The gulls and ducks of St.John's, Newfoundland

The first full day in Newfoundland - and predictably, it was a good one. For a European birder it is a fairly easy adaptation if I'm honest. And I would imagine for North American birders, you can see the appeal - Tufted Ducks are the commonest freshwater aythya, Black-headed Gulls the commonest small gull, Common Gull have outnumbered Ring-billed Gulls (admittedly two vs one) while Eurasian Wigeon are relatively straightforward to see too.

I'm staying right near the harbour in downtown St. John's, so first stop was down by the quayside. Predictably first bird of the day was Kumlien's Gull - the main flock was on the other side of this picturesque natural harbour, but with a bit of baiting the day was off to a nice start: -

adult Kumlien's Gull St. John's, Newfoundland 12th February 2017

The first of several trips to Quidi Vidi Lake started off with a quick walk about with the usual wildfowl present.

American Wigeon Quidi Vidi Lake, Newfoundland 12th February 2017

Tufted Duck Quidi Vidi Lake, Newfoundland 12th February 2017

Pintail Quidi Vidi Lake, Newfoundland 12th February 2017

Given the temperature overnight, it was unsurprising that passerine activity was pretty manic first thing with Song Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and a Red-winged Blackbird the lot.

Song Sparrow Quidi Vidi Lake, Newfoundland 12th February 2017

Red-winged Blackbird Quidi Vidi Lake, Newfoundland 12th February 2017

On the lake nearby, I laid eyes on my first 'European' Common Gull on these shores - a nice adult, metal ringed (from Iceland apparently).

adult Common Gull Quidi Vidi Lake, Newfoundland 12th February 2017

And then it was to the predictable stuff I was here for - Kumlien's Gulls and the odd American Herring Gull too, including ringed birds of each species (both ringed in St. John's during previous winters).

Kumlien's Gulls (adults top two, third-winter middle two, juvenile bottom) Quidi Vidi Lake, Newfoundland 12th February 2017

A change of scene took us to Mundy Pond, where there were loads more photogenic American Herring Gulls than at Quidi Vidi - good to get the classic bayonets on these Newfoundland adults - and a 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull was about here too.

adult American Herring Gull Mundy Pond, St. John's, Newfoundland 12 February 2017

2nd-winter American Herring Gull Mundy Pond, St. John's, Newfoundland 12 February 2017

1st-winter Black-headed Gull Mundy Pond, St. John's, Newfoundland 12 February 2017

2nd-winter Glaucous Gull Mundy Pond, St. John's, Newfoundland 12 February 2017

We then headed ten or so miles out of St. John's to the small outfall at Chamberlain's near Conception Bay South. There were groups of Goldeneye and Greater Scaup on the sea here, while gulls around the outfall included c.15 Black-headed Gulls, another adult Common Gull, a showy juvenile Glaucous Gull and of course a host of Kumlien's and American Herring Gulls.

juvenile Glaucous Gull Conception Bay South, Newfoundland 12 February 2017

Back in St. John's, we had a scout about the harbour again, where we got accosted in a very un-British way by the security guards; one of them provided us with a printed version of a poem 'Sea Gulls' by a Newfoundland poet John Pratt. Out of courtesy I have read it this evening, but it in no way lights an ever put out flame for poetry. Three Glaucous Gulls were among the hordes of Kumlien's Gulls, as were a good number of American Herring Gulls.

juvenile Kumlien's Gull St. John's, Newfoundland 12 February 2017

The last stop of the day, after another quick check of Quidi Vidi, was Bowring Park. This place was absolutely teeming with Black Ducks (as well as Mallards and assorted hybrids), and like other places in St. John's wherever there is a small amount of water the ducks seem to get fed. So rather disconcertingly all the wild birds were up for any food given - which in this case included two Wood Ducks, a female Green-winged Teal and a drake Eurasian Wigeon!

drake Eurasian Wigeon Bowring Park, Newfoundland 12 February 2017

Wood Duck Bowring Park, Newfoundland 12 February 2017

And that was that - the end to a pretty enjoyable day. We made the most of the good weather, and it is currently snowing a bit here. Tomorrow should be decent but there seems to be a weather warning out for a heavy snow storm on Tuesday. Which could be interesting...

The afternoon in Newfoundland

I've made it to St.John's, Newfoundland. Wintering home of Kumlien's Gulls. And it couldn't have been easier - with a direct flight from London of a shade under 5 hours, a small hassle free airport and then a 10 minute drive down to where the action is...

This is a trip I've thought about doing for several years, and Richard S and I decided to bite the bullet this year. I've only had a couple of hours of birding this afternoon and only been to one place - Quidi Vidi Lake - but it already has a nice feel to it. Slightly Irish with a bit of Scandinavia thrown in, along with that rugged Atlantic influence that always gets me going. A bit of a bizarre collection of birds too - the common aythya being Tufted Duck and then a swarm of Black Ducks, Mallards and inbetweeners, some showy Pintail and American Wigeons, a lone American Coot, a couple of Double-crested Cormorants, a single Ring-billed Gull and then lots of Kumlien's Gulls and American Herring Gulls. So here are a handful of pics from this afternoon, that'll inevitably get upgraded as the trip goes on...

