A bunch of Ringers

Saw a dozen Ring-billed Gulls - of all ages - in Ireland last week, a few of which were probably good enough as finds but most no doubt familiar long-staying/returning faces.

Second-winter, Bantry (Co Cork), 16th February

Second-winter, Tralee Bay Wetlands (Co Kerry), 18th February

Apparent third-winter, Tralee Bay Wetlands (Co Kerry), 18th February

First-winter, Achill Island (Co Mayo), 19th February

Adult, Belumllet (Co Mayo), 20th February

Adult (top) and second-winter, Atlantic Pond, Cork City, 22nd February

First-winter, O'Callaghan Strand, Limerick City, 22nd February

Ross's Gull in Cork

The final of the fourteen species of gull we encountered during our week-long Irish trip was this delightfully salmony adult Ross's Gull at Kinsale. Of course, a good proportion of Ross's Gulls show a pink wash to their plumage but they rarely come this bright (at least in the UK) - the most intense hue was around the bird's tail base, on the rump and the vent. This was another new Irish bird for me, and infinitely better than the utterly underwhelming Lancashire bird (that later died!). Just a shame about the appalling light that morning, not to mention the oil all over the belly and, as you'll see in the perched shot above, on the tertials too.

Ballycotton Laugher

Having managed to miss out on the 2005/6 influx entirely, the first-winter Laughing Gull encountered on the first day of our Irish trip (last Sunday - time flies!) was only the second I'd ever seen in Britain and Ireland. As such I lapped it up, and the bird put on a great show, regularly allowing us to approach within five metres. Shame the early to mid-morning light was average at best.

Ireland: half-time

Day three of a seven-day tour of Western Ireland has just concluded; there have been moments of brilliance but it just feels like we're a bit too late to the party for all these monster counts of Glaucs. Indeed, the weather has been great the past couple of days (after an average Sunday). Highlights so far include Laughing Gull, a handful of Ring-billed Gulls, 44 'wingers' (mainly Glaucs with the rest kumlieni and lesser numbers of nominate glaucoides), female King Eider, a few Pink-feet etc. Nothing big yet though. Let's see how the next few days go; hoping the wind later this week has some effect and brings birds back in to shore.

Lots more shots when I'm back home.

Laugher

3cy Ringer in the mix

Adult Kumlien's flies by

Juv Glauc

4cy Ringer

Thayer's Gulls: juveniles

It's only taken me eleven months to sort these out, but here's a first photo-blog concerning the gulls seen during my Californian trip last February. This first installment will take a look at some of the juvenile Thayer's Gulls seen during the week.

I was actually quite amazed as to just how variable juvenile thayeri could be, with the trip really changing my opinion on these birds in a European context. In fact, ever since coming back from California, the bird I found (but identified and left alone as a probable dark Kumlien's) in County Fermanagh back in January 2012 has repeatedly come back to haunt me - it's pretty clear it was easily in range of Thayer's Gull. Anyway, I digress... here's a few shots, with notes on each featured bird following the images.

Juvenile Thayer's Gull, Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay, CA, February 2013

A heavy and thick-set individual, the bill is quite hefty and the bird possesses an almost Herring Gull-like structure. The upperparts are quite heavily worn and bleached. The tertials and primaries are the darkest parts of the gull, with the former lacking any internal patterning. Note the solid dark tail and heavily barred undertail and uppertail coverts.

Juvenile Thayer's Gull, Jenner, CA, February 2013

A relatively dark individual with dark brown, solidly marked juvenile tertials and dark brown primaries. The scapulars, though heavily worn and abraded, are dark-centred, paling towards the fringes. The bill is beginning to acquire a pinkish tinge to all but the very tip.

Thayer's Gull, Jenner, CA, February 2013

This is a particularly bleached individual, with rather concolorous pale upperparts. The tertials, though quite pale and extensively pale-tipped, are still some of the darkest brown feathers on the bird, along with the tail and primaries - the latter of which seem remarkably unaffected by the sun when compared to the rest of the plumage. The bill is still extensively dark.
An open wing shot of the same bird shows the obvious pale window on the inner primaries, pale inner webs of outer primaries and obvious dark secondary bar as well as an all dark tail and heavily barred rump.

Thayer's Gull, Jenner, CA, February 2013

Another heavily bleached individual; birds like this are not uncommon after spending a winter in the Californian sun! The tertials are still very much uniform, though quite pale- the primaries (what is left of them!) are also a mid-brown.

Thayer's Gull, Jenner, CA, February 2013

A pale and slender bird with distinctly two-toned bill and heavily bleached upperparts - would this be identified as a Thayer's in Western Europe?

Thayer's Gull, Petaluma, CA, February 2013

A bird that probably fits the general Western European concept of a 'classic' juvenile Thayer's Gull: dark bill (darkest at tip), uniform brown tertials, dark brown primaries with pale fringing, heavily barred undertail coverts as well as a uniform brown wash to the underparts.

Thayer's Gull, Petaluma, CA, February 2013

Dark bill and dark brown 'shawl', but otherwise with rather pale, heavily bleached upperparts - note how some of the inner greater coverts are almost entirely off-white! The tail, tertials and primaries are also particularly heavily affected on this bird.

Thayer's Gull, Petaluma, CA, February 2013

To me, this bird has more of a European Herring Gull feel to it (especially facially), and could get overlooked as such in Europe with the greyish-brown wash to the body and relatively sparsely barred undertail coverts. The tertials show some patterning at the tips, and the primaries - a dark brown - possess obvious pale fringes.

Thayer's Gull, Petaluma, CA, February 2013

A much more distinctive individual to that above, with uniform brown underparts, dark centred juvenile scapulars, dark centred tertials (with patterning towards the tips) and dark brown primaries. The flight shot illustrates the heavily barred (and predominately chocolate brown) rump and uppertail coverts, the all dark tail and uniform chocolate axillaries. One of the nicest juveniles we saw!

Presumed Thayer's Gull, Petaluma, CA, February 2013

Another heavily bleached bird that is unlikely to be confidently identified in a Western European context - can Kumlien's Gull be ruled out, even in California? The scapulars are extensively pale with pale 'horseshoe' markings to the tips, and the coverts are also largely pale. However, the tertials are quite uniform (despite being pale) and the primaries are uniformly dark with pale fringing. The tail is all primarily dark, but too is heavily bleached.

Thayer's Gull, Petaluma, CA, February 2013

Here's another one that has an almost Herring Gull-like feel to it with quite pale (and blotchy) underparts. The undertail coverts aren't particularly heavily barred either.

Thayer's Gull, Half Moon Bay, CA, February 2013

Again quite bleached, but a really nice bird - classic in all respects. You can just about make out the silvery quality to the undersides of the bird's primaries.

Thayer's Gull, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA

Yet another heavily bleached bird - the primaries, tertials and tail have all suffered quite considerably. That said, plumage is otherwise typical Thayer's Gull.

California trip report

It was as long ago as February that I visited California with Rich Bonser and Lee Gregory, but I've finally managed to get the trip report processed. You can view and download below, as in the usual manner of my reports:

Showy Scoters

Prior to heading to California, my previous experience of Surf Scoter had been limited to a number of distant (to very distant!) blobs bobbing around off various parts of the British and Irish coastline. Not the case with these boys and girls at Moss Landing, which regularly showed to within 30 metres or so. Watching these birds courting, feeding and generally lazing around against the blue seas in warm sunshine was on of the highlights of the trip for me. Drakes are surely strong contenders for the best-looking of all ducks, aren't they?