Gulls

 The pools were frozen helping with being able to read a few Gull rings, Had 3 Herring gulls .

ABV a first winter bird from Orfordness 

XVV a near Adult from Havergate No picture as a Marsh harrier put up all the gulls as i was taking its picture.

Finally this confusing gull TKTW a first winter from Havergate again, this one had me scratching my head, a pale gull structure was Herring gull but greater Coverts of a Lesser Black backed gull. I put it down eventually as a strange looking Herring gull, So it was no surprise when the ringers came back to me confused too, they had it down in the nest as a Lesser Black-Backed Gull but the more they look at it the more Herring Gull features appear as it gets older, seen a few times in pig fields at Butley. We came to the most likely conclusion as a LBBG X HG hybrid.  nice to know Im getting to grips with gulls a little :-) hopefully it will stay in the area over the next few years to see what species it does grow into.

Hollesley January

 4th January.

Year list and patch list steadily approaching that 100 mark, The 4 Cattle egret were still around as were 35 Snow Buntings,  2 Water pipits on the scrape was great to get so early on, Woodcock and little owl were on the edge of woods just before the Heath. 20 Whitefronts came in off the sea. A 1st winter Caspian gull carried in the nice sequin of Gulls. 

January 5th, a female Brambling coming to feeders in my Hollesley garden.

January 12th

Back on patch, 30 Snow bunting still and 2 Cattle egret, 1 flew over the street as i got home. It was a cool ol day which meant Red throated divers were on the move with 38 in one group flying south only to circle back north. Walked to Boyton, a nice ring-tailed Hen Harrier was a great bonus as was a Black Redstart on the barn.   A sunny day meant this Stock dove was very photogenic. 

Happy New year

Well can we start today again please, got absolutely drenched walking from Hollesley to Boyton, Abandoning my bird walk at Boyton. Still managed 71 species surprisingly with a few Caspian Gulls, 1st Winter Yellow legged gulls 35 Snow Bunting and 3 Cattle Egret, In the Geese 2 Pink footed a Barnacle, 2 Egyptian and 40 Whitefronts. Waders were Avocets, Black tailed Godwits, Dunlins, Ringed plover, Grey and Golden Plovers. 

Caspian Gulls 1st and 3rd Winter 

1st winter Yellow legged Gull

A 1st winter Lesser black backed gull with deformed bill.

Finally the Cattle egret at Boyton

Happy New year to all who read this.

Christmas period ont patch Hollelsey

December 24th Hollesley

Broken up from work now except for a couple hours on Christmas day and then back 30th and 31st giving me a bit of time for some local birding. 

A good start today with 4 Cattle Egret, before leaving the carpark area. These birds were just in front of Warren hill prison, at point blank range from the bridleway, i nipped over there to get these pics after a few hours looking over the reserve. 

From the Screen a Wigeon x Mallard or Wigeon x Pintail.

Just 1 1st Winter Caspian Gull and 2nd winter Yellow Legged Gull on Scrape. I moved to the river wall where the 40 Snow Bunting were still present. 

Yellow Legged Gull

I did have a quick trip over to Minsmere, male and Female Bullfinch, 1st Winter Caspian gull and 2 Whooper swans were the highlights.

25th December 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Started the day working, so after i got home opened my gifts and sorted the food i nipped out to the patch. Looked through the gulls, 4 Caspian gull, adult, 2cy, 2 1cy,.2 Yellow legged Gulls 2cy, 3cy. Lots of herring gulls in summer plum now making it more tricky to pick out the Caspians. 2 Northern herrings adults. Back on the river wall 40 Snow Buntings still and in the distance the Cattle egret still in front of the Prison.

Northern Herring gull.

Caspian Gulls

Yellow Legged Gull

A pale looking Lapwing.

December 26th
Hollesley this morning. Cattle egret still, c 40 snow buntings still. Merlin over the ness, 2 white-fronted geese, 2 2cy Caspian and a 2cy Yellow legged gull.

December 28th
Hollesley c 30 snow Buntings still on the ness from the river wall. 1 3rd winter Caspian gull, 2 adult Yellow legged gulls, 1 adult Med Gull was nice and a big cormorant roost of C1000.

December 31st

So rushed home from work for a reported lesser white fronted goose which turned into a Greater whitefront, robbing me of that one last tick for the year. New in tonight however were 9 tufted duck, 2 Caspian gulls adult and 1st winter and up to 4 Northern herring gulls. 

Finished on a respectable 181 for the patch year list.

Early December Hollelsey

1st December 

Hollesley this am, 7 yellow legged gull, 5 adult 1 2cy 1 3cy, 3 Caspian gulls 2 Adult 1 3cy. 9 whitefronted geese 6 marsh harrier including orange tag KS and new bird 7B. This bird from Haddiscoe 19.06.2024. 

Mix of YLG and Caspians 

Another Northern Herring gull.

December 7th

The Whitefront numbers are slowly increasing with 9 on site today. A Peregrine feeding on a goose, and more Stonechats. The high tides are pushing the Rock pipits higher up the tide line. 

14th December

Started from the screen at Hollelsey, the usual culprits gulls geese and ducks, moved around to the river wall to find 43 Snow Buntings, in flight over the sea a 1st winter Caspian gull and back on the flash a yellow legged gull. i was doing a seawatch whilst finding the 43 snow Buntings. 22 Whitefronts, turned up later and i found 3 Great Crested Grebes with 50 + Red Throated Divers 18 Common Scoter. 2 starling in off.

Today 15.12.24 i realised the 1st Winter Scaup found at Shingle Street a couple of days ago was a patch tick so went and took a look. Bit of a boring bird but a tick all the same. A Short eared owl was hunting the shingle too. 

Back at Hollesley now 32 Whitefronted Geese, the Snow buntings now up to 46, counted on pictures i took, and 8 Caspian gulls and 4 Yellow legged with some not so classic near adult Caspian gulls.

YLG below 3CY

Near adult Caspian type

Snow Buntings

Lastly 3 Spoonbills were a nice surprise, distant and only in flight but good anyway.

Finally i nipped over to Boyton, where the Cattle Egret was still present. Nice end to the weekend.