Donna Nook - 1st December 2024

 It's been five years, since Jayne and I were last at the Atlantic Grey Seal breeding reserve at Donna Nook, in Lincolnshire (see post here). Today, we drove across, and had amazing views of bulls, cows and pups (1,400 at the moment!).

Pups

Cow and Pup feeding

Bull

Seal's flipper

There were a few birds flying about, the most numerous being Great Black-backed Gull, with several adults and juveniles feeding around the colony. Other birds seen were: Shelduck, Herring and Black-headed Gulls, Skylark (over) and Curlew.

Great Black-backed Gull (and cow seal)

St Ives - 26th - 27th October 2024

 Jayne and I arrived in St Ives on Saturday afternoon, and, after settling in to our accommodation, we had a walk around the town, enjoying the lovely sunshine and sunshine.

View from or apartment

As always, I had my eyes peeled for darvic-ringed Herring Gulls, and soon found two new birds; W916 and W918. I'll send off the details, but I'm sure they'll have been ringed in and around the harbour.

W916

W918

We spent the whole of Sunday in and around the town. We started off walking around the town, where we saw W916 and W918 again. A small group of c.40 Turnstones were also around the harbour, along with a single Black-headed Gull and a single Great Black-backed Gull. We then walked up onto The Island and spent a couple of hours in and around that area, adding Gannet (c.10), Red Admiral (1) and, best of all, a female-type Black Redstart (Year Tick 194).We found the bird feeding on rocks below the Coastguards' Lookout. Amazingly, another bird was found a couple of hours later, feeding around the rook of The Guildhall!!

Black Redstart

Walking back along the harbour, we spotted another ringed Herring Gull,W917. This was a new bird, seen on the railings around the harbour.

W917

Suffolk - August 2024

 Last week, Jayne and I had a family holiday down in Suffolk. It was a family holiday, so most of the time was spent on the beach enjoying the 20+ degree heat! We did, however, manage a trip to RSPB Minsmere, where we had fantastic views of Water Vole and Grass Snake.

The Water Vole, a juvenile, was seen feeding from the dipping pond, about 2m away. We watched it for a good 10 minutes, before it suddenly swam off into the vegetation, only for a hunting Grass Snake to appear!

Water Vole

Grass Snake

Whilst at Minsmere, we also saw, amongst others,  the following species: Ringed Plover, Ruff, Redshank, Lapwing, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Black-headed, Herring and Little Gull, Little and Great White Egret, Stock Dove and Cetti's Warbler. Muntjac Deer were also seen.

One evening we went across to Aldeburgh. Whilst there, I checked to see if last year's ringed Herring Gull, FOMT, was back again. The good news was that it was, sat on exactly the same rooftop as last year! Click on the label for details of where and when, it was ringed.

FOMT

The place we were staying in, in Bramfield, had several ponds, which had Ruddy Darter, Migrant Hawker and a pair of Willow Emerald Damselflies on them. 

Rufford - 17th December 2023

 My latest visit to Rufford, was my best of the winter so far, with 12 of "our" green-ringed birds seen, along with Lithuanian-ringed P519 (ringed in April 2010, as an adult) and a well known EL87245 (ringed at Center Parcs in January 2013.

Most of the ringed birds had been seen before, but three; 245C ( aged 3, born this year), 262C (also born in 2023) and 264C (an adult bird), were my first sightings since being ringed, at Center Parcs, earlier this winter.

245C

262C

264C

In addition, 215C (ringed, as an adult in January 2023), was my first sighting since March 12th 2023. Welcome back for another winter.

215C

Other birds seen included: c.70(!!) Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 6 Common Gulls, c.300 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Herring Gull, 13 Goosander (7 females and 6 males), 1 Cormorant, 35 Canada Geese, 2 Greylag Geese and 2 Mute Swans (Broken Beak and a female). 

Rufford - 2nd December 2023

 After my walk around Linacre last week, I had a quick (1 hour) visit to Rufford to see which gulls I could pick up. I only lasted one hour as it was 2 degrees, and half the lake was frozen over.

As I arrived I could see there were approximately 200 Black-headed Gulls present, along with 5 Common Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 1 Herring Gull. Other birds seen were 2 Mute Swans (Broken Beak and a female), Tufted Duck, Mallards, and, most amazingly a fly-over Great White Egret - a new species for me at this site!

