This weekend's London gulls

This was the last weekend for a while that I'll be able to spend time with the London gulls, and despite the warmer conditions compared to last weekend, there was still an obvious amount of passage. But it was hard going and Saturday was one of those days that are easily forgettable - there were a few rings at Crayford but nothing better than that, Thamesmead provided the realisation that it really was spring as a lot of the wintering Black-headed Gulls had moved off from Southmere, while Creekmouth was slightly better. Here, the darker of the two juvenile Iceland Gulls from last Sunday was still around and one of the Yorkshire ringed Herring Gulls was still about too. A couple of Curlew, an Oystercatcher and a handful of Black-tailed Godwits were on the foreshore as the tide came in late afternoon.

juvenile Iceland Gull Creekmouth, London 24th March 2018

Onto this morning, and I had a good gull session at Crayford with Andy L and Mick S. It's really obvious this time of year to see the Lesser Black-backed Gulls pushing through, though one of the most frustrating things too with these is the distant rings. I had a Dutch bird this morning, as well as one from the northwest (probably Walney), but couldn't do anything with the specifics due to the distance. There was also a yellow-ringed Herring Gull from Yorkshire, that we just about got the code for. It's not like Thames Barrier Park for views! However, average views aside, there were two splendid 1st-winter Caspian Gulls on show this morning - the first bird remaining extremely faithful to the corner of the green building at Viridor recycling centre (much like a couple of birds this winter), while the second was a hulk of a bird showing initially at the recycling centre and then in the flooded fields at Bob Dunn Way.

1st-winter Caspian Gull (bird 1) Crayford, London 25th March 2018

 

1st-winter Caspian Gull (bird 2) Crayford, London 25th March 2018

Common Gull numbers seemed to be down on previous weeks, and try as I might, I couldn't muster the Ring-billed Gull reported across the river at Rainham on Friday. That's probably it for me with the London gulls for a while, so nice to sign off on a weekend with both the good 'uns (a white-winger and the obligatory Casps).

Sunday 18th March - mega day of London gulling

It isn't often that I use superlatives about birding in the capital, but the Sunday just gone was incredible in a London context...

There was snow on my car as I set out from my Rotherhithe home early in the morning. I met up with Jamie P and Dante in the Multiplex cinema car park in Beckton shortly after 8am, where we then did the rather dull walk along the River Roding to Creekmouth, an area of mud bordered by a waste recycling centre and a massive flood defence structure. The first decent bird of the day was a juvenile Iceland Gull that Dante located on the river by the flood structure. With a couple of slices, it was with us: -

juvenile Iceland Gull Creekmouth, London 18th March 2018

Walking up towards the outfall, the settling ponds on the right were full of gulls too and included two yellow ringed 2nd-winter Herring Gulls with a code 'Y:...' which will have been ringed at Rufforth tip in the last year or so.

Yorkshire-ringed 2nd-winter Herring Gull Creekmouth, London 18th March 2018

Up at the outfall, it was pretty peaky weather wise but as usual the gulls were loving it. Remarkably, I was scanning through a group and found another juvenile Iceland Gull - distinctly different from the paler bird above: -

juvenile Iceland Gull (bird 2) Creekmouth, London 18th March 2018

Jamie ran back to make doubly sure it was a different bird, and found the original bird still present. While he was doing that, I picked up a 2nd-winter Caspian Gull bathing in the Thames. Even though it's a year on, and so much changes plumage wise, I do wonder whether this is 'Creeky', a 1st-winter that lingered here for a lot of last winter. Anyway, enough of speculating, as this bird came a bit closer and then headed up the Roding and into the melee by the warehouses where we saw it on our way back. Not a classic bird, with a whiff of German in it, but nice enough: -

2nd-winter Caspian Gull Creekmouth, London 18th March 2018

Out at the outfall, there were also four Yellow-legged Gulls on and off, which included an adult, a third-winter and two first-winters. All very nice, and the first time for a while that I've seen more than one at any London site. As we headed back along the footpath, a Mediterranean Gull flew into the large numbers of Black-headed Gulls present while Jamie picked up a different second-winter Caspian Gull - a really neat looking, spindly legged bird with a large P10 mirror - while Dante's third-winter Casp in the same area felt rather more German...

