California day one - Santa Barbara to Big Sur

It's the school holidays once again, and predictably I'm off gulling (and birding) in California. I arrived with Mick S and Richard S late last night into LA, and after a smooth transition through the airport things were looking good at the start of the trip. That is until we tried getting somewhere to stay - literally every single motel we tried (and we tried a lot) was booked out. Why? February 14th, need I say more. Classy yanks!

And so, after a night in the car that equated to pretty much zero sleep, we started on the beach at Santa Barbara. It's a place I knew well, having visited here in early January 2014. Little had changed, with a nice flock of Black Skimmers and Royal Terns along with southern California's standard gulls - Heermann's, Western, California, Ring-billed with the odd Glaucous-winged (and hybrids) and American Herring. Surf Scoters, Buffleheads, Great Northern Divers and Pied-billed Grebes lined the harbour while stuff like Willet and Marbled Godwits paced up and down the shore. All good stuff for the other two, who had never visited the US before this trip. And for me to try my new camera and lens out...

Heermann's Gulls at Santa Barbara, California 15th February 2015

1st-winter Royal Tern at Santa Barbara, California 15th February 2015

Heading a few miles west, we stopped off at Goleta at my request. A request to see a Tufted Duck - which we dipped. Which serves me right. Nevertheless with a flock of Cedar Waxwings buzzing about, Bufflehead, Lesser Scaup, House Finch, Song and White-crowned Sparrows, Black Phoebe and Anna's Hummingbird note (as well as a few more gulls) it wasn't a totally wasted venture.

4th-winter Glaucous-winged Gull at Arroyo Grande, California 15th February 2015

An hour or so north, we stopped off briefly at Arroyo Grande where just a couple of Glaucous-winged Gulls (and loads of Red-winged Blackbirds) were seen before the fog ended things around Pismo Beach and Morro Bay; though a couple of Sea Otters in the river mouth at Morro Bay were typically obliging. And on the mammal theme, as we headed north to spend the night in Monterey, a stop off at the south end of Big Sur at Piedras Blancas Beach provided rather good views of some of the ugliest creatures in the world, Elephant Seals!

Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas Beach, California 15th February 2015

Another decent day of gulling on the tip

After last weekend's huge numbers of gulls, this weekend it seemed it was back to normal with a reduction in the number of birds. The tip had also shifted position, making access a little trickier, with added 'disturbance' from the NTGG ringing team. That said, if I review what we actually saw, it wasn't a bad day at all.

One of the two juvenile Glaucous Gulls was present again; not putting on the performance like it did last weekend, with just a couple of brief appearances.

juvenile Glaucous Gull Essex 7th February 2015

It's bizarre that, for the last few visits, we've ended up on five Caspian Gulls. And today this happened again, and four of them were birds that hadn't been seen previously. Three first-winter birds, including a small bird that has been present since November, as well as a new second-winter and a sub-adult; the latter avoided any shots, but was a distinctive bird with immature feathering on the coverts and a dark mark in its gonys.

1st-winter Caspian Gull (bird 1) Essex 7th February 2015

1st-winter Caspian Gull (bird 2) Essex 7th February 2015

1st-winter Caspian Gull (bird 2) Essex 7th February 2015

2nd-winter Caspian Gull Essex 7th February 2015

2nd-winter Caspian Gull (same as above) Essex 7th February 2015

Early spring sees the influx of Mediterranean Gulls starting to happen, and after a couple on the last few visits, we were up to at least a handful today - many showing nicely black, mottled heads including a Polish ringed bird.

adult Mediterranean Gull Essex 7th February 2015. 'PLH8', presumably ringed in Poland - just awaiting confirmation of exactly where.

A couple of Yellow-legged Gulls were presumably birds seen previously, a second-winter and adult. And to round things off, the leucistic Norwegian-ringed Great Black-backed Gull put in an appearance. Despite concerted effort, ring reading was quite low suggesting a decent turnover of birds - a couple of Mike Marsh's Suffolk-ringed Herring Gulls and an adult Herring Gull from Montrose (that I'd seen previously at the tip back in December 2013) plus average numbers of North Thames ringed birds. This is my last tip visit until the end of the month, but between now and then I'll be seeing a lot of gulls during my half-term break that starts next weekend...

female Herring Gull Essex 7th February 2015. Ringed by Ben Herschell in his garden in Montrose, Angus in July 2013 and was also present on the tip in November and December 2013.