The ringed gulls seen were: 258A (3rd sighting this winter), 293A (8th sighting this winter), 295A (1st sighting since 12th March 2023), 297A (2nd sighting this winter), 280B (2nd sighting this winter) and 258C (my first sighting, since it was ringed, as a 1st winter bird - born this year - at Center Parcs on 1st December 2023).

295A

285C

Herring Gull FOMT

 I spotted this Herring Gull, FOMT, on the beach at Aldeburgh, Suffolk on Friday (4th). I haven't been able to find a project yet, but will update as soon as I find one.

FOMT

UPDATE: This gull was ringed, by the Southern Colour Ringing Group (formally North Thames Gull Group) at Pitsea Landfill site, on 7th February 2015. At the time, it was aged as a BTO core 10, i.e. in its 5th calendar year, or older. It was first recorded in Aldeburgh on 22nd April 2017, and has been recorded there in virtually every month, ever since!!

Scarborough Med Gulls

 Most years at around this time, Jayne and I pop across to Scarborough for a day to spot a few birds, including one of my favourite birds, the Mediterranean Gull. This year, we saw four individual birds, an adult, a 3rd calendar year (dark primaries, born in 2021) and two first winters (2nd calendar years, born in 2022).

Adult Med Gull (all white wings)

2nd winter (3rd calendar year, born 2021)

1st winter, born in 2022

1st winter, born in 2022

As well as these beauties, we also saw 4 Purple Sandpipers, a single Redshank, Black-headed Gulls, a Peregrine Falcon, Fulmars (back on the cliffs), Rock Pipit, Shag, Cormorant, Red-throated Diver (off Marine Drive, along with several Harbour Porpoise) and Herring Gulls. One Herring Gull was ringed with darvic ring Y:H42. I saw this bird in exactly the same place (Marine Drive) back in 2019! It had been ringed in Scarborough in 2007. Unfortunately, no Turnstones were seen, so no chance to catch up with the ringed birds seen in previous years.

Y:H42

Year List update: (89) Red-legged Partridge - 4 seen on the drive over, (90) Red-throated Diver, (91) Peregrine Falcon and (92) Mediterranean Gull.

Rufford Gulls - 23rd December 2022

 It was raining very hard this afternoon, so today's visit to Rufford lasted just 1 hour. There were only 45 Black-headed Gulls present, but I did manage to see 5 colour-ringed birds: P519, 271B, 276B, V77K and a new one, 207C.

207C

207C was ringed just yesterday (22nd December), at Center Parcs, and, unsurprisingly, is the first re-sighting.

Other birds seen were: Mute Swan (2), Gadwall (1m and 1fm), 1 Herring Gull and 4 Goosander (3m and 1fm).

Summer Migrants Arrive

 The sun was out at Linacre this morning and so were the birds!

Between 8am and 10.30am I walked around all three Reservoirs and recorded 12 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Swallow and 1 Common Sandpiper.

Common Sandpiper (heavily cropped!)

I also had  my first April record of Herring Gull ( 1 adult - most likely from the increasing breeding population in Chesterfield), 3 Grey Wagtails, 1 Pied Wagtail, the first Mallard ducklings of the year (5 on the bottom reservoir), 1 Common Buzzard, 10 Canada Geese (highest count of the year), 6 Great-crested Grebes, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Grey Heron, 30 Tufted Duck, 17 Coot, 13 Mandarin Duck and 7 Moorhens, including the first nest of the year. 

Cornwall Gulls

Jayne and I have just had a couple of weeks in Cornwall. Whilst there, we managed to see a few birds, including a couple of old friends (Herring Gulls), one "year tick" and 2 new darvic-ringed Great Black-backed Gulls.

The familiar birds were two Herring Gulls that we saw in St Ives on 6th August. The gulls, W:186 and W:195, have both been seen in previous visits to Cornwall, having been ringed there in 17th June 2014 and 26th June 2014 respectively. 

W:186

W:195

The new birds, two Great Black-backed Gulls, were both spotted in and around Looe. The first one, L:AY6, was seen on two occasions (30th July and 12th August) in the harbour area. It had been ringed, as a pullus, on Looe Island, on 20th July 2012, and had been reported in and around the harbour ever since. My sighting was the first since June 2020.

L:AY6 (12th August 2021)

The second gull, L:BB6, was spotted on rocks on Hannafore Point, opposite Looe Island, on 9th August 2021. It too had been ringed on Looe Island, as a pullus, on 24th June 2013. This bird had travelled a little further than the harbour, having been seen in Dawlish Warren, Devon, in 2016 and 2017, before returning to Looe Island to breed. My record was the first since 2019.

