Arctic springtime in London

I'm writing this having just thawed out from a day out and about in London. The biting wind and overcast conditions were a far cry from last weekend's summer weather. However, London usually has more promise with laden skies and rain with this weekend being a fairly satisfying one locally...

I had a good stroll round Crossness yesterday with John A, where there were some moderate highlights with a male Wheatear, a 1st-summer Yellow-legged Gull, 7 Swifts and 2 Swallows topping the bill. Waders were surprisingly absent, with single Black-tailed Godwit and Common Sandpipers as well as 3 Redshank. A check of Russia Dock Woodland didn't produce the previous day's Spotted Flycatcher that Richard PJ had seen but Blackcaps were belting it out from every patch of cover.

Wheatear Crossness, London 28th April 2018

And then on to today, with a day around London with Dante and Jamie P as it had been a while. The wind was bitter and you could tell the northerly element, which seemed to get worse as the day progressed. Yet starting off at Southmere, Thamesmead early on it was obvious that the hirundines had been having a rough time - about 80 Swallows, 25 House Martins and 5 Sand Martins in all - with many sitting on the railings by the car park (that is now bollarded off to stop pikeys settling again). This was the largest amount of hirundines I'd seen here since May 2014, the day I found a Red-rumped Swallow here but alas it wasn't to be today.

Swallow Southmere, Thamesmead, London 29th April 2018

Nearby at Crossness, it was quiet and dull although a Hobby was a decent enough site as well as having a good opportunity to see what was around wader wise on the paddocks. So with the weather feeling like it was mid-February, it was back to what we know best and a check of Crayford and the area around Viridor and Jolly Farmers.

I'd actually thought that it would be a quick check and move on, as I'd not heard of anything at the site recently. But how wrong could I have been. I could talk you through things as they happened, but I think the totals speak the loudest - this was an excellent gulling session, and I can't remember ever seeing three white-winged gulls together at a London site, let alone in April. A juvenile Glaucous Gull, two Iceland Gulls (a new 2nd-winter (seen at Rainham Marshes previously) and a juvenile that has been around for a while) and at least two 1st-winter Caspian Gulls.

juvenile Glaucous Gull Crayford, London 29th April 2018

The highlight for me, undoubtedly, was the juvenile Glaucous Gull as it was my first here at Crayford. I picked it up initially in flight, but it was a really small bird or at least that's the sense we got when we first saw it in the morning. The 2nd-winter Iceland Gull (seen previously at Rainham by Jonathan W and Shaun H) was a great bird too, with a nice amount of moulted grey on its mantle. While there were at least two 1st-winter Caspian Gulls, with one a bit better than the other piece of presumed German muck.

juvenile Iceland Gull Crayford, London 29th April 2018

2nd-winter Iceland Gull Crayford, London 29th April 2018

We did break our productive gull session up with a couple of hours at Nazeing GP in the Lea Valley. No sign of the Red-rumped Swallow there, but it was fun enough scanning through the large hirundines at least when we were out of the wind. So that was it for another weekend, and onto the working week once again.

Back birding in springtime Britain

I landed back in London last Sunday, and predictably the last week has been manic. Catching up on the things I should have done over the Easter break, trying to fend off any lingering tiredness while fending off the oppressive London heat in what has been the hottest April temperatures here for over half a century. And add to that, I spent until 3pm yesterday (yes, Saturday) in a work thing too so it was jolly nice to be out and about when it finally happened...

Aside from a couple of hours yesterday evening around Rotherhithe, where Russia Dock Woodland was alive with the sound of Blackcaps but little else, today was my first opportunity to do some springtime birding. It started with an epic fail, because I slept in past the time I could escape my area due to London marathon road closures. So when the roads did finally open mid afternoon, I headed off to Crossness to see what I could see.

It was a pleasure to be out and about in the sunshine, and it was the first time I'd birded Britain under blue skies for what has felt like an eternity. Admittedly, things started off quiet with little in Barking Bay or on the Thames foreshore by the golf centre. However, a roosting godwit near the outfall looked very bright and small, so persevering with it when it finally put its head up was worth it - as it was a lovely summer Bar-tailed Godwit. There were also a dozen lingering Black-tailed Godwits the other side of the outfall, plus a decent number of Common Terns.

Black-tailed Godwit at Crossness, London 22nd April 2018

The paddocks, though, provided the undoubted highlight of the visit - a stunning male Whinchat, that showed well but briefly in the first paddock down from the Thames path: -

male Whinchat at Crossness, London 22nd April 2018

There was also a female Wheatear in the main paddock area, which showed nicely for me and Mick S (who'd seen three in this area the day before): -

Wheatear at Crossness, London 22nd April 2018

And with Whitethroats, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and a single Lesser Whitethroat singing all in all a very rewarding visit. Cue the deterioration in weather for next week...

