Thanks to Rich Steel, who sent me these great pictures of the Iceland Gull at Gresford Flash near Wrexham recently.
Wish I could take pix like this....(as, I have no doubt, do regular birdblog visitors...).
The link to Rich's website is over on the right.
Shame we just don't the white wings at Marshside like we used to....always a chance in late winter tho'.
Is just it me, or does the bill look a bit funny on this Iceland? Probably down to the fact that the pics are so crisply focussed I guess.....wow.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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John
Just for your further info, I did one of my TTV s (SJ48P) yesterday and this includes Netherley WWTW. I spent an hour just looking at wagtails on the 20 filter beds and trying to make sense of their identification. I counted a minimum of 120 and it is tempting to wonder if some or all of them head off for the "city lights" at the end of the day. I went expecting to count out the number of birds on a few filter beds and then multiplying up to the 20 mark. In fact most of them were congregated on 2-3 beds, so that idea went out of the window!
Chris Tynan agreed that ID of pied/white is difficult, but in fact when it came to entering the info into Bird Atlas I need not have worried as the bird list stops at pied/white, so I don't need to do anything further. additionally I counted 5 grey wags
David
WIDNES ornithologists will have a chance to meet a special visitor â a species of bird which has flown in from chilly Iceland.
Halton Council is holding a special Mersey marshes wildlife walk on Saturday to enable bird lovers to view the visiting redshank. The walk starts at 10am from Spike Island.
The redshank, also known as the marsh warden, is usually found in Scotland and North West England in winter, after travelling from Iceland.
However, this medium-sized bird is becoming a rarity on these shores as the amount of drained farmland and overgrazing of coastal marshes reduces their breeding numbers.
Around half of all birds seen in the UK during winter come from Iceland, and organisers say there is also a chance of spotting the short-eared owl on the walk.
To join the walk call 01928 583905.
Latest from Haskayne and the mosses, Dec 4th to 9th:
New Cut Lane - 142 Whooper Swans (4th); 28 Whoopers + Sparrowhawk (9th.
Old Moss Lane, Haskayne - 4 Whooper Swans; 26 Goldfinch, 6 Corn Bunting (30 at Rufford); Green Sandpiper in area of potato sludge (9th); Kingfisher; 2 Great Crested Grebes, 150+ Mallard; 3 Buzzard; 100-150 Fieldfare.
Ooo! - Cattle Egret at Martin Mere this afternoon, a very nice "shop tick" for Andy Bunting at In Focus!
Hi John, its already on the shop list which is over the ~ 180 mark if you are a 'progressive' taxonomist!
A nice one for the year list though. An appalling photograph can be seen on the WWT website.