Essex Birding (4 Viewers)

[Sharp Shin]

Also, heard something extremely Serin-like singing just off Abbot's Rd. Colchester this morning. Couldn't find the culprit though.

Phil

And, on the subject on mini influxes, there were three Serins at Landguard Point today, so perhaps one of the party (hearing of some Swift / Magpie combat attraction in Colchester!) took a detour.

One thing is worth considering: are there any allotments near Abbots Road? Ones with weedy edges or neglected patches can attract a Serin - as happened in Wivenhoe a good few years ago.

Stewart

 

[Sharp Shin]

Arctic Terns at Abberton today.

And, at least one of these Arctic Terns could be observed on the ground, not too distantly, to the left of Gwen's Hide, roosting amongst around 30 Common Terns. All the classic ID features could be observed well: smaller stature due to shorter legs; black cap that did not extend down the nape; blood-red bill lacking black tip.

Stewart

 

[BirdPics]

And, at least one of these Arctic Terns could be observed on the ground, not too distantly, to the left of Gwen's Hide, roosting amongst around 30 Common Terns. All the classic ID features could be observed well: smaller stature due to shorter legs; black cap that did not extend down the nape; blood-red bill lacking black tip.

Stewart

There was more than one sitting where you said while I was there, was luckily enough to get amazing views through someone's scope (best scope I've ever looked through), didn't help that overhead planes kept putting them up.

 

[BirdPics]

Just from Essex birders yahoo group

1 Laughing Gull (Adult in full breeding condition Seen in good light and over 1min to rules out other similar sp... Headed along beach into Colne Estuary area.)

 

[Essex Baker Boy]

Just from Essex birders yahoo group

1 Laughing Gull (Adult in full breeding condition Seen in good light and over 1min to rules out other similar sp... Headed along beach into Colne Estuary area.)

Indeed, and seen by the same guy who also had a Bonapartes past there last week......

 

[neil78]

He's hit a rich vein of form - is that what you're trying to say..?

 

[Essex Baker Boy]

He's hit a rich vein of form - is that what you're trying to say..?

No, not quite what I was trying to say!o

 

[Sharp Shin]

I notice that Birdguides has this apparent Laughing Gull sighting down as an "entirely unconfirmed report". Wow, not just "unconfirmed", but "entirely" so!

Stewart

 

[Steve_Halstead]

I notice that Birdguides has this apparent Laughing Gull sighting down as an "entirely unconfirmed report". Wow, not just "unconfirmed", but "entirely" so!

Stewart

It shat on three cranes just over braintree

 

[Steve_Halstead]

He's hit a rich vein of form - is that what you're trying to say..?

I think thats exactly what is being said. Well done that man. 8-P

The thought of watching gulls makes me feel a bit sick to be honest.

 

[Essex Baker Boy]

It shat on three cranes just over braintree

Oh, he's had a Crane past Jaywick too recently which nobody else managed to see and....I nearly forgot....over 30 LBBG which he confidently identified as of the fuscus race, the week before last.

I'm no gull expert so someone may wish to clarify for me but I don't think the subspecies fuscus is even on the British list??

It's a 'Riddle' how this guy keeps seeing these things! (Did you see what I did there?...)

Are these colourful characters of the birding scene found across the UK or do we have more than our fair share here in Essex, as it certainly feels that way?!

 

[Steve Arlow]

There are several candidate fusuc Lesser Black-backed Gulls from around the UK but as yet none have been accepted as such in the UK. intermedius LBBGulls are and have been around as LBBGulls move north from their wintering areas around the Med but I suspect that such a flock of birds would be graellsii.

The EBS email report came out at around 8pm with the sighting at around 8am so obviously didnt realise it was so rare as to not get news out sooner, but thats probably not a bad thing as this feels suspect and helps save wasted effort by people looking.

I've been away so not seen the Bonepartes Gull or Crane reports but this sounds like several imaginative individuals I've come across over the years. Always possible of course but likelihood being rather low.

Remember the similar email report of a Bonepartes and Ring-billed Gull in the same flock, near Harwich I think it was. Several responses but nothing subsequent from the reporting party.

 

[Sharp Shin]

Getting back to reality, I took a quick trip to Wrabness EWT reserve this morning. I got very good and quite close views of a Turtle Dove (the type of close and long views where you kick yourself for leaving the camera at home!). Subsequently, another, or perhaps the same, bird was heard nearby. Last year, there were Turtle Dove in this location in early May (up to 4 if I recall correctly), so Wrabness appears to be becoming a fairly reliable site to see this precariously scarce bird.

Stewart

 

[Frinton BO]

I'm always hesitant about commenting on someone I don't know and have never met so hopefully I'm not speaking out of turn, but I understand that a quiet word has been had recently with the observer about what and how these records are being reported. As Steve says possible but low likelihood.

