Cheshire And Wirral Birding: Hills, Lowland and Coast (1 Viewer)

[gregbaker]

Hi Greg,

Your possible Kumlien's is probably a pale 1w Herring Gull, I possibly photographed the same bird last Saturday. I would say on your photos the patterniang of the scapulars and tertials are very Herring Gull. Compare it to a 1w I photographed in 2009 here.

Cheers
Jason

Thanks Jason. Your photo looks like a good fit - first impressions are always a good guide and initially it looked like a Herring Gull but with an almost perfect Kumlein's outer wing pattern. I ended up thinking possible Kumlein's given that I would have expected such a bleached primary wing pattern to have been replicated elsewhere in the overall plumage.

In response to CB, I only heard about the Am Herring Gull when I got home. No sign of it or anything similar when I was there.

 

[yoyo]

Greg did you get any photos of the Caspian?

Cheers
Jason

 

[gregbaker]

Greg did you get any photos of the Caspian?

Cheers
Jason

No, but it looked like same as was seen on the tip last Sat

 

[Jane Turner]

A good morning at Red Rocks

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2397072&postcount=205

 

[hampers]

Standing Stones
14 crossbills, siskin, redpoll and brambling.

2 wheatear at Danebower, curlew, numerous meadow pipits, red grouse, pair of stonechat.

Phil

 

[captaincarot]

A good morning at Red Rocks

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2397072&postcount=205

i had a ring ouzel in one of the trees in the middle of the reeds at about half 10, and the black redstart was putting on a show in the back gard4en of the second house

 

[captaincarot]

todays highlights for us,

started at red rocks, first bird we saw was black redstart, 8 goldfinch,6 chaffinch, 4 meadow pippits on the dunes and 3 skylarks singing over the golf course, 1 ring ouzel right in the middle of the reeds sat oin a tree.

on to park gate for all the usual stuff plus spoonbill putting on a show on the left hand end of donkeystand flash

next stop burton mere 2 buzzard being disgracefull in the field by the side of the entrace road, 10 avocets on the pools in front of the visitor center. jack snipe, 4 common snipe and about 100 redshank from the hide.

stopped in at moore on way back but only great spooted and green woodpecker to show for our efforts.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday - 12 Chiffchaffs, c1,000 Meadow Pipits, 10 White Wagtails and a Gadwall at Hilbre;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - Kumlien's Gull and 2 Iceland Gulls at Richmond Bank; Meally Redpoll trapped, 20 Chiffchaffs, 22 Goldcrests and Willow Warbler at Hilbre; 2 Black-necked Grebes at Houghton Green Flash plus 8 at nearby Woolston Eyes; Ring Ousel, 3 Twite, 2 White Wagtails and 200+ Meadow Pipits at Leasowe; Merlin at Rixton; 11 Chiffchaffs counted between Heswall and Thurstaston;

CB

 

[tigertom]

Four hour walk round no6 tank at frodsham marsh late am early pm today got me good views of SEO perched in small tree at side of tank 11 Avocet 50+ Golden Plover 20 Lapwing 30+Tuffed Ducks plus Shell Ducks and 2 Gadwall on tank and small flock of Sand Martins low over loads of sky Larks Meddow Pipits Reed Buntings around tank plus female Marsh Harrier and later Female Hen Harrier both hunting over reeds on no6 then 2 pairs and a lone male Stonechat along lordship lane not a bad few hours at all, got a pic of SEO below
|=)|MIKE:cat:

 

[gregbaker]

Today - Kumlien's Gull and 2 Iceland Gulls at Richmond Bank;
CB

Has anyone nailed whether this is a Kumlien's Gull or just a very pale 1st yr Herring Gull? My photos are inconclusive but based on what I saw I tend to agree with Jason and think it's just a very odd HG.

 

[Jane Turner]

Another great day at Red Rocks

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2397867&postcount=206

 

[philglt]

Three Sacred Ibis turned up at Moore today on the small island on Birchwood Pool.They flew off at 3-00pm though.I've posted some photos up on the Moore Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Moore-Nature-Reserve/325928645357

Phil

 

[Swifty49]

Four hour walk round no6 tank at frodsham marsh late am early pm today got me good views of SEO perched in small tree at side of tank 11 Avocet 50+ Golden Plover 20 Lapwing 30+Tuffed Ducks plus Shell Ducks and 2 Gadwall on tank and small flock of Sand Martins low over loads of sky Larks Meddow Pipits Reed Buntings around tank plus female Marsh Harrier and later Female Hen Harrier both hunting over reeds on no6 then 2 pairs and a lone male Stonechat along lordship lane not a bad few hours at all, got a pic of SEO below
|=)|MIKE:cat:

Great photo, thanks for posting! :t:

 

[PhilW]

Today - Kumlien's Gull and 2 Iceland Gulls at Richmond Bank; Meally Redpoll trapped, 20 Chiffchaffs, 22 Goldcrests and Willow Warbler at Hilbre; 2 Black-necked Grebes at Houghton Green Flash plus 8 at nearby Woolston Eyes; Ring Ousel, 3 Twite, 2 White Wagtails and 200+ Meadow Pipits at Leasowe; Merlin at Rixton; 11 Chiffchaffs counted between Heswall and Thurstaston;

CB

Photo of undertail coverts of Mealy (Common) Redpoll below. Completely unstreaked. We saw it in the field first with three Lesser Redpoll and later caught them in one of the heligoland traps. It was a definite finch day with 6 species being ringed - Common Redpoll, Lesser Redpoll, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch & Linnet. The lingering mist meant a number of birds were grounded and we also cuaght the first Willow Warbler of the year amongst the CHiffchaffs and Goldcrests. We didn't catch any Goldcrests Sunday but to date have ringed about 120 -130 spring. A very good number.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Has anyone nailed whether this is a Kumlien's Gull or just a very pale 1st yr Herring Gull? My photos are inconclusive but based on what I saw I tend to agree with Jason and think it's just a very odd HG.

Difficult to know as a lot of the reports are coming from the Bird Info services.

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterdays other news - Spoonbill at Parkgate; Ring Ousel reported at Burton; 4 Twite at Leasowe; 4 Spotted Redshanks and 10+ Avocets at innner Marsh Farm; Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Moore;

CB

 

[snowcap]

Difficult to know as a lot of the reports are coming from the Bird Info services.

CB

I would tend to agree with Jason that the bird in the original pic is a Herring Gull, I`ve seen a couple like that at Richmond Bank this winter.The second report of a juv Kumliens was from an experienced Guller who has seen Kumliens before, but I don`t think anyone will have been down there to check it out as the light conditions must be awful down there this week( too sunny).

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday - Bittern at Burton Mere Wetlands; Ring Ousel at Danebower; Cuckoo at Marton; 110 Redpolls, 70 Siskins and 6 White Wagtails at Hilbre;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - Bittern, Little Ringed Plover, Brambling, 9 Avocets and 2 Spotted Redshanks at Burton Mere Wetlands; 6 Wheatears and 2 Twite at Leasowe; Willow Warbler and 6 Chiffchaffs at Hilbre;

CB