That Arctic gull

Iceland Gulls do not hybridise - those words are sacrosanct. Apparently.

presumed hybrid gull, Essex 31st Jan 2015

Last Saturday on the tip, an interesting gull was present. Having already seen a couple of hybrids up there this year, alongside at least three leucistic birds, it's second nature now to be skeptical about any gull identification being straightforward. And though there was a lot of conversation at the time about it being a Kumlien's Gull, its pale iris combined with its retarded plumage always made me feel very uneasy.

presumed hybrid gull, Essex 31st Jan 2015

Admittedly, it was a large bird - at least for an Iceland-type Gull. About the same size as your smaller end Herring Gull. With a long primary projection and with a comparatively short, tubby bill there were some elements of its jizz that pointed towards a glaucoides/kumlieni. Possibly. The off white primaries, pale tail and unbarred, hoary underwing-coverts suggested some white-winged gull influence. The breast and underparts were not quite as smooth as you'd expect on an Iceland Gull, suggesting perhaps some Herring Gull influence.

presumed hybrid gull, Essex 31st Jan 2015

So hopefully the few photos of the bird here give you an idea of what it felt like, and there are more (better) photos here too.

presumed hybrid gull, Essex 31st Jan 2015

So, in conclusion, I'd now offer the following: -
- it's probably got some Herring Gull ancestry
- it appears to fit a third calendar year bird, with the pale iris present on this age as well as the plain, moulted scapulars.
- the lean bill and deep pink legs mimic that of an Iceland Gull

Thanks to Rob I, Josh J and Niall K for the subsequent discussion; and of course to Steve A and Dave A who shared the observation. Hopefully it'll still be about this coming Saturday. Any further comments would be appreciated too...

One of the best days on the tip

It takes quite a bit to impress me these days. Especially locally. Birding in the southeast of England, or at least around London, is hard work. So you take the little jewels that come to you with open arms. Today on the tip was such an event, with a whole host of interest sightings. I'll do a quick summary below, followed by some pleasant enough photos: -

Glaucous Gull - 2 juveniles present, and though suspecting there were more than one for a lot of the morning, it wasn't until mid a'noon that we had both birds on view at once. Both very similar in appearance, though one larger than the other - the smaller bird wasn't getting stuck in; preferring isolation away from the melee and not getting amongst it as Glaucous Gulls should do.

juvenile Glaucous Gull Essex 31st January 2015

Iceland Gull-type hybrid - a very dark, large bird that caused some confusion and a bit of a headache. Or at least a headache as far as white-wingers should do. Its pale eye and bill pattern evidently suggest a bird in its third calendar year, and though there is some scapular and mantle moult, its plumage is largely retarded. Add to this some brown plumage in the primaries and a Herring Gull feel to its head, it was certainly not your typical 2nd-winter nominate Iceland. In fact, even when I look at the photos now, I'm not totally convinced... my mind takes me back to a 'Kumlien's Gull' that spent the winter in Dingle harbour in 2002/03 that in the end turned out to be a Herring Gull hybrid.

2nd-winter presumed hybrid gull Essex 31st January 2015

Caspian Gull - were a sideshow for once. The regular pale-eyed adult was showing well - identified as a returning bird due to an obvious diagonal groove in its bill that runs towards the nostril. Add to this two new 2nd-winter birds, as well as two first-winters - one potentially new bird and another, much smaller bird with a short bill, that has regularly been seen since November 2014. We're probably on 26 Caspian Gulls for this winter including today, per Steve A's calculations.

Caspians Gulls Essex 31st January 2015 - adult (top) is a returning bird, then the middle two are 2nd-winters, with the bottom photo a potentially new 1st-winter.

Yellow-legged Gull - an adult and 2nd-winter; at least the 2nd-winter was a bird from the previous week.

Mediterranean Gull - two adults, both in moult and unringed. Over the next month or so, numbers will start to increase.

adult Mediterranean Gull Essex 31st January 2015

Great Black-backed Gull - the usual leucistic 2nd-winter was showing well early morning; ringed in Norway and seen regularly at the tip since December 2013. There were also a couple of other Danish ringed birds, including one 1st-winter that had been ringed as a chick in July 2014 and was near Calais as recently as 23rd January 2015.

leucistic 2nd-winter Great Black-backed Gull Essex 31st January 2015

Many thanks to Steve A and Dave A for the company. Josh J revealed his like for latinas over larids, so didn't make it.