There are also plenty of local observers available to follow up and hopefully corroborate if news is put out in an appropriate fashion rather than hours later via the website ( - always happy to get 20 minutes warning of a good bird coming north towards my view ;0) ! ).

 

[Steve_Halstead]

Getting back to reality, I took a quick trip to Wrabness EWT reserve this morning. I got very good and quite close views of a Turtle Dove (the type of close and long views where you kick yourself for leaving the camera at home!). Subsequently, another, or perhaps the same, bird was heard nearby. Last year, there were Turtle Dove in this location in early May (up to 4 if I recall correctly), so Wrabness appears to be becoming a fairly reliable site to see this precariously scarce bird.

Stewart

I may go and get this as a first at some point, I feel bad a I always hoped I would discover my first across somewhere like Bocking or Great Leighs, but alas, it wont stop me trying.

I may just pop to Heybridge and look high and wide first

In any event, thanks for the news mate.

 

[Essex Baker Boy]

There are several candidate fusuc Lesser Black-backed Gulls from around the UK but as yet none have been accepted as such in the UK. intermedius LBBGulls are and have been around as LBBGulls move north from their wintering areas around the Med but I suspect that such a flock of birds would be graellsii.

The EBS email report came out at around 8pm with the sighting at around 8am so obviously didnt realise it was so rare as to not get news out sooner, but thats probably not a bad thing as this feels suspect and helps save wasted effort by people looking.

I've been away so not seen the Bonepartes Gull or Crane reports but this sounds like several imaginative individuals I've come across over the years. Always possible of course but likelihood being rather low.

Remember the similar email report of a Bonepartes and Ring-billed Gull in the same flock, near Harwich I think it was. Several responses but nothing subsequent from the reporting party.

Steve, you want to get yourself away from Pitsea Tip and get up to the NE corner of the county, that's where all the rare gulls are! :king:

 

[Steve Arlow]

Bowers Marsh: Stilts, Black-necked Grebes, and a probable Glaucous Gull

The pair of Black-winged Stilts were still present on the main freshwater lagoon at Bowers Marsh today. Also present on the lagoon were two Black-necked Grebe.

Amongst the roosting gulls (somewhat separate from them at first) was what I took to be a 1st winter Glaucous Gull. Always wary of hybrids, I'll give a brief description here (sorry it is lacking in some important points, such as primary projection) and Steve Arlow or others might have the local knowledge to point out possible pitfalls for identification (e.g. is there a hybrid around this area that has previously been misidentified?) It was a large gull, probably larger that the nearby Herring Gulls. The overall plumage was light grey-brown, but the primaries were pale – whitish grey/creamy coloured – which showed much paler than the secondaries in flight. The bill was large and its colour was two-thirds flesh/pink coloured with a marked black tip. Save for the pale primaries, the bill colour was the clearest distinguishing feature, and it made me opt for probable Glaucous Gull.

Any help is welcomed.

Stewart

I've been away but now seen this. I have attached an image of a Glaucous Gull wannabe, very like Glaucous Gull on the 4th April and was one for a long while whilst on the tip but it has features consistent with a hybrid but these would be difficult to determine on a bird a long range and would simply be a Glaucous Gull. There have been numerous hybrid things on the tip this year, right next to Bowers, and at least 4 very white leucistic things as well, Herrings and Great Black-backed Gulls so I suspect a very white bird to be one of these.

I have noted on the EBS website that visitors to the stilts also reported numerous Glaucous Gulls but given the overarching hybrids and leucistics this year I feel some, possibly all, of these will be these long staying individuals, one white/leucistic bird has been around for years.

 

[Steve Arlow]

I understand that a quiet word has been had recently with the observer about what and how these records are being reported.

I guess this quiet word didn't work as it was reported 12 hours after the event. If it was one it would be to late for anyone to look but as before if it wasn't one saved people wasted effot.

He can always submit to the BBRC, along the Boneys Gull and the fuscus LBBGulls and the Crane to the Essex Rarities panel and see what they make of it.

 

[Steve Arlow]

Steve, you want to get yourself away from Pitsea Tip and get up to the NE corner of the county, that's where all the rare gulls are! :king:

Indeed

 

[Paul Wood]

Just to clarify the positon on “Baltic Gull” there are two accepted British records. Extract from the 2007 BBRC report:

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
Northeast European race L. f. fuscus, ‘Baltic Gull’ (0, 1, 1)
Gloucestershire Hempsted, adult, 18th–20th April, ringed as a pullus in Finland in 2004, photo (J. D.Sanders).
1981 Suffolk Orfordness, adult, found dead, 24th October, ringed as a pullus in Finland in 1978 (per
BOURC).
​

There are some interesting comments on “Baltic Gull” ID generally in the 2007 BBRC report, which can be seen online here:

http://www.bbrc.org.uk/resources

(Worth noting that the 2007 record was the same observer who found the first British Glaucous-winged Gull in December 2006 on the same landfill site.)

Regards

Paul