Pale-Phase Gyr in Cornwall today!

[ralph]

If you fancy a nice rare one for the year, get in the car and get down to Cornwall ASAP to see a rare, pale-phase Gyrfalcon, reported on BIRDCALL today!

Much nicer than the darker, common one!

And if anyone's passing South Wales to get there, remember I'm here!

:t:

[Reader]

Yes Ralph, I noticed that to. I went after one at Anglesey earlier this year but missed it. If this bird is still there on Saturday I'm going after it.

[ralph]

Then keep your eyes posted for the most up-to-date news right here on the Sightings Page ...

... and there's a nice Ivory Gull here in Swansea too, if you interested!

;) ;)

[Harry Hussey]

Hi all,
If any of you get the chance to go for this white Gyr then it's well worth it!I saw one in Co.Wicklow 2 years ago:a really nice bird,everything up to the size of Little Egret and Brent Goose scattered when it flew over!
Have seen Ivory Gull also,an adult at Kinsale 3 years ago,again well worth seeing.
Harry

[Reader]

Ralph

This is where madness took over earlier this year. In Feb there were two Ivory Gulls reported. One at fairhaven, Lytham St Annes and one at Morfa Bychan (Nr Portmadog) We decided to go after the Lytham bird and perhaps then move on around that area but when we got there the bird had disappeared. There must have been a couple of hundred birders there all getting a bit agitated when the Welsh bird came up on the pager. Guess what. Yes you guessed it. A mass exodus to the Welsh bird. We tried for the Black Scoter on the way at Llanfairfechan but missed out before finally arriving at the Ivory Gull site.. We had superb views of it for almost an hour before it took off. On the way home I took Ros to Gigrin Farm to witness the feeding of the Red Kite. She had never seen anything like that before as there must have been over a hundred Red Kites around us as well as countless buzzards and ravens.

I also got the Ivory Gull at Aldeburgh in Suffolk in Oct 99. I have got a couple of photos of it but it was pouring down with rain at the time and they haven't come out that good. If I can find the better one I will scan it and put it in the Gallery.

[Colin]

I have never seen one but a friend of mine who organises surveys, expedtions, gathers data for researchers and who would never in a million years twitch anything actually did go and see the Berry Head bird some years ago and thought it was one of the 'best' birds he had ever seen in the UK, so if you have the chance, go. I seem to remember that that bird was referred to in the press as 'the ermine clad executioner'.


Colin