L:BB6

The new bird was a Manx Shearwater, seen flying past St Ives Island, on 6th August.

Year List update:

161 - Manx Shearwater

Linacre Gull Fest and WeBS - 15th February 2021

 This month's WeBS walk at Linacre Reservoirs took place yesterday. Following a week of very cold temperatures (+2 maximum) and snow there was a lot of ice covering all three reservoirs (c.40%), which made counting easier, and also lead to some excellent records.

First up, the waterfowl counts: 148 Mallard, 105 Tufted Duck (my highest ever count, possibly cold weather movement?), 102 Mandarin Duck, 12 Moorhen, 9 Coot, 1 Cormorant (in full breeding plumage), 4 Little Grebe, 10 Goosander (4 males and 6 females), 168 (minimum, most likely 200+) Black-headed Gull (including 2 metal-ringed birds and a darvic-ringed bird),  2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (both adult-type, returning breeders from Chesterfield?), 1 Herring Gull (flew over the top reservoir for 5 minutes - only my sixth record since 2006!), 1 adult Common Gull, only my third ever Linacre record, previous records being in 2014 and 2016 and 2 Grey Wagtail. 

Common Gull (and Black-headed Gull)

As you can see, the number of Black-headed Gulls was fantastic, probably due to me being on site until 2.00pm, and because of the icy conditions elsewhere, as were the Herring and Common Gull records. Lesser Black-backed Gull sightings have increased in  the last few years, as they have established themselves as a breeding species in Chesterfield (first confirmed breeding in 2018 I think) and will continue to grow as the breeding population increases. The same may happen for Herring Gull, as they too, have become a breeding species in Chesterfield too.

Whilst scanning through the Black-headed Gulls, I spotted 2 metal-ringed birds and 1 darvic-ringed bird. Unfortunately, I couldn't read the metal rings (too far away), but I did manage to get a distant photo of the darvic-ringed bird, and saw that it was 2T46. This was a bird that my nephew, Luke, saw at nearby Holmebrook Valley CP, on 6th November 2020, and had been ringed in Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, on 19th September 2020. The first photo is this bird in November, whilst the second is from yesterday. Luke's photo was taken much nearer (!), whilst my photo shows how the bird's breeding plumage brown hood is developing.

2T46, Holmebrook Valley CP, November 2020

2T46, Linacre Reservoir, February 2021

Other birds seen/heard around the reservoirs were: Tawny Owl (heard), Raven (2 displaying), Green Woodpecker (heard), Skylark (1 seen and heard over the top reservoir), Common Buzzard (3 together), Sparrowhawk (1 displaying), Stock Dove (4, and singing heard).

NOTE: a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker was noted (not by me!) on 14th February, feeding with a mixed tit flock - the first 2021 record.

Whitby Gulls - 31st August 2020

On the way home from Northumberland, Jayne and I stopped off in Whitby for the day. Whilst there, we spotted 3 darviced Herring Gulls.

Two of the gulls we saw, Y:633 and Y:B15, were new to us. Both birds had been ringed at Rufford Waste Disposal Site, at York. Y:633 was ringed on 20th May 2016, and Y:B15 was ringed on 17th February 2017.

Y:633

Y:B15 in full voice!!

The 3rd gull, 1R1B, was a bird that we had seen here in Whitby before, once in July 2015 (see here) and again in July 2017 (see here). Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the project where this bird was ringed, or been able to ring the metal ring number, so I don't know where or when it was ringed.

1R1B

Wales 2020

 Jayne and I have just a couple of weeks in Wales, staying in Tenby. It was a family holiday, but we also saw a few nice bits of wildlife, including 5 "year ticks": Rock Pipit, Shag, Sandwich Tern, Manx Shearwater and Chough.

The Rock Pipits and Sandwich Terns (14), were seen in and around Tenby, whilst the Chough (4 birds) were seen about 2 miles out of the town on a headland opposite Caldy Island and the Shag and Manx Shearwaters (100s!!) were seen on a boat trip out of St David's. 

I also had my first Beautiful Demoiselle of the year on the river by St David's cathedral.

As expected, there were lots of Herring Gulls in and around the town, including a metal ringed bird, GC60771, that had been ringed on Caldy Island, 6km away, as a nestling, on 1st June 2010.