NZ day 1 - Tawharanui and Muriwai

Three weeks ago now, we stepped foot on New Zealand soil for the first time. After arriving early on in the morning, we had a bit of a tortuous time getting our car from Hertz due to understaffing on Easter Sunday, but thereafter it was plain sailing. Target for the day was to stay awake til the evening, so with this in mind what could be better than some fresh air and (reported to Karen as a little) birding. Tawharanui and Muriwai, both north of Auckland, were the places we would visit. First stop though was Warkworth, where we had breakfast in the autumn sunshine and where I saw my first Red-billed Gulls by the river there: -

adult Red-billed Gull Warkworth, North Island 1st April 2018

After this pit stop, it was on to the beautiful Tawharanui Regional Park: -

Tawharanui, North Island 1st April 2018

One of the things you have to quickly get used to in New Zealand is the situation with their endemic birdlife - it is grave, and was graver. Therefore they closely monitor a lot of species, and hence they have an elaborate amount of rings on them. Additionally, and more disconcerting from a moral listing perspective, their most rare birds have been 'translocated' to safe areas i.e. predator free zones. And to be predator free, it often means a fence somewhere... almost Jurassic Park style! But once you get this, you're good to go and enjoy New Zealand's birds which is exactly what I did.

Variable Oystercatcher Tawharanui, North Island 1st April 2018

Entering Tawharanui, there was lots of obvious birdlife with Pukekos (Australasian Swamphens) the most prevalent, while Swamp Harriers patrolled the skies. On the lagoon, I saw my first of many New Zealand Paradise Shelducks as well as a handful of Brown Teals, which were the only ones I saw all trip. Add to that a nice showy Variable Oystercatcher and a couple of Caspian Terns, and with the sun beaming down, life was half decent.

drake Brown Teal Tawharanui, North Island 1st April 2018

New Zealand Paradise Shelduck Tawharanui, North Island 1st April 2018

Pukeko (Australasian Swamphen) Tawharanui, North Island 1st April 2018

We then parked up by the beach, and thanks to John B, I walked a short way up the Ecology Trail to be confronted with three absolute beasts from a time gone by - Takahes! Following their rediscovery in the Fiordlands of South Island in 1948, and massive issues with predation, the population has been translocated all over New Zealand to areas that are either islands or are predator free. Even in the original rediscovery area of the Murchison Mountains, the population is supplemented by released birds. They're fascinating to watch as they chew the grass: -

Takahe Tawharanui, North Island 1st April 2018

Also in this area, I saw what were to be my only North Island Robin and North Island Saddlebacks of the trip while good numbers of Tui and New Zealand Bellbirds were great to see for the first time.

Tui Tawharanui, North Island 1st April 2018

North Island Robin Tawharanui, North Island 1st April 2018

Karen was relaxing on the beach, and when joining her I was able to locate three or four New Zealand Dotterels which evidently seem to breed in the area, as well as a group of White-fronted Terns and good views of both Red-billed and Kelp Gulls.

White-fronted Tern Tawharanui, North Island 1st April 2018

New Zealand Dotterel Tawharanui, North Island 1st April 2018

Reluctantly having to leave this wonderfully scenic spot, we drove from the Pacific coast to the Tasman Sea where there is a well known colony of Australasian Gannets at Muriwai. And so, after the hour's drive, I spent a pleasant hour with these birds. Though it was on the late side for breeding, there were still some stragglers left with their young: -

Australasian Gannets Muriwai, North Island 1st April 2018

And that was that, with the sun starting to dip a little and fatigue rapidly setting in, we were Auckland bound for a spot of dinner and then a long, much appreciated sleep.

A long way just for gulls - NZ

I'm currently enjoying a break from Britain, and decided on New Zealand. Yes, it's a fair way away from Britain so you may be wondering why I'm here. Of course there are all the albatrosses, the lovely native Takahes, Keas, kiwis and the like plus mega waders such as Black Stilts and Wrybills. Predictably though, I'm here on a mission for two gulls that you get nowhere else in the world - now that's the reason I've come to New Zealand!

Anyway, there is a lot to be said about this place and with its dramatic and ever changing landscapes, it is hard pushed not to be impressed round most corners. I'd day the North Island is a bit like a sunny, trendy Wales with its rolling hills while the South Island is a mix of Wales, Scotland and then Iceland... so pretty spectacular. Karen and I have come on a fairly whistle stop tour (not unusual!) which has taken in a drive from Auckland right down to Dunedin, with a ferry crossing in between. Seas with albatrosses, vineyards with fine wine, rivers with white water rafting, beaches with penguins, forests with kiwis and mountains with parrots. All done. But for now, I'll leave you with the two reasons for pushing me to come to this wonderful place - Black-billed Gull, the world's most threatened species of gull, and then Red-billed Gull.

adult Black-billed Gull Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand April 2018

adult Red-billed Gull Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand April 2018

Plenty more photos of critters and landscapes to come...