2nd-winter Caspian Gull Creekmouth, London 18th July 2018

And so that was that with Creekmouth - easily the best visit I've had there and it just shows what London can produce with a bit of weather and diligence. We headed east from here, and after a quick Tesco pit stop, poked our noses in at Rainham to see if we could do a quick job on the White-fronted Geese. We couldn't find them, though there were 3 Ringed Plover and an Avocet in Aveley Bay. We decided against a visitor centre riverwatch and so headed south over the Dartford Crossing, and within minutes had pulled up in Crayford.

There were good numbers of gulls milling around the area, and the first stop was the wasteground at Jolly Farmers. This is a nice area to get close to gulls and get some rings, and so that was my plan. Andy L pulled up, and just as he had done so I picked up an adult Iceland Gull - and shouted as such, as this was believe it or not my first ever adult white-winged gull in London! And it was Dante's first adult ever too, so the four of us got to work with a papping session.

adult-type Kumlien's Gull Crayford, London 18th March 2018

Mick S turned up a short while later, and asked whether it had a bit of grey in its primaries - which got us looking at things a bit more deeply, and it did indeed seem that was the case. And so, when it flew, we were all onto it which revealed fairly obvious dark subterminal bands to P8 and P9. An adult Kumlien's Gull it was! Which was pretty good stuff here in southeast England; and to my knowledge I seem to think this is the first Kumlien's in the southeast this winter...

adult-type Kumlien's Gull Crayford, London 18th March 2018

After twenty or so minutes, the Kumlien's Gull took off and headed towards the recycling centre. Where despite looking we were unable to relocate it though three adult Mediterranean Gulls were present, including a pair. However in need of having to do the weekly shop, I had to head back to Rotherhithe though a quick stop at Southmere revealed this Danish-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull: -

adult Lesser Black-backed Gull Southmere, Thamesmead, London 18th March 2018 - ringed as a chick on Langli, Varde, Denmark on 3rd July 2010; I saw it in Thamesmead on 4th February 2012 and it was seen at Rymer, Suffolk on 27th February 2016, as well as now back on Langli as a breeding adult.

So in summary, it was a pretty good day of London's gulls - possibly the best with an adult-type Kumlien's Gull, two juvenile Iceland Gulls, three Caspian Gulls, four Yellow-legged Gulls and four Mediterranean Gulls. Remarkable what a bit of searching in good old London town produces.

Avocets at Crossness and a London Shag

The predicted fall in overnight temperatures did indeed happen, and I was greeted this morning by some fairly persistent snow showers. A check of the Rotherhithe sites produced nothing of note, but not too surprising given that just over 12 hours previously it had been 15 degrees or so! These cold weather movements don't literally happen overnight...

And so to Crayford, where there were few gulls on Jolly Farmers and not lots of birds about at the recycling centre either - though it evidently did get better later in the day as Andy L had an Iceland Gull. But that was after I left, as I headed to Crossness while the tide was still out and mud was exposed. Remarkably there wasn't a Lapwing in sight, as this was the species severely displaced a couple of weeks ago with the cold snap, but there was a fair bit to look at. Most notably 4 Avocets (three together off the golf centre and another distantly in Barking Bay) along with 20 Black-tailed Godwits, half a dozen Dunlin and a third-winter Yellow-legged Gull.

Avocets at Crossness, London 17th March 2018

After checking Southmere and Thamesmere, I headed north through the Blackwall Tunnel and into the shadows of Canary Wharf. Yesterday, Sean H had found a 1st-winter European Shag on Millwall Outer Dock yesterday, and he'd messaged me earlier today to let me know if was still present. Rather embarrassingly it took me over an hour and half to find the thing! I walked around the dock, and then also around Millwall Inner Dock, only to find it where I'd first looked. I'll assume it flew back in again!