Herring Gull, GC6077

Year List update:

153 – Rock Pipit

154 – Sandwich Tern

155 – Chough

156 - Shag

157 – Manx Shearwater

Herring Gull EPM

Jayne and I were in Llandudno over the weekend. Whilst there we spotted a Herring Gull with a colour ring, EPM. I recognised it straight away as a bird I'd seen there before, in December 2016 (see here for details and ringing and subsequent re sightings).

EPM

I sent the record off, and saw that it had now been reported on the sea front at Llandudno another 6 times since my sighting. All sightings range from September to April, with mine being the earliest "winter" record, so we still don't know if it breeds elsewhere, and winters in Llandudno. It is now  9 years and 255 days since it was ringed.

Whilst in North Wales, we visited the National Trust's Bodnant Gardens again, and saw Azure and Blue-tailed Damselflies, Common Darter (mating pairs) and several Southern Hawkers. Butterflies seen were: Painted Lady (10), Red Admiral, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell and Common Blue.

Common Darter

Azure Damselflies

Colour ringed Herring Gulls - Cornwall 2019

Last week, Jayne and I were in St Ives for a week, where I managed to spot 5 different colour-ringed Herring Gulls.

3 of the 5 birds were familiar birds, namely W:185, W:186 and W:195, all of whom I've seen there in previous years (see here).  

W:185

W:186

W:195

As you can see from the ring numbers they were all ringed by the same people, West Cornwall Ringing Group in St Ives in June 2014 and have been reported in and around the same area ever since. 

Whilst there, I also spotted 2 new birds; W:192 and 3KC1. W:192 was also ringed in St Ives in June 2014, but was spotted 4km away on the RSPB Hayle Estuary reserve, on 23rd July 2019, 5 years and 36 days since ringing. Unfortunately, it was too distant for a photograph.

The final bird, 3KC1, was seen in St Ives Harbour on 20th July 2019. This bird was found to have been ringed, by Guernsey Gulls, at Chouet Landfill site, Guernsey, on 12th May 2015, and aged as a 3rd year bird. My sighting was the 6th since ringing. All previous sightings had come from Cornwall (St Ives, Hayle Estuary and Newlyn Harbour), during the summer months, July August and September. There have not, yet, been any records during the winter months or from a breeding site.

3KC1

Linacre Birds and Insects - 2nd June 2019

Last Sunday I got up early and had a couple of hours walking around all 3 reservoirs of Linacre. It was a lovely morning, and I managed to record a new species for June, along with lots of great breeding records.

I started by the middle reservoir where I saw 3 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a 2nd or 3rd calendar year Herring Gull ( my first June record, and only my 5th ever Linacre record, following records in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2017). Also present was a pair of Great-crested Grebes with 3 chicks and 2 Grey Wagtails (1 adult and 1 juvenile).

Great-crested Grebe

Other signs of successful breeding seen were: Mallard (43 adults and 7 broods of chicks totalling 47 ducklings), Coot (11 adults and 6 broods of chicks, totally 15 chicks), Moorhen (9 adults and 10 chicks; 2 broods of 6 and 4, and Mandarin Duck (6 adults and 20 ducklings; 12 and 8). There were 19 adult Tufted Ducks , but no ducklings yet.

Away from the water the brood of 7 Pied Flycatchers were old enough to ring and a few insects were also seen, namely Red Admiral (1), Chimney Sweeper (a day flying moth) and a hoverfly that I think is a Scaeva pyrasti. 

Scaeva pyrasti?

Farne Islands

I last visited the Farne Islands in 2011 (see here), so, when deciding where to go away this year, Jayne and I decided to visit this group of islands off the Northumberland coast at the height of the breeding season. We visited on Friday 31st May, and, despite heavy rain for most of the visit (!), had an amazing time seeing all the birds at such close quarters.

We went across to the islands and spent about one and a half hours travelling around them (seeing Fulmar and Gannets), before landing on Inner Farne for an hour long visit. Whilst on the island we walked up through the Arctic Tern colony, passing the nesting birds (and being pecked by them). We also saw nesting Sandwich Terns, Eider Ducks, Black-headed Gulls, Shag, Guillemot, Razorbill and Puffin, all within touching distance of the paths - fantastic!!

Arctic Tern

Eider Duck

Razorbill

Guillemot (including a bridled individual)

Puffins

Black-headed Gull (and chick)

Year List update:

178 – Kittiwake

179 – Puffin

180 – Arctic Tern