Rotherhithe Peregrine

I'd been tipped off about a Peregrine favouring the gas holder near Rotherhithe station and having been at the tip yesterday, didn't manage to get out until today. I only had a brief hour spare to go birding, but this was a nice highlight.

adult Peregrine Rotherhithe, London 25th January 2015

Interestingly, the bird bears an orange/red ring - according to Dave Morrison (London's most consistent Peregrine enthusiast - see here), this bird is either an adult ringed pre-2011 from this area or a migrant from the Charing Cross area. I'll need to try and get the digits of the ring next time...

Back on the tip after 3 weeks' absence

Three weeks ago was the last time I'd been at the tip - it'd taken that long to get the latest puncture sorted. So, with a healthy Land Rover and the sun shining, it was good to be up there again. It wasn't too cold either, with the only issue that I had being that I needed to be in Sevenoaks for a family do mid afternoon.

Adult Caspian Gulls, Essex 24th January 2015 - structurally both very similar; note the more obvious black bar on P5 on the top bird.

Anyway, the highlight was undoubtedly the 5 Caspian Gulls that we saw up there - two adults (including a potentially returning, pale-eyed bird) and three 1st-winters. None of them showed at point blank range, but they did show relatively well in the crisp winter's light.

1st-winter Caspian Gull, Essex 24th January 2015

There were a number of rings read too, and as well as a load of North Thames Gull Group red rings, there were birds from Norway, Cambridgeshire, Yorkshire and Suffolk. Nothing too interesting, but just good to be back in the gull zone on the tip for only a second time this year.

adult Herring Gull, Essex 24th January 2015. Ringed at Seamer Carr near Scarborough, North Yorkshire on 13th May 2011, and previously seen on the tip in December 2013.

1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull, Essex 24th January 2015. Ringed as a chick in Norway at Olavskjæran, Lindesnes, Vest-Agder on 2nd July 2014 and then seen subsequently by Brian Small at Southwold, Suffolk on 13th October 2014.

Steve A didn't have any commitments like I did, so after I'd left, he went back up and scored with a stunning juvenile Glaucous Gull; and reviewing his photos, it seems as thought there were two. So not ideal for me, but I guess you can't see everything and looking forward to another session next Saturday.

The Italian Job

It has been a few years since I last visited Italy; before this blog began. And, yes, it's a pretty unoriginal title but essentially sums up what Saturday evening and Sunday were all about - fly to Bari, visit for 24 hours and hopefully locate Europe's only regular Grey-headed Gull (present on and off since October 2012). It was a trip that I fancied, not only to see the gull but also one to get out of a bit of a birding rut here in southeast England.

Before this trip, the only Grey-headed Gulls I'd seen were on a trip to Mauritania back in December 2006. Given that these days you'd be chancing getting your head chopped off there, WP birders who hadn't seen the species obviously saw Italy as a less life threatening option. And so when Josh J spoke to me about it a few weeks ago, I didn't really need convincing about indulging in some Italian gulling; this being up Mick S's street too.

A bit of history on the gull too - it first turned up in October 2012, and has been on and off in the coastal towns of Molfetta and Bari since then; predominantly in winter amongst large numbers of Black-headed Gulls. Anyway, on Saturday 17th January, the Grey-headed Gull had been seen in its usual location a couple of kilometres to the south of Bisceglie; at this spot it comes in to wash and roost, before heading off again. Fortuitously late the day before I arrived, it had been tracked down to spending a good deal of its time in the harbour at Bisceglie. And so that's where Sunday 18th January dawned...

adult Grey-headed Gull Bisceglie, Italy 18th January 2015

Within literally a minute or two of arriving, not before I'd had my weekend Caspian Gull fix, the Grey-headed Gull was found - showing well and reactive to bread and popcorn throughout the day! God knows how many photos I ended up taking, but to but things into perspective 'one shot' Mick S took over 650 photos. Roosting on the water, preening on the beach, flying about off the pier - it performed admirably, even waiting around for us to go to the nearby supermarket for bread and popcorn top ups.

adult Grey-headed Gull Bisceglie, Italy 18th January 2015

With a nice adult Black-headed Gull that was ringed in northwest Poland near Szczecin in November 2014, and another couple of Caspian Gulls in Molfetta harbour, there were plenty of worse ways to spend the weekend.