Friday 21 June 2024

Seven gull species

Another warm and mainly sunny day with a light west wind.

South shore (Malcolm)
Two checks, one on the rising morning tide and another on the ebbing tide in the afternoon.
Curlew 82 resting on Red Nab in the morning till moved on by the rising tide. Almost certainly more seen heading north in the afternoon in several flocks.
Black-Headed gull numbers increasing quickly 91 were counted this morning including 3 juvenile.
A few of the Black-Headed gulls

Kittiwake 1 first summer (2nd calendar year)
Kittiwake on wooden jetty with Herring gulls and a Cormorant 

Kittiwake flying over a raft of Black-Headed and Common Gulls

Great Black-Backed gull looking particularly impressive on a lamppost 

So, with the Lesser Blacked-Backed, six gull species in the morning. The seventh was between the outflows in the afternoon.
Mediterranean gull 1 second summer (3rd calendar year)
Mediterranean gull partially obscured by a Common gull

This is a bit of a puzzle! This Cormorant has caught what appears to be a large eel, but the body looks ribbon like, an eel this size should be much rounder. The body shape and apparent light weight for its length suggest a Garfish, but it hasn't got the distinctive tail of a garfish. So it has to be an eel...... I suppose. (Malcolm)
Sorry about the quality of this clip is was some distance out.

Still from the above clip showing the ribbon like body with an eel like tail.
It looks like a question mark, and I can't really see eel. But what else?

Rock Pipit 2 - one along the sea wall and one around the lighthouse. The lighthouse bird had been display flying, in this clip it is just display calling as it begins to feed.

Linnet 4 along sea wall and near lighthouse 
Male Linnet between lighthouse and waterfall 


This Common Whitethroat was in the Nature Park




This Lesser Black-Backed gull swooped on Janet as she passed Surefreight again.
At least all the gulls got their picture in the post today!

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