Kumlien's Gulls Quidi Vidi Lake, St. John's, Newfoundland 11th Feb 2017

So far, all the Kumlien's Gulls seen were mid range birds - nothing alarming and to be honest, what I expected. Tomorrow's targets? Black-headed Gull and Common Gull. Among other things. 

Black Duck Quidi Vidi Lake, St. John's, Newfoundland 11th Feb 2017

Four Caspian Gulls Thames Barrier Park 4th Feb 2017

I had a day around the usual sites yesterday - Thames Barrier Park and the O2 specifically; something seems to have happened at Lyle Park with the factories for the time being not pumping out stuff to attract London's larids. So focusing on just the two sites between 10am and 3.30pm (the low tide period), Dante and I had a decent day with 4 Caspian Gulls (all new individuals for me - two 3rd-winters and two 1st-winters, including a German ringed bird) and similar numbers of Yellow-legged Gulls. Ring wise, there were a dozen birds in total - half being local, a German Caspian Gull, Lithuanian and Berkshire ringed Black-headed Gulls, two west country ringed Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Norwegian Common Gull (that I'd seen at Wanstead a couple of weekends ago).

So not wanting to break tradition, here are a few shots of the Casps - the most showy bird was this third-winter, found last Sunday and a slave to the bread. 'Oleg' was at Thames Barrier Park for the whole time we were there: -

Caspian Gull 3rd-winter (bird 1, 'Oleg') Thames Barrier Park, London 4th February 2017

A more pale-eyed third-winter Caspian Gull showed up mid morning, and was then present on and off for the remainder of the day - really scruffy looking on the deck, but more advanced than Oleg, the bird above. 

Caspian Gull 3rd-winter (bird 2) Thames Barrier Park, London 4th February 2017

Although there was little at the O2, on our return to Thames Barrier Park early afternoon a couple of 1st-winters showed up on the incoming tide. First one was this distinctive bird - presumably a male based on large size, and a new bird for us for the winter (we're now in the early 20s in terms of actual individual Caspian Gulls at the O2, Thames Barrier, Lyle and Rotherhithe this winter period): -

Caspian Gull 1st-winter (bird 1) Thames Barrier Park, London 4th February 2017

Then, just as the bread was running out - and it wasn't as if we'd come unprepared as over a dozen loaves must have been thrown throughout the day - this German-ringed Caspian Gull turned up at Thames Barrier Park.

Caspian Gull 1st-winter (X319) Thames Barrier Park, London 4th February 2017

This bird was seen by David Campbell at Beddington on 16th January 2017, having previously being ringed at Grabendorfer See, Brandenburg, Germany on 6th June 2016 and seen on Terschelling, The Netherlands on 19th November 2016.

White-billed sea monster in Lincolnshire

It is rare that I am dragged away from the gulls of London and the southeast for something I have seen before. However, some birds are worth the effort and today was one of those days. Roll back 21 years to March 1996 when I was a fresh faced 15 year old, and a day where my mum had driven me and Tom Lowe so we could see our first White-billed Diver on a small Lincolnshire river near Tattershall Bridge. That was the River Witham. And merely five miles north of there today - on that same inland Lincolnshire drain - was another of that same species of Arctic beast. There are birds and there are birds, and this massively impressive specimen falls into that latter category. Seemingly feeding quite nicely, and looking fine in the sunshine, I had a fantastic few hours on the River Witham to the north of Kirkstead Bridge today. Enjoy...

White-billed Diver River Witham north of Kirkstead Bridge, Lincs 29th January 2017

Good birding in London - Glaucous Gull & Siberian Chiffchaff

Another nice day with little travelling. If you'd have told me that I would really enjoy London birding when I first moved down here in 2003, I would have found that hard to believe. In fact, I'd go as far to say that the birding potential here in the capital is greater than that of Cheshire, where I grew up. Or at least that is how it now feels.

Anyway, today started off very disappointingly. I headed up to the tip at Pitsea with Jamie P and Steve A - no trucks, not a single one and just a couple of hundred or so gulls. 'Big white', the leucistic Norwegian Great Black-backed Gull was there but little else, just a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull.

By mid morning Jamie P and I were back in 'the smoke' and checking out Beckton/Creekmouth for gulls. Loads about, but distant and nothing interesting. Common Sandpiper and Rock Pipit were present, but star of the show was an overwintering Siberian Chiffchaff in among at least fifteen or so of its commoner cousins. A real chameleon, with it at times looking tea-coloured (as in the photo below) but then in the shade looking ghostly and slightly 'Bonelli's Warbler-like' with the bright primaries contrasting with the pale underparts and brown mantle.