European Shag at Millwall Outer Dock, London 17th March 2018

This Shag was the first one I'd seen in London, or at least the first one I can recall. It is a species that I had been looking for fairly avidly here in Rotherhithe, so this sighting was a bit bitter sweet - Millwall Outer Dock is literally opposite Greenland Dock, on the other side of the Thames! So near yet so far...

Got G0UT at Crayford last Sunday plus a new Caspian Gull & Purple Sand

Another week passes me by in a manic fashion, so it isn't until now I've had the inclination to write about a good day locally on Sunday morning. Dante met me, as usual, at Canada Water and we headed off east to Crayford to where the gulls hang out. When we arrived at the recycling centre, the sharp lad picked out a 2nd-winter gull that appeared briefly, and was red-ringed, that had a couple of things going for it as a Casp. After a few minutes, it reappeared and with the scope trained on it, we were able to clinch it as none other than the notorious G0UT. It later located to the nearby Jolly Farmers wasteground, where I picked it up at much closer range and papped it: -

presumed Caspian x Herring Gull (G0UT) Crayford, London 11th March 2018

G0UT was ringed as a 1st-winter Caspian Gull at Pitsea tip, Essex on 25th March 2017 - it has the unfortunate claim to fame of being the last Caspian Gull to have been ringed there (if it actually is one). Two days after ringing Josh J had found it in west London at Hammersmith on 27th March 2017 and here, and at the nearby London Wetlands Centre, it lingered until 2nd April 2017. By 13th April 2017, it was in The Netherlands at Katwijk (photo here) and was then back in west London by 23rd July 2017 where it lingered around Fulham intermittently until last seen on 1st January 2018 - looking like this on 31st July 2017. Then it was on the east Norfolk coast at Happisburgh on 6th March 2018 before deciding to head back to the delights of Crayford last Sunday, 11th March 2018. Good history so far, and a great case study of how a relatively crap looking 1st-winter Caspian Gull gets progressively worse as it ages... be interested to track this bird into adulthood fingers crossed.

Anyway, there was a more clear cut and aggressive 1st-winter Caspian Gull on the roofs by the recycling centre briefly mid-morning - a bird I'd not seen previously so assume one that was passing through London and back to the continent. March is a decent time of year for there to be an influx of new Caspian Gulls into London, having presumably wintered elsewhere in the UK, and filtering east/southeast as they filter back towards Germany and beyond.

1st-winter Caspian Gull Crayford, London 11th March 2018

The other site we visited on Sunday was Swanscombe Marshes - a big shout out to Barry W who gave us expert directions, with precision, which meant that I was able to see my first Purple Sandpiper in the London recording area and the lad to see his first one ever. And what's more, we managed to park in a place that meant we didn't get a parking ticket and the ever present pikeys at this site didn't nick any of my wheels! Not my fondest of sites, but with the target bird and 10 Turnstones, pretty good stuff for London. Plus a Yellow-legged Gull and Rock Pipit thrown in too for good measure.

What a difference a week makes

I headed out today not bothering to wear a jumper. Admittedly I did still have my coat with me, but turn the clock back a week and the ground was covered in snow as I set out. A quick check of Greenland Dock revealed Black-headed Gull numbers were down, so perhaps a sign of spring as the numbers do reduce from now on. But a visit to Crayford and specifically the wasteground at Jolly Farmers revealed winter's grip was still there, with a shed load of gulls which included this Dutch ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull: -

adult Lesser Black-backed Gull K.PAC Jolly Farmers, Crayford, London 10th March 2018 - ringed as a juvenile on Texel, The Netherlands on 14th July 2008; seen at Crayford Marshes previously in 2011 and 2013 as well as in northern Spain and back on Texel.

There was a bit of a smoky 1st-winter Herring Gull too, but it was just that, as well as a fair number of Thames ringed Herring and Black-headed Gulls. While there, I met Andy L who said that the usual crew were off to Dungeness for the afternoon. So I cheekily grabbed a place in the car with him, Richard S and Mick S. After the usual fry up at the Oasis Diner just outside Lydd, we were at the fishing boats early afternoon and the loaves were out.

