Thursday 17 May 2012

Mediterranean Year tick.

29/05/12
News of a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull at Upton Warren emerged, and as luck would have it, the bird was still showing when i arrived in the late evening,
The MEDITERRANEAN GULL was showing decently from the main hide with the small flock of mainly non-breeding 1st summer BHG. The bird showed unusually bright bare part colours for its age, and its seemingly advanced moult ( faint carpal bar markings and not very prouounced tertial markings) and bard part colours hinted towards quite an advanced plumaged bird



I watched the bird for some time as it preened and swam around in the pursuit of the local BHG.

A taster of a typical roost scene (below) Can you name and age them all? (Quite an easy one)








As the light was now very weak, it made it very hard to get any decent footage/ photos of the bird. and when news came through that the SEO had just been seen again, we soon headed off. However, an unseasonal male Shoveler was showing at the back of the flashes



We spent some time in the 'archery field' at the back of the sailing pool, however, in 45 minuites, the SEO failed to reappear, which was a shame.

A Swallow was showing well on the jetties outside the sailing club building.
MB

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