A couple of hours this morning produced at least 3 adult Yellow Legged Gulls before a Peregrine smashed into the flock and killed one of the gulls.It then started to pluck it which resulted in all the gulls disappearing and not coming back,as you would expect.
Popped in to check out gull potential for this winter,and although couldn't find anything of interest there were at least 10,000 large gulls feeding over the tip and showing well in the field below the tip.Mainly argenteus herring gulls with a smattering of argenteus amongst them.Also well in excess of 100 Greater Black Backs and a few Lesser Black Backs.A few of the L.B. Backs were very dark mantled and probably intermedius.Hopefully if we have a good whitewinger winter this site could be interesting.
First proper visit of the winter with Jeff produced a 1st winter Caspian Gull amongst the 7000+ large gulls present on site but disappointingly no sign of any Whitewingers amongst them.A lot of gulls were out of view roosting on top of the site so could well be 1 or 2 Whitewingers there with that number of birds present.
Jeff Clarke wrote: ....1st winter Herring Gull with 1st winter Glaucous Gull head and bill pattern; this is probably what would be described as a Nelsons Gull.
I like the idea of a Nelsons Gull
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Tuesday 6th of February 2018 09:39:44 PM
An opportunity arose for just under 2 hours viewing from off Picton Lane today. Many of the eight to ten thousand gulls up on the tip, but among flocks in the fields was a second-winter Caspian Gull
2 hours+ this morning with Pete. Car parked on Picton Lane at layby Grid ref SJ430724, walked down path to footbridge SJ433723. A couple of thousand of gulls in fields only 200 metres away. One possible adult Yellow-legged Gull and one 3rd winter presumed Caspian Gull (record picture below). Also 1st winter Herring Gull with 1st winter Glaucous Gull head and bill pattern; this is probably what would be described as a Nelsons Gull.
Where do you watch from Pete? I used to survey a farm alongside the tip for Cheshire Wildlife Trust and get fairly close as the farm boundary was the Gowy river. I've now moved further away so won't get there often. The gulls used to roost in fields adjacent to Picton Lane and were 'scopable' from the car - as soon as you got out the car though they'd move further away. With Arpley tip now closed I'd expect a lot more good gulls turning up at Gowy this winter!
Only just noticed your post,last winter we watched from the fields below Picton Lane,but as they are now tipping further round, last visit I watched from the banks of the River Gowy where you can get reasonably good views of the birds resting on the side of the tip,in the last two visits no birds have come down on the fields as they did last winter,perhaps because there is no standing water on the fields yet which the gulls were using to wash and drink.Hopefully as the fields get more flooded the gulls will start settling in the fields which gives closer views from the many footpaths crossing the fields.
Where do you watch from Pete? I used to survey a farm alongside the tip for Cheshire Wildlife Trust and get fairly close as the farm boundary was the Gowy river. I've now moved further away so won't get there often. The gulls used to roost in fields adjacent to Picton Lane and were 'scopable' from the car - as soon as you got out the car though they'd move further away. With Arpley tip now closed I'd expect a lot more good gulls turning up at Gowy this winter!
Popped down ;ate morning for a couple hours and was rewarded with a cracking 1st winter Caspian Gull sat on the edge of the landfill giving prolonged views,unfortunately nothing else of note amongst the several thousand large gulls present.
A quick look this am whilst in area turned up a Juvenile Iceland Gull on landfill and in fields below.Several thousand gulls still about but nothing else of note amongst them.
A bit of a frustrating visit this morning as the gulls refused to land and spent the morning just circling the tip.They are tipping in a very confined area and presumably the birds are not keen on landing in it.There were several thousand birds circling and we managed to see at least one(possibly more) juv. Glaucous Gull several times.We gave up at 12.15 and as I passed on the motorway I noticed all the gulls were down and feeding !!Possibly as it was lunchtime the operatives had gone for lunch and the birds felt safe to come down and feed.
11:30 - 12:00 - viewed on flooded towards to landfill from road around the area of Mickleton Kennels and Cattery. Glaucous Gull (1) - Juv - a big un. Thought I might have had a 2nd winter Caspian Gull but couldn't get a clear view. Chris
-- Edited by Chris Sutton on Saturday 4th of March 2017 05:23:00 PM
A couple of hours with Jeff was well rewarded today
A cracking 1st winter Caspian Gull 2 juv. Glaucous Gulls an adult Iceland Gull and an single adult Yellow Legged Gull still good nos. of large gulls in the area
A couple of hours with Jeff today produced a Juv. Glaucous Gull and a poss. 1st w. Caspian(a bit too distance to be certain,but looked good) at least 10,000 big gulls in area again today
With Arpley Tip shutting down and suffering severe withdrawal symptoms Jeff and I decided to check out Gowy Landfill,a bit of time was wasted till we found the best areas to view the gulls,well worth it with about 10,000 gulls in the area we managed to see the following in a shortish space of time:-
A cracking adult Caspian Gull which was obliging enough to do a couple of prolonged wing stretches to show off its underwing A juvenile Iceland Gull and a single Yellow Legged Gull
There are public footpaths running round the western side of the site accesible from Picton Lane,good views can be had of birds loafing in the fields and a bit more distant views of birds on the landfill itself.
