With grey skies and a rising tide I popped into the Sewage works on the off chance of there being a goodie on the River. Not my normal early a.m visit but a late morning quick visit to see if anything was around, its getting pretty manic with peregrine stuff at the moment so grabbing the chance of a visit whenever I can.
I have to say it paid dividends with some good birds seen and one no less a site tick that I should have picked up years ago, Little Gull.
I have to admit I cocked up the ID, I openly admit that Gulls don’t float my boat but I did think this initially was a Bonaparte’s Gull. I have always thought that if it was showing a black head, it was approaching adulthood so it would be showing a black underwing for Little, this didn’t hence thinking Bonaparte’s.
Putting the bird out with a BOC on local news and I was put right, very helpful and something that I will now remember.
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| Long overdue |
It was a site tick no less and bought my site list nicely up to 140, not too shabby for a little urban patch so it was a good one to get under the belt finally, it had been in my head for a long while as well overdue.
Whilst watching the little chap, a 2nd Little Gull joined it for a short while before both headed off down river.
Before I saw these however one of the first birds I saw on sticking my head over the river wall was a Black Tern, this didn’t stay long at all and this headed off up river, very likely due to the Harbour Seal that suddenly appeared in the midst of the Black Headed Gulls.
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| Black Tern |
On another section of the wall, 4 Whimbrel came out from the rocks, I didn’t get this last year if I recall so a welcome year tick.
The final year tick was 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls heading off down the Creek, this makes 12 I have seen at the patch to date this year and numbers have increased it seems everywhere.
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| Mediterranean Gulls |
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| Chaps out on a jolly |
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| Gloriana |
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