Richmond Bank

pete berry · Status: Offline

Richmond Bank

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Four and a half hours today over the low tide with Pete Berry:

10 Yellow-legged Gulls (9 adults, 1 1st winter) including a metal ringed adult (photographed)!
1 Goosander
1 Great Crested Grebe
60 Skylark over east in one flock late morning

Mike Baron · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

That's a shame Pete, to be honest I didn't even know about the visit until it was too late. I feel sure there would have been more than a few on this forum interested had it have been advertised.

Like you say though, bring on the return passage.

Likewise I didn't know the tip runs were taking place this winter - I would have been there yesterday if I had known.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

That's a shame Pete, to be honest I didn't even know about the visit until it was too late. I feel sure there would have been more than a few on this forum interested had it have been advertised.

Like you say though, bring on the return passage.

Pete Kinsella · Status: Offline

Yesterday`s organised visit onto the tip was the last one of the season.They are being curtailed early because of the lack of interest and because of the low numbers of white-wingeds/ Casps etc,the former caused by the latter no doubt.Richmond Bank seems to be the best bet however and hopefully there might be a Spring movement of Gulls at this site.

pete berry · Status: Offline

Yes,there was an organised visit to the tip,which I completely forgot about.They were meeting at 8.30 by the hide on Birchwood Pool.I was talking to Kenny Donegan there last week,he said the visits were well down on numbers with only 3 people turning up for the previous trip.Don't know if there are any more planned this winter.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

I think there might have been an organised tip visit today? Either way there are reports of both the juvenile and 2nd winter Iceland Gulls and 7 Yellow-legged Gulls from Arpley Tip today.

Mike Baron · Status: Offline

Turned up early afternoon. One adult Yellow-legged Gull just down river of Richmond Bank. Unfortunately the several thousand gulls present on RB flushed approx 10 mins after I arrived and scattered. Nothing else seen.

pete berry · Status: Offline

Just to add to Ians posting,for anyone thinking of going to Richmond Bank,remember the Mersey is tidal here.By 2pm today the tide had covered all the mudbanks and all the gulls dispersed,so you need to check them tide tables before going,otherwise you could well be staring at empty water.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Four hours gulling today with Pete Berry and 'our Jack' in perfect weather conditions (for grey hue assessment

) and probably over 20,000 large gulls in the area (including Arpley Tip) with a very large proportion coming and going through Richmond Bank in that time.

2 Iceland Gulls- the usual 2nd winter bird which has frequented Moore NR for a good while now and a very pale juvenile bird.

13 Yellow-legged Gulls- consisting of 10 adults, 2 1st winters and a single 3rd winter.

Single leucistic Black-headed Gull

2 colour-ringed Herring Gulls and a single colour-ringed Lesser Black Backed.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 18th of February 2010 03:39:39 PM