Iceland Gull

One of the things I love about birding is how just one bird can make all the difference. 

The first three months of this year have been some of my most frustrating for 'gulling' ever. Although we didn't have good numbers of gulls in January, much better numbers in February and March just wouldn't produce anything scarce. Many days seemed so promising, and each time I set my scope up to look through a gull flock I thought it was going to be. But no matter how many times a day I scanned through our Larid flocks they remained stubbornly rare-free zones.

At 13:38 today though this all changed, and all the unrewarding hours I've spent gull watching so far this year were instantly forgotten...

Yes an absolute beaut of a first-winter Iceland Gull.  What a cracker.

Also today there seems to be more hirundines about, have seen many more Swallow and Sand Martins but still no House Martin for me.

Yesterday a lone Sandwich Tern off the sea front which gradually made its way west was my first of the year. Fresh spring Sarnies always look so sleek and smart compared with the scruffy individuals that over winter with us.

The Mothing Year Has Begun

(birders don't worry, there is bird news in this post - just bear with me!)

So, as I said in my last post, Wednesday night the front garden looked like this...

The Robinson is out - and still working I'm pleased to report!

Thursday morning, I had myself six moths to look at - YEAH! These six included a new species for the garden, two of them...

Dotted Border

As this was my first catch of the year, I'm sorry but I got a little snappy-happy! I also had three of these...

Common Quaker

And the sixth was a fairly early...

Early Grey; a nice pinkie one too

I even snapped the bumblebee that was in amongst the egg cartons in the trap...

A big 'un it was too!

Moth enthusiasts - don't switch off just yet! I put the trap out again last night in the back garden, and guess what... DOUBLE FIGURES!!! I didn't get this until 9th April last year - so a result and a half!

This catch of 11 moths included another new species for the garden...

Early Moth - exciting yeah!??

The other ten moths were: 7 Common Quaker, 2 Hebrew Characters and another Dotted Border. I am so looking forward to the mothing year ahead!

OK birders, despair no more!

I've had a few looks along the Estuary today, the weather conditions have been pretty good for 'gulling'. The best I could muster though (so far anyway!) were two Med Gulls, including presumably the same first-winter as the other day...

Which photo is more exciting - this one of the one of the Early Moth above!???

Have also noted c200 Common and 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (one or two looking quite black-backed, but also one very pale second-winter bird).