c300 large gulls on the roof of Maxilead Metals behind the refuse site on Arley Way around 3:30pm today.

326 large gulls on the roof of Maxilead warehouse with at another 150 over the Viridor waste transfer centre,but unfortunately nothing rarer with them.

Large numbers of large gulls have been around the refuse tip on Arley Way/Tyldesley area in recent days, often just wheeling as a mass high over the area. Today around mid-afternoon the birds were finally grounded, ably assisted by scaring on the Arley Way tip which forced them onto nearby building roofs.

On the roofs around the tip there were 287 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 86 Herring Gulls.

On the roof of B & M Bargains were 316 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 38 Herring Gulls.

With the 226 Lesser Black-backed/Herrings roosting in fields off Cumbermere Lane, Tyldesley too (see that thread) the total LBb/Herring Gull total for the local area was an impressive 953. Just a shame there was nothing more unusual/rarer amongst the birds I could get a good view of!!

2 adult Mediterranean Gulls in full sum plum,on the floods at Beefold Lane this morning in with about 150 Black Headed Gulls.

Beefold Lane floods
265 Herring Gulls
5 Great Black Backs (inc 2 1st w.birds)
and 91 Lesser Black Back gulls, the most I have seen together this winter,presumably returning graellsi ,back from warmer climes further south.
No sign of the Sibe Chiffchaff in a quick search in less than ideal weather.

Had an adult ringed Herring Gull on Saturday last at Chanters which was first ringed on The Calf of Man as a pullus in 2015,it was later seen in 2015 at Moore(almost certainly feeding on Arpley Tip) in late November of that year,and then later on nr. Warrington. This is the first sighting subsequently away from the Calf of Man. Red ring R38:M ,presumbly the M refers to Man.

-- Edited by pete berry on Monday 24th of January 2022 08:04:49 PM

Lots of large gulls around the rooftops at Chanters this morning including an adult yellow legged Herring Gull.

A minimum of 1100 large gulls, mainly Herring Gulls, around the Viridor waste site on Arley Way this mid afternoon, many resting on nearby roofs and undoubtably many more hidden out of the way.

234 Lesser Black Back gulls and 28 Herring Gulls in the fields off Beefold Lane .

Approximately 380 large gulls at the Viridor site at Arley Way around midday today, all Lesser Black-backed other than c40 Herrings.

In the fields and flood off Bee Fold Lane, 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 18 Black-headed Gulls and a juvenile Grey Heron.

Two adult Mediterranean Gulls around Atherton town centre this afternoon. One calling bird flew low along Mealhouse Lane past the church. Later two adults were low around Flapper Fold Lane, calling as though a pair, among a small group of Black-Headed Gulls

The adult Iceland Gull again in fields off Bee Fold Lane this afternoon in with about 1000 gulls.
There were 81 Lesser Black Backs (a massive increase,presume returning birds from Spain etc),also 9 Great Black Backs and 598 Herring Gulls,the rest of birds being Black Headed Gulls and a few Common Gull.
There was also a probable Yellow Legged Gull which unfortunately was sat down all the time so it was impossible to see it's legs. Mantle colour looked spot on as did P10,it also had a prominent red eye ring.

Only about 20 Gulls on Bee Fold Lane floods this afternoon with no sign of any Iceland Gulls.

An hours mooch around the neighbouring fields produced very little apart from 4 Buzzard,

A flock of about 30 Jackdaw over, 1 male Bullfinch & 6 Long-Tailed Tits.

The adult Iceland gull in fields off Bee Fold Lane at 1235

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 6th of February 2021 12:42:50 PM

Typical Pete been working from home all week had to go in today and it turns up. Not sure i will get chance know back work after Monday and seems very quiet Gull wise at weekend with tip closed. Will keep trying though. Did nip down at 15-30 nothing on Common Lane and left as i arrived from Bee Fold lane but only  about 10 present.

Hi Pete thanks for advice been doing that as well with no luck up to yet nothing on Common Lane yesterday afternoon and as i got to Bee fold Lane were just leaving. I will keep trying its out there somewhere. To be honest enjoying getting into the Gulls its very challenging for a newbie

Pounstrechers this morning about 300 gulls but no Adult Iceland the quest goes on. All the big Gulls seem to leave around 8-20am I am guessing this is when the fist truck arrives at the tip. 

Just had a walk around Bee Fold Lane fields only a couple of hundred gulls could not pick out Iceland Gull and then a quad bike arrived

No probs at all Mike.
Just to clarify the white tail you refer to I think you mean the white wing primaries projecting beyond the tail, you can see where the tail stops underneath.

You might find this useful for future reference...
- Iceland Gulls - bill length is shorter than the primary projection.
- Glaucous Gulls - bill length equal to or longer than primary projection.

This was a good learning experience for myself and Simon Gough a few years ago at Richmond Bank, Warrington (see thread) when we thought we had our 1st Glaucous Gull but it was correctly pointed out that wed crucially missed this feature and it was infact an Iceland Gull.
Hope this helps mate.

Great spot Mike.
Im by no means 100% myself but I feel it could be a 2nd winter bird (3CY).
The eye looks to have a browny yellow appearance, paler than the much blacker eye of a younger bird, and what appears to be a hint of grey on the side of the mantle. Hard to tell for sure and it could be dirt on the feathers, given that most of the Gulls in Atherton are at the Viridor refuse site at some point in the day.
I may be wrong, its only my opinion, so it could well be me who is to be soon corrected.

The adult Iceland Gull again on Poundstretcher roof this afternoon with 200+ large gulls.

The adult Iceland Gull again on the fields off Bee Fold Lane at 11.30 today with about 150 large gulls.

Just passing Poundstretcher on the way to Tescos to fill car when I noticed about a dozen gulls on the roof. A quick check with my bins turned up the adult Iceland Gull.

Spent a couple of hours this morning with Dave Broome looking at the gulls around the area,probably 800 large gulls in the area,sat on the roofs of the industrial units. Nothing of interest apart from a possible adult Caspian Gull which unfortunately flew off before we could see all the defining features.
I'd been home about an hour when Dave called to say he'd just found the adult Iceland Gull, so I shot back up there but it had just flown into the Viridor yard out of sight. Dave had just found an adult Yellow Legged Gull which was showing well on the roof of one if the buildings. Pic attached of the Yellow Legged Gull.