Two 'Glaucs' In One Day! (Edit: Err, Actually Probably Not, No!)

Swannery Birding Highlights Of The Week...

Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd February 2014...  



It's been a good winter for large white-winged gulls in the Weymouth/Portland/Chesil area but I managed to miss the only one seen at The Swannery this season (until now) and that was the small adult Glaucous (that was initially 'id'd' as an Iceland) back in December. Finally though, on Thursday, I connected with an adult Glaucous Gull that I assumed was the (big) one that has been knocking about in the general area for awhile but which until now has apparently been avoiding The Swannery. It was present again on Friday...


The adult Glaucous Gull on The Chesil opposite The Swannery.




And the same image more heavily cropped. It was unfortunately always distant.

Then later Friday afternoon when I went to check whether it was still there it had remarkably been replaced a 2nd calendar year bird...

The 2nd calendar year 'white-winged' gull on The Chesil opposite The Swannery that I id'd as a Glaucous but which turns out may be a Kumlien's .



And the same image more heavily cropped. It was again unfortunately distant.




And then it was gone!

What I presumed to be the same adult Glaucous Gull was present briefly again yesterday afternoon, but as two adults plus a 2nd calendar year were seen at nearby West Bexington today, who knows?

So there has been at least two (possibly three) Glaucous Gulls at The Swannery this winter and probably even a Kumlien's. Indeed, a live one of the latter would be very nice seeing that my only Swannery record to date was of a headless corpse!

Also of note this week was a brief settled Dark-bellied Brent Goose and the sole remaining Scaup, a drake, that was last seen on Wednesday - the same day that the (or at least a) Black-necked Grebe reappeared briefly...

 

The Black-necked Grebe




And the same image more heavily cropped.

A couple of Kittiwakes were still around (but no more Little Gulls) and the male Marsh Harrier reappeared this week too, albeit very briefly.



The escaped Harris's Hawk still lingers and at last gave me the opportunity of a half decent image.

And so with still a lack of quality land-birds and generally low numbers of water-birds that's about it for this week... Lets hope next week producers some more 'white-wingers'!