PERDIX BIRDER

Strong southerlies and at last direct airflow from the continent provided the best morning so far of the spring up the cliffs. Highlighted by a smart male Blue headed wagtail that flew West over Light house down.

Slightly over due and the first Ive seen well enough around here. Other highlights were a male Ring Ouzel in Fan Bay, 13 Crossbills & c90 Siskin west, Russ called to say he had a male common Redstart at Sherley’s farm which I nipped over to see. The first singing Black Redstart for me in a while, 5 Swallows North a single Firecrest in the wood aswell as my first male Wheatear of the year near Reach road.

The sea was fairly quiet as per but 9 Brents and c50 Sandwich terns North whilst many Gannets and a party of 7 Common Scoter were moving south (!?)

A willow Warbler in Fan bay on the 4th was my earliest here, my first Swallow of the year came in off the sea just after, Ive since had a party of 10 Swallows arrive in over the harbour on the 5th and another 4 flying around over town just before that.

Ive been greatly looking forward to spring and am so happy its here.

Not my earliest here but still a welcome sight in my brief walk up the cliffs this morning, a female Wheatear hopped along the fence line at Fan Bay along with 4 Stonechats. 14 Chiffchaff across the site 6 of which seemed to be recently in and feeding up, a few of which were wearing their early spring pollen horns.

The Peregrines co-caught a Woodcock over the sea at Lighthouse down, where a 2nd winter Yellow Legged Gull flew along the cliffs, a few Meadow pipits and siskins arrived in off here but little else. No chaffinches in any number yet for me this spring.

Off to Hong Kong now see you soon.

A warm sunny 20th of March, a light SE breeze and seemingly a few Ring Ouzels in Kent today and y’day, earlier dates than I’ve seen them by 2 weeks or so here but a noisy male in Langdon Hole first thing followed by another at the South Foreland end of the patch were both lovely to see.

No Wheatear or hirundines yet, but today felt like the tides had turned, 2 White Wagtails West along the cliff tops, 4 Chiffchaff and 2 Firecrest in the wood and valley, a Vocal Tawny Owl in bottom wood, A brave lone Lapwing flew along the cliffs at langdon, seemed to survive as i saw it/one over the farm 15 mins later. Grey Partridges somewhere up top, up to 13 Common Buzzards in a kettle over the farm plus another kettle of 8 and another of 11… not sure how many birds involved really. 3 Red Kites plus 4 Sparrowhawk and active local Peregrines .

Local Fulmars are being entertaining, I’ve paid so much more attention to them recently especially the pairs on the cliff above my house, such a great bird. A pair took up residence on last years Ravens nest over the winter…they’ve since been booted off of course.

Ive been working away alot and going away again tomorrow for more work but will be about pretty much all of april and may, looking forward to the daily routine of the cliffs.

Working again but this time way up North in Caithness. After work on the 13th I checked Thurso Bay, at the spot where the river feeds out into the sea and came across this Adult Kumlien’s Gull whilst on the phone to young Dante. Darker grey in the very outer 2 primaries visible from this distant phone scope photo, along with darker iris and mantle tone. Some grey patterning in the primary tips was visble in the field too but sadly it was too late in the day to get nice flight shots.

The following evening I was joined by John Bell and we had another adult Kumlien’s drop in just before dusk, a paler indivual but again grey patterning in the outer primaries visble through optics.

Abit of digging around and both birds were clearly different to the beautiful adult that has been in place at Helmsdale harbour for a good while, Thanks to Dave Pullen for that. I called in on that bird on the drive back which was still in place (below), awful light but it showed brilliantly for the proper camera.

A few loaves late morning at Shakey Beach with LP was highlighted by this fantastic heinei Common Gull.

The best example of a 2nd cycle that I’ve seen in the UK. Picked up distantly with ease by its overall contrasty appearance: Clean white head, neck shawl and bright bill. Dark mantle and large wedge of black up each wing and long winged flight style.

Another bird with small mirror on left wing P9 and a tiny white spot on the right hand P9, all black P7 and complete band on P4. Black mark on P3, aswell as black marks in the secondaries and tail and also the outer greater coverts are fringed dark on this bird which are all good heinei indicators and clocest photos reveals the iris is beginning to pale – I believe this is unknown at this age in canus.

Below, a distant pic of bird alongside an obvious canus.

