M.P. Griffiths
Update: A video of the gull now uploaded by MB below.
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Little Gull
It was good to do some birding this evening after having done none during the previous two days due to long work hours. I thought it'd be yet another quiet visit, save for 4 Lesser Redpolls and a male Shoveler at Terry's Pool, but heading back to the causeway I got a call from "Midlands Birder" (thanks mate) saying there was a first-winter Little Gull resting with other gulls at Windmill Pool, so a bit of running got me there quickly and I enjoyed decent views of it in flight (despite fading light - it was late evening) over Windmill then Engine for a few minutes, before it disappeared towards Terry's. I think this is the fourth occurrence of this species at Earlswood this year, following the birds that visited in the spring, and the first ever winter record. It shows that the pre-roost gathering of mainly Black-headed Gulls, usually congregating at Windmill Pool each evening in winter, is worth checking for something unusual.
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4 comments:
No need for the thanks, It was a pleasure to share it, and quite good luck for both of us being there before it flew off!
And great to see you posting again btw Matt :)
You've had a pretty amazing year with this project it seems! I really wanted to know what kind of equipment are you using? I noticed you don't take pictures of your findings yourself so I imagine you're using binoculars to identify everything you see? What kind do you use? Would you recommend them? I was looking at buying this pair of binoculars by Bresser. I would really appreciate any advice/comments you have the time to offer me. Thank you Matt.
Hi,
Yes I use binoculars and a scope to identify birds, plus carry a fieldguide with me in case I see something new.
I use Bushnell 10x42 NatureView binoculars, which I'm happy with, but they're not waterproof and fog up if they get wet (http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/21642/show.html). I'm afraid I don't know much about binocular manufacturers, but Bushnell seem a good and affordable brand. Hope this is some help.
Matt
It definitely gives me some direction, Thank you!
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