Siberian Chiffchaff Beckton, London 28th January 2017

Then with news that there was a Glaucous Gull at Walthamstow, we headed off north... although the bird flew south. As this is Jamie's local area, he was quick to say it was worth checking Leyton Tip instead and as if by magic, on arrival, there was a big lump of a juvenile Glaucous Gull sitting on a London roof! Excellent, but views were a bit distant so I approached one of the workers - I'd whacked on my high vis vest, put on an estuarine accent and hey presto, Jamie and I were in and closer to it!

juvenile Glaucous Gull Leyton Tip, London 28th January 2017

Nearby at Walthamstowe, the Swallow - obviously my first in January - was whipping around the filter beds though was too distant for me to see it in any details (which I wanted to do, just to put my mind at rest for erythrogaster etc). There was also a Black Redstart fly catching here (having seen one elsewhere earlier in the day) while back in Rotherhithe last thing, there were three ringed gulls near my flat - Polish and NTGG Black-headed Gulls and then a rather familiar Herring Gull that can't get enough of me!

3rd-winter Herring Gull M2LT Rotherhithe, London 28th January 2017 - ringed at Rainham on 2nd January 2015, then I saw it at Rotherhithe on 29th March 2015, 18th June 2015, 21st June 2015, 28th June 2015 and 7th July 2015, before it was seen at Beddington on 19th January 2016 and 16th February 2016, and then I last saw it at Pitsea on 3rd September 2016.

Good stuff locally

I had a pretty nice time the weekend just gone. Crisp, cold with London nice and icy - and with dawn to dusk sunshine. And the furthest I went was the half dozen or so miles to Wanstead. In fact by lunchtime on Saturday I hadn't even budged out of Rotherhithe: -

Firecrest Rotherhithe, London 21st January 2017

This Firecrest was showing really well in the end in Russia Dock Woodland, while a couple of Fieldfares and Redwings were about too. With the tide about right on the Thames for the gulls, I headed the short distance over the river to Lyle Park and Thames Barrier where there was little about with just three Yellow-legged Gulls (a couple of adults and a regular second-winter). After Thursday's success in Rotherhithe (with the Caspian Gull in the previous post), I headed back south and gave the really local gulls a scan. Best thing about was this 1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull, a bird seen a couple of times at the O2 previously: -

Yellow-legged Gull Rotherhithe, London 21st January 2017

And so onto Sunday and it was Common Gull time. Wanstead is the place in London for this species, and there were at least 700 birds around on the playing fields and the two ponds. And with it all iced over, it was a very pleasant experience with five colour ringed birds (4 Norwegian, 1 Thames ringed) plus further metal rings from Finland and Norway as well as a metal-ringed German Black-headed Gull.

Common Gull JZ66 Wanstead, London 22nd January 2017 - ringed as a juvenile at Hovindammen, Valle Hovin, Oslo, Norway on 16th September 2015, seen at Wanstead on 19th March 2016, back at Hovindammen, Oslo, Akershus & Oslo, Norway on 8th July 2016 and 19th September 2016

Common Gull J3EN Wanstead, London 22nd January 2017 - ringed at Tveitevannet, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway as a juvenile on 14th September 2013, and then seen there again on 22nd September 2013 and Byparken, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway on 4th October 2013 but this is the first sighting since then and 1033km from where ringed

Common Gull J9R5 Wanstead, London 22nd January 2017 - ringed as an adult at Byparken, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway on 9th July 1998 with the colour ring attached there on 26th July 2011 - seen there in August 2011, April 2012, June to August 2015, Juy 2016 and Wanstead Flats 27th and 29th December 2016

Once the tide was right and the ground had started to thaw, it was back to Thames Barrier Park where there was a single 1st-winter Caspian Gull, 'darky' still lumbering about: -

1st-winter Caspian Gull Thames Barrier Park, London 22nd January 2017

A second-winter Yellow-legged Gull followed me from Thames Barrier to the O2, but that was about it there with just a Danish ringed Black-headed Gull there becoming my 100th gull ring that I'd read in 2017. And again, that was that and the weekend was over. A shame Dante missed the 1st-winter Caspian Gull at Thames Barrier Park and didn't get his birthday Casp.

Caspian Gull on my Rotherhithe doorstep

I had a bit of a shock today. Having been to the dentist at lunchtime, I thought a cheeky check of the river nearby in Rotherhithe on the way back to school was in order. Just assumed I may get a Black-headed Gull or Herring Gull ring at best. But no - bins up, and bang there is a monster of a 1st-winter Caspian Gull sitting on the sand (what I refer to as 'the beach') by the Hilton Hotel. Get the camera out, press the trigger and... no memory card! What a completely unprofessional manoeuvre. No problem, I would just drive a couple of minutes home and get it. Nope, after scuffling about I realised I'd left my house keys at school.

No way was I going to be defeated though and I racked my brains over potential solutions. My first ever first-winter Caspian Gull in Rotherhithe and I had completely ballsed things up. Extreme actions were needed, and so I made a mad dash to the Tesco at Canada Water where I dashed in and out, spent £12 on a memory card and all for...

1st-winter Caspian Gull Rotherhithe, London 19th January 2017

One of the best ways I have ever spent £12 to be honest. Lovely bird, and always a pleasure to get something like this slap bang where you live. And also a different individual to any of those we've been seeing in the Greenwich/Thames Barrier area recently. Normally this blog does indeed focus on the 'beyond' in its title but for once, Rotherhithe was on form today. Bring on the weekend!

1st-winter Caspian Gull Rotherhithe, London 19th January 2017