Laurence also picked up 2 first winter Yellow-legged Gulls, one of which Ive seen here recently, a rarer bird than Caspian in recent months!

This smart juv Iceland Gull was the highlight of this mornings seawatch/Gull session at st Margarets bay.

Joined initially by Sam Perfect, He and I also had an Adult Caspian gull (same adult i saw just before new year) and 2 different 1st winter Casps.

Big gorgeous 1st winter, probably the nicest ive seen all season.

2nd First winter Caspian Gull below…

1st winter and adult in same shot below…

Above the ‘regular’ adult Caspian Gull and below another adult Caspian below which came in towards the end of the session, (by which time a small group of local legends had gathered) This bird doesn’t exactly show a classic primary pattern; lacking the long grey tongues eating into the black on the outer , suggesting mixed parentage perhaps? despite fairly decent underside to primaries and nice facial expression, dark iris etc)

Another post about Gulls and really a photo dump detailing some of the 30 different Caspian Gulls I saw in Dover in December. Each image is a different bird and in no real order; just some of the nicer photographs I took during the month, Showing some variation within the species, enjoy!

With the second winter bird I had on Christmas Eve (see previous post), and the amount of eye catching Common gulls around at the moment, I did wonder if I might see another identifiable heinei. I was however not expecting to see a 1st winter bird; I’ve never seen such a good example of 1st cycle heinei in the UK before.

The combination of all dark brown wing, pure white underparts, white head and bright pink bill base made me jump as soon as I picked this bird up. I see plenty of contrasty canus types and some with very clean head and flanks but never in combination with the dark wing like this – dark winged birds tend to be very streaked and dark elsewhere.

Showing a dark inner primary window above and below, the underwing is very contrastingly patterned and no barring in the auxiliaries, white feather centers with dark fringing contrasting with a solid trailing edge throughout the full length of the wing, I have read that the combination of a coarsely marked underwing with pure white underparts could be unique to 1w heinei.

I also noticed that this bird’s iris is slightly paling – Adult heinei show paler irises, and it is only known in heinei to show a paler iris in other ages (although I’ve never seen that in a 1st cylce before). click on images to zoom.

I’ve always been cautious of first winters without a primary pattern to go by, and am grateful to Peter Adriaens for his comments, helping to confirm today’s bird.

For more images of 1st cycle heinei have a look here.

A second winter Russian Common gull came to bread at Shakey Beach this afternoon. The same spot that I had one of the same age back in Feburary. It really stood out as a contrasty long winged and large bird. In flight I could see it had alot of black in the primaries, a nice clean head and boa of neck streaking along with one of the diagnostic primary patterns for this age group, (there are a few different diagnostic primary patterns for this age heinei)

A Small mirror on p9 confined to inner web only, no white tongue tip to p7 and a black band on p4 – (Black markings on both webs of p4 would also be acceptable according to literature.)

The bird also has black marks in the tail and greater coverts which is also indicative of heinei. One thing to remember with these features is that they must be present in conjunction with a white head, boa of neck streaks and bright bill for safe heinei ID.

Back from Miami and straight up the cliffs. A light NW both y’day and today, with a Westerly movement of large Gulls along the cliff tops taking place on the 14th. Highlighted by 7 Caspian Gulls – 2 First winters, 3 second winters and 2 third winters . The gulls were coming through in loose flocks of around 50 at a time, its abit of luck if you get onto a casp and then get time to photograph aswell so I only got a few of them. A fun way of gulling and often produces decent numbers of ‘rarer gulls’.

1st Winter Caspian Gull

2nd Winter Caspian Gull

3rd Winter Caspian Gull

8 Yellow legged Gulls (2nd winter below) were also counted among the 100s of Herring and Great black–backed, with only a handful of Lesser black backs.

2nd Winter Yellow-legged Gul

Today was a similar weather situation but basically no gulls moving except for this large, probably male adult Caspian Gull which flew east past fan bay.

Adult Caspian Gull

An almost perfect primary pattern let down only but the incomplete black band on p5, (you can see the ghost of the inner web’s portion) though nice long grey tongues eating into the black and very limited black on the underside of p10. perhaps some mixed genes in its family tree but could also be variation.

Other birds of note were 3 Chiffchaf, a Blackcap 2 Firecrest and a Woodcock that flew up ovr the cliff at fan bay mid morning.