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Sunday 20 February 2011

Post Work 'Gulling!'

After a long day at work, a look along the Estuary at around 5pm revealed good numbers of Gulls - though no Ring-billed or white winger still.

On the 5th Feb I counted 452 Common Gulls in about an hour on the Estuary, but ever since then Gull numbers (especially of the smaller species) have dropped noticeably. I thought the main passage had passed, but this afternoon gave me some encouragement that there are more to come.

Med Gulls
have been rather scarce over the past couple of weeks (well all winter really!) - so four adults together this afternoon were great to see - Gull passage is ON! There were about 160 Common Gulls and 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls too. Also a colour ringed Herring Gull by the tram sheds, an individual I've not seen before.

The Blackwit flock put a smile on my face, with one of the birds showing obvious rusty red flecks on its breast. And whilst talking about this species, I saw this bird yesterday...

GOR (Green Orange Red); Yellow Red Yellow is the Axe Estuary's combination - all Blackwits colour-ringed here have the latter combination.

This is the first colour-ringed Blackwit I've seen on the Estuary since the turn of the year. I took the above photo of GOR last March (on the 6th), I wonder where he/she has been inbetween?

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