Grafham Water (1 Viewer)

[Matthebirder]

Grafham 25 Aug 2024; two Black Terns remain and can show well on the Fishing Lodge harbour boom, still there at dusk with a probable adult Caspian Gull
The juv C6 in the dam in the morning. A Swift over this evening.

 

[Matthebirder]

Grafham 4 Sep 2024; Great Skua seen briefly from the dam but missed 2 others.

 

[Matthebirder]

Grafham 6 Sep 2024; Kittiwake and 2 Turnstone off the dam in the evening. Black-tailed Godwit flushed by a walker and departed. Last night a flock of 40+ small waders in the mist; very mobile and not calling like expected if Dunlin.

 

[Matthebirder]

Grafham 19 Sep 2024; have been studying this individual now since 17 Aug and it is tidying up from a very rough looking bird. An obvious dark hood makes it stand out from the regular Yellow-legged Gulls. It is now showing some characteristics of 'Atlantic' type Yellow-legged Gull in the primary feathers. Hopefully it will stay a lot longer and become fully mature over the next few weeks. It may possibly be a hybrid and does have mucky pinkish legs rather than the mucky yellowish legs expected of a typical YLG in sub-adult plumage.

The bird frequents the dam bridge and will allow a close approach.

 

[Matthebirder]

Grafham 20 Sep 2024; the above bird still present at the dam this evening

 

[Matthebirder]

Grafham 21 Sep 2024; a green ringed juv & adult Caspian gull on the dam plus the hooded gull early morning.

 

[Matthebirder]

Grafham 22 Sep 2024; some additional images from 21st of the growing primaries of the hooded YLG (assumed) : the P10 can clearly be seen now with the small mirror although the wing-tip is not quote in focus.

 

[Matthebirder]

Grafham 10 Oct 2024; first attempt to collect the Green-winged Teal (presumably the returning drake from last winter). At a distance the flank pattern looks quite convincing but up close it is lost in the eclipse plumage, assuming I was watching the bird from a few days ago in exactly the same location (south end of the dam,
Also two Scaup at the north end of the dam

 

[Matthebirder]

Further investigation shows this teal is not the Green-winged from 8 Oct, it is most likely just a Teal.