Saturday 6 June 2009

More gull grilling

Heysham Obs
Yesterday was amazing. Entered the office from the great outdoors about 12oohrs, but did not leave until 1600hrs. The temperature difference reminded me of the same time last year boarding a plane at Oslo and disembarking into an icy blast at Kirkenes. The current air is surely from similar arctic climes. Today it was simply 'cool' and the lack of heathaze very welcome

Red Nab/outfalls/Ocean Edge foreshore
Med Gull - a careful look revealed 3 x 2CY: one with a 'basic 1st W' mask, one with an extensive black covering the mask area & the sides of the head but neither joining round the rear nor extending on to the crown and the 'virtually black-headed' bird seen previously (but the most difficult to pick out today). The middle one of these three had quite a red bill for a 2CY and not a bird I had previously seen. None of them were ringed
Black-headed Gull - 1,540 - amazing for so early in June and 95% 2CY
Common Gull - 226, including the adult summer
NO tern species at all - very sad as it reflects the demise of the Lune colony

Presume the Bk Guille still in residence but havent checked that side. has anyone else?

Elsewhere
Osprey lingering Leighton Moss