Shawell Tip (1 Viewer)

[Neil Hagley]

Good stuff Carl, thanks. My personal view is that it is good to know that such birds exist (trapped, ringed and examined in the hand). Rather than putting birders off from looking at gulls they remind us that it's OK to leave some unidentified and concentrate on the ones we can put a name to.

The colour ringed gull at Shawell A5 Lagoons mentioned above turned out to be a hybrid between Yellow-legged Gull and either Herring or Lesser Black-backed Gull. At the time Steve and I were a bit cautious over the birds identification although we would have been very happy if it was a genuine Yellow-legged Gull. The mantle colour seemed slightly too pale and so were its legs considering it was an adult. Most of the time it stood facing us and then flew off when all the gulls were disturbed, so we couldn't study the primaries. It was ringed in the Netherlands. Of course it was very educational and proves the need to check ID's very carefully.

 

[draycotebirding]

Hi Neil, it was me with the "Gull fest" at Lawford Heath. In the end I had 2 adult, a juv and at least 1 poss 2 second winter birds and a juv Glaucous. Tim and Mark had the second winter bird showing characteristics of AZOREAN YELLOW-LEGGED GULL, 3 Iceland Gulls (adult, second winter and juv) juv Glaucous and 4+ Med Gulls.

Regards

John

Just to clarify Tim and Marks birds were at Draycote in the roost.

Regards

John

 

[hillwatcher]

Hi All,

Dave Gray spotted an interesting Iceland Gull today while I was with him. This bird was a 2W, but just like the 'sub-adult' at Draycote Water it appeared to have a dark spot on one of the tertials (right side only). This mark seemed to be a part of the feather rather than just some dirt it has picked up. There were other faint marks on the tertials. Perhaps it is just a dark pigment? Interesting.

Today's bird had very pale eyes, much paler than the other 2w I have seen this year at Shawell. The 2w on the 3rd & 7th March did not have a mark on the tertials and its bill was weaker. There is a mark on the photo of the bird from the 3rd & 7th but on the original image I can see that it is just the end of the tertials not a mark. The one on February 29th had a different bill pattern and was a larger individual, so we have now had six Iceland Gulls if Dave's 2w in early January was a different bird to the other 2w's.

The first two photos of today's bird are not brilliant but the spot is visible. The third image is of the bird from the 3rd & 7th March.

Cheers,
Carl.

 

[Neil Hagley]

Well that was a turn up for the books. There were 107 gulls on the big lagoon today - six species and five colour rings which were all readable.

 

[hillwatcher]

I was passing the Shawell A5 Lagoons last Wednesday, so I decided to stop and have a look. I counted 27 LBB Gulls loafing about on the muddy shore, so it won't be long before we can start checking the site on a more regular basis again. The viewing area has become overgrown, as my legs found out when the came in contact with the stinging nettles!

 

[hillwatcher]

Hi All,

I've put in quite a lot of time at Shawell A5 Lagoons since July and have been rewarded with 4 Caspians, a juv. Med Gull and many Yellow-legged Gulls. This Sunday I read the ring on a Black-headed Gull SJ22. It had been ringed at the Zagreb rubbish tip Croatia in 2010 and it is the first record of a BHG ringed in Croatia being re-located in the UK.

More at http://bagawildone.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[draycotebirding]

Hi All,

I've put in quite a lot of time at Shawell A5 Lagoons since July and have been rewarded with 4 Caspians, a juv. Med Gull and many Yellow-legged Gulls. This Sunday I read the ring on a Black-headed Gull SJ22. It had been ringed at the Zagreb rubbish tip Croatia in 2010 and it is the first record of a BHG ringed in Croatia being re-located in the UK.

More at http://bagawildone.blogspot.co.uk/

Nice one Carl, time to get to Draycote, although almost zero chance of reading any ring numbers.

Regards

John

 

[Neil Hagley]

Seems like Shawell has been forgotten but Carl has been making regular visits since late summer and has built up a good series of records and colour ring data. I went this morning and had two Caspian and four Yellow legged Gulls, nine Shoveller and at least one Waxwing over so it's still producing some nice birds.