With Jamie P and Laurence P there too, it wasn't long before an adult Caspian Gull turned up: -

adult Caspian Gull Dungeness, Kent 10th March 2018

This bird was a bit of an interesting beast, with a decent underside to P10 and primary tongues, while it had nice bright legs and also a hefty looking bill on it. A really nice bird to see, as seeing adults these days - now that Pitsea tip is no longer - is pretty tricky. A juvenile Glaucous Gull was also about, but didn't want to come close at all: -

juvenile Glaucous Gull Dungeness, Kent 10th March 2018

However, despite staying until near dark there was little else of interest to look at. Three Sandwich Terns that headed west were pleasant enough, and an adult Mediterranean Gull was as always nice.

Beast from the east birding... just!

School stayed open all week. And so it should have done, despite a moderate amount of snow. But what that meant for birding was unfortunately no snow days for me. So Saturday was the first time I was able to get out and experience what the cold weather had done to London's birdlife.

I started in Rotherhithe, at Russia Dock Woodland, where Thursday's snowfall and easterly winds had produced a remarkable record of a forlorn looking Dunlin (I'd seen an iPhone video of it!) and Richard PJ managed to flush up a Woodcock the same day. There was still considerable snow on the ground first thing, and so I did a thorough sweep of the area and it produced - I flushed a single Woodcock from undergrowth to the right of the Stave Hill entrance, my first one ever in Rotherhithe. Very happy when a plan comes together, it was off to Canada Water to pick Dante up. While waiting, I had a new BTO metal-ringed Black-headed Gull so should hear about that sometime this week.

We did a sweep of a few Rotherhithe sites that I'd not done beforehand, but there was little except a few Fieldfares and Redwings moving through, and so we ventured on to pastures new. Dante had done really well on Thursday and Friday at the O2 Greenwich, with a Little Gull, 2 Kittiwakes and a Golden Plover highlighting events, but I didn't really fancy that this weekend. After a brief stop in Woolwich opposite Thames Barrier Park, where there was little, we headed to Thamesmead and the small lake adjacent to the Morrison's. Here on Thamesmere the day got going again with a 2nd-winter Caspian Gull (or more likely Caspian Gull with Herring genes) on the ice - a nice showy bird, calling like a Caspian Gull but without the P10 mirror as well as feeling a bit Herring-like facially. I'll let you have this picture that makes it look most Caspian-like :)

Caspian Gull (or hybrid) Thamesmead, London 3rd March 2018

Next up on the ice here was a white-ringed Black-headed Gull from a scheme I didn't immediately recognise. So getting cr-birding up on the phone and a quick check revealed it was from Croatia. Marvellous, and so I quickly emailed the details to their gull guru Luka J, and within 15 minutes he'd emailed me back saying it was indeed one of his from the rubbish dump in Zagreb: -

Black-headed Gull SN2N at Thamesmead, London 3rd March 2018 - ringed at Jakuševec dump, Zagreb, Croatia on 26th Feb 2017 and seen at Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany on 23rd Dec 2017

Onto Crossness, where we had a decent walk - firstly to Barking Bay where a number of waders (including 2 Avocets and a Grey Plover) were distantly foraging on the mud on the other side of the river. And then we walked east, where a handful of Lapwings on either the path or any area of decent grass were evidently products (victims) of this cold snap. As were the remarkable numbers of Dunlin present, with upwards of 500 birds milling about.

Lapwing Crossness, London 3rd March 2018

A drake Pintail too was a good record, along with another Avocet and Grey Plover, as we walked from the golf course towards the outfall. 54 Shoveler, 69 Fieldfare as well as a dozen Wigeon were also fallout from the week's 'beast from the east'. Really great stuff, topped off by a male Black Redstart on the walk home.

drake Pintail Crossness, London 3rd March 2018

Dunlin Crossness, London 3rd March 2018

Avocet Crossness, London 3rd March 2018

male Black Redstart Crossness, London 3rd March 2018

A check of Southmere, Thamesmead produced half a dozen Pochard and a load of gulls but little of interest in them, and a rather disappointing Crayford continued the trend. As the gloom increasingly descended, we stopped off at Danson Park where there was a single North Thames ringed Black-headed Gull. And that was that for a decent Saturday's birding.

