · Status: Offline

AS Pete said in the last post a bit disapointing today also, or that is maybe an understatment? It was very poor.
I walked on with 2 chaps who were not around when i left and i saw 2 other folk who didnt hang around?
3 1/2 hours spent on the bank in glaringly bright sunshine and all the gulls where face on! Tide pushed the last gulls of 13.20
Very few gulls, max maybe 1000 or less.
less than 25 LBBG
less than 10 GBBG
4 Common Gull
Not a sniff of a YLG or WW Gull.
Pete, the pink BH Gull was present.
2 pics have been sent to Ian, but i suspect dodgy Herring Gull.
Maybe tomorrow.

cheers
jason

pete berry · Status: Offline

A bit disapointing today for Jeff Clarke and myself,after what was seen recently

Only a single 2nd winter Iceland Gull(seen twice) and a single Ad. Yellow Legged Gull in 4 hours(although one hour was lost with a big tide pushing everything off the bank)
We also saw(in flight only)a bird that showed characteristics of a 1st winter Caspian,but unfortunately it flew off down river and didn't return,worth keeping an eye out for though.

-- Edited by pete berry on Wednesday 11th of January 2012 06:30:52 PM