 

[hillwatcher]

Hi All,

There was a 1st-winter Glaucous Gull on the tip at Shawell this afternoon. It was a bit distant, but luckily the views were good enough.

Neil have they re-named the tip Cotesbach Landfill or has it always been that?

Cheers,
Carl.

 

[draycotebirding]

Hi All,

There was a 1st-winter Glaucous Gull on the tip at Shawell this afternoon. It was a bit distant, but luckily the views were good enough.

Neil have they re-named the tip Cotesbach Landfill or has it always been that?

Nice one Carl, I guess its heading for Draycote.

Regards

John

 

[davidearlgray]

Nice one Neil and Carl! About time we had another white-winger down at Shawell.
Up to Scotland in the next day so probably won't get time until the new year to check the new site (Cotesbach Landfil...;-)l)

Cheers,
Dave.

 

[Neil Hagley]

Neil have they re-named the tip Cotesbach Landfill or has it always been that?

Cheers,
Carl.

Hi Carl
Nice find. Funnily enough I noticed the name the last time I visited the landfill (rather than the silt lagoons) so it may just be that it hadn't been 'signed' prominantly before?
Cheers Neil

 

[hillwatcher]

Hi All,

Despite not seeing anyone for a while at Shawell, I've enjoyed myself. From July until December 2012 I have recorded 14 Caspian Gulls (all ages involved), loads of Yellow-legged Gulls, a Glaucous Gull, a Med Gull and 67 colour-ringed gulls.

I am hoping that eventually the area that is land filled will be a little closer to a point that can be viewed better.

So far this year I have seen two more Caspian Gulls and quite a few CR birds, especially on the ice last week.

Look forward to some company one Saturday morning.

For more on my adventures at Shawell see http://bagawildone.blogspot.co.uk

Cheers,
Carl.

 

[hillwatcher]

I had a juv Iceland Gull at Shawell tip yesterday. It may not be the same bird that has been roosting at Draycote as it didn't appear to have any marks on the primaries that John told me about on the Draycote one.

I am able to get fairly good views of the birds on the active part of the tip from a lane on the north side.

I have added a table of all the colour rings I've read on my blog - http://bagawildone.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/a-table-of-my-colour-ring-readings-from.html

 

[hillwatcher]

Glaucous Gull

4th-winter Glaucous Gull at Shawell today along with four Caspian Gulls and a couple of YLG's.

Photos here: http://bagawildone.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/i-was-feeling-bit-downbeat-late-last.html

Cheers,
Carl.

 

[Neil Hagley]

Thanks Carl. What a striking bird. I've been twice this week, best birds were a Green Sand on the upper lagoon and Little Grebe on the lower but I was distracted by a nice piece of Roman pottery I found no doubt washed out by all the recent snow and ice. Where is the access to get to the place you found to view the tip by the way? cheers Neil

 

[astley]

Hi Guys
Would be interested in looking at this site, A5 lagoons etc, what advice can you give, when to go where to park where to walk etc.

Thanks

 

[Neil Hagley]

Hi Astley
The only realistic option from public land is the A5 itself. I don't view from anywhere else and find many of the birds eventually come to the lagoons to bathe, drink and preen. Park anywhere off the A5 close to Newton Lane. Some park just inside the lane. The tricky (and quite frankly dangerous) bit is crossing the A5 and then walking south along the edge of the embankment. After about 100m there is an obvious drainage culvert and I just enter the 'woody' area there where a viewing vista has been created overlooking the lagoons. Views here are really good with the sun usually in your favour. I can't stress enough though to have your whits about you as you negotiate the A5. Good luck.

 

[Steve Lister]

I would add that strictly speaking it is illegal to park on the verges of the A5 or until beyond the clearway sign on Newton Lane. This is from a retired police traffic inspector.
And I would reinforce what Neil says about the road being dangerous - watch out for the drafts from big lorries. I go on Saturdays when there is a bit less traffic.

Steve

 

[Steve Lister]

The tip and lagoons between them produced a faded first-winter Iceland, a second-winter Glaucous, two Caspians and at least one Yellow-legged today. So not bad at all.

Steve