Today was much quieter, largely because I was hemmed in by a sporting event for several hours as well as doing some pre-trip planning for Easter. But I did manage to get out around Rotherhithe - two North Thames ringed and two metal ringed (one German and one British) Black-headed Gulls. Another week of madness at work before those Wheatears and Sand Martins start arriving! Possibly.

A day in Dorset and Hampshire

Last Sunday (25th February) seems a long time ago now, but I've finally got round to a quick post about a splendid twitchy day with Jamie P and Dante. We set off at the rather amicable time of 6am from Rotherhithe, and after a lovely crisp winter's morning drive, arrived in a freezing cold Weymouth before 9am. Before we'd arrived, the target bird - an adult Ross's Gull - had already been seen at Lodmoor RSPB. But it hadn't been there for long, and just as we arrived, there was news that it had been found again at Ferrybridge...

So three or so miles of driving, through the winding streets of Weymouth, and we arrived at Ferrybridge to be greeted with 'it has just flown off over the shingle bank and out to sea'. As it was so early in the day, and knowing the afternoons seemed to be better anyway for this bird, I wasn't actually too fussed. And so we headed to Chesil Cove to have a scan of the bay, which was nicely sheltered from the easterly wind. Nothing there so we ventured to Radipole Lake RSPB, which is where the Ross's Gull had favoured the most the previous day. After an hour or so of waiting around, the adjacent golden arches were too much of a temptation, and so we all ventured in. Having just devoured my first Big Mac Grande (first ever, not of the day!), and with Dante midway through his and Jamie still waiting for his vegetarian thing, a phone call from Steve A said that the Ross's Gull was back! Literally 200 metres of frantic walking, McDonalds in hand, we all headed over and there it was - the adult Ross's Gull: -

Ross's Gull Radipole Lake RSPB, Dorset 25th February 2018

It was obviously a smart bird. With just a very slight pinkish hue and a subtle neck ring, its tiny bill gave it a nicely cute appearance as is always the case for the species. This was the sixth adult I'd seen in Britain and Ireland, and one of the best when it came to views. The crowd were enthralled, so much so that some parisitic local scrounger took it upon themselves to nick a scope from the crowd, and rode off with it on his bike!

There had obviously been a load of ringing having taken place in Weymouth, and I was able to get a couple of metal rings from birds in the car park at Radipole before the prize bird appeared: -

adult Herring Gull Radipole Lake RSPB, Dorset 25th February 2018 - ringed as a chick in Weymouth on 17th July 2006

adult Black-headed Gull Radipole Lake RSPB, Dorset 25th February 2018 - ringed as an adult at the same site on 31st October 2014

And with everyone happy, we headed off east and into the living cemetery of Christchurch. A lovely place it was, and with the sun shining at Stanpit Marsh, the 1st-winter Stilt Sandpiper was quickly located off Fisherman's Bank. Distant views but perfectly acceptable through the scope. A Polish ringed Black-headed Gull and a pukka breeding plumaged Mediterranean Gull showed a lot better on the near side of the creek: -

adult Mediterranean Gull Stanpit Marsh, Dorset 25th February 2018

With it getting towards the time for birds going to roost, we headed north twenty or so minutes to Ibsley Water, Hampshire to do the gulls coming in for the evening there. As we arrived in the hide, the regular adult Ring-billed Gull was already present and then next on the menu was a 2nd-winter Caspian Gull that piled in with other large gulls on islands to the left of the hide. And then twenty or so minutes later, I located the target bird in the same area, a well-watched juvenile 'Thayer's Gull'. Admittedly it was distant, but it felt at odds to what I'd have expected from this species/form and I'd have been inclined to have put it down as a Herring Gull if I'd seen it in London. An interesting one though, initially found by a birder who I've got a lot of respect for.