TWO FOR THE ICE OF ONE

The return to tipping after the bank holiday must have brought a bonus for the gulls who were out in force today after two lean days, there seems to be an increase in Greater Blacked-backs. The two Iceland Gulls which have been showing sporadically in recent times, one first winter Kumlien's type and one second winter, put in an appearance. They appear to be abrading whiter as the winter progresses. Also our first Red Kite for a long time flew over, but without lingering.

WHAT A RAIL

The Water Rail which lives by the lake was showing well today.

GULLS ALOUD

Usual hunt today, searching for a Lap bunt on the mound, looking through the Teal for a Green-winged and searching the bushes for a Long-eared Owl. No joy so back to the Gulls. A second winter Iceland Gull appeared on the lake, it's over five weeks since we had a second winter bird and I'm not sure if it's the same or different yet, where has it been ? More interesting is what I think is a good candidate for a 1st winter 'Viking Gull', that is a hybrid Glaucous x Herring Gull.

Note the long primary projection and bi-coloured bill

Putative 'Viking Gull'. This bird was a whopper and bigger than the Herring Gulls. It reminded me of the adult Glauc we had the other week

It had the pink based, black tipped bill of a Glauc, quite pinky legs, paleish mantle, coverts and tertials but blackish primaries and tail band. If you took the head and stuck it on a pure Glauc, you wouldn't know the difference.

SPORADIC GULL

The Kumlien's type Iceland Gull put in it's fourth appearance in three weeks and it's never shown for more than a few minutes, at most, each time. The light was strong and the bird came closer but would not pose at a good angle with the light to show off all of it's features. Does it go anywhere else ? It's been seen once at the Walton roost (on the same evening as an adult Iceland Gull which we've not had a sniff of). More pics here:
http://surreybirding.blogspot.com/2011/11/gulls-gulls-gulls.html

WILLOW THE WISP

Following the sighting of Willow Tit by Donkey Green at Box Hill at the end of last week, I went over this morning to have a look. Marsh Tits were easy to find but, alas, no sight or sound of a Willow in the three hours I was there.

I was wondering how much longer to give it when the Monk phoned to tell me that the Kumlien's type Gull was showing again at Beddington. I needed no further excuse and returned to base. Unfortunately the bird had disappeared onto the tip and, despite searching, we could not re-locate it. I'd like to get more pics of this interesting bird.

BEDDINGTON THE GULL HEAVEN THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Over the farm today and the Gull hunt continued. This time of year the Gull numbers are in their thousands and unusual birds are regularly turned up if you have the patience to go through them. The first winter Iceland Gull which shows features of Kumlien's appeared on the lake briefly and T Bros also managed to see it before it disappeared again, just before Prof arrived.

A period of time passed, trying to re-locate the bird and anything else that might be in the flock. After a while, Prof indicated that he had a white-winger at the back of the lake. I looked to the spot he described, expecting to see the Iceland Gull, but instead saw an adult Gull with white primaries. It quickly disappeared behind an island but we discerned that it was large and pale and resembled an adult Glaucous Gull. After a further wait the bird flew to the tip but didn't come close. I'd taken pics and it was either a Glauc or a leucistic bird. We have had Herring Gulls with white primaries and other birds with various amounts of white before so I'm always wary of a bird which I haven't had a good look at. The bird had little or no streaking on the head and adult Glaucous Gulls are not common inland, we've had many Glaucs at Beddington, but all first winters. It did look promising though.

More time passed and no further sign. I stayed by the main lake and Prof went down to the south lake. After a while he phoned to say he had the bird again. I made my way down and was just arriving when the bird took off, the only one out of all the gulls there to do so. I'd had a quick look just as it took off and it was genuinely a large bird and had reddish pink legs, I also took more pics as it headed back to the tip. It was definitely an adult Glaucous Gull, the first adult recorded at Beddington.

What a week for Gulls, we've had three different Caspos, a possible Kumlien's and an adult Glauc plus a couple of Meds and the odd Yellow-legged Gull.
NEW SURREY YEAR LIST RECORD 198

Our first view of the Glauc, you can see it's a large bird and not particularly long winged. Couldn't see the legs at this stage

Taking off from the south lake. The leg colour is useful

The bird was still growing some secondaries

Heading back to the tip