Friday 13 January 2012

Wknd 14-15 January

Old faithful Med red-7P8 aka "Cherry Blossom" back on Seton shore Friday afternoon - after deserting us for Edinburgh (Seton Oct, Muss Nov, Seafield Dec) - welcome back! Initially by Seton Burn with another (presumed) old faithful, ad graellsii LBB "Lucy". No other hoped for species of gull :(

Not much offshore either, 21 Goldeneye on the sea was noteworthy, though hundreds can be seen off Edinburgh.

Another look on Saturday, decent numbers of large gulls on calm sea round fishing boat off Seton harbour, and several hundred small gulls on Seton Sands opposite caravan park entrance, only "white-winger" visible was an adult Med Gull amongst latter, unringed.

Sunday - quick look off Ferny Ness, tide out but fairly calm, min 27 Slavs and 1/2 RNG. Then went to complete E Fenton and Chapel WeBS, found the Whoopers in cereal at latter, 95, then flew to join mates at Prora (above). At E Fortune geese were in stubble south, c. 150 Pinks, 1 Euro Whitefront and the Barnacle Goose with the Greylags, no Beans detected.

Back down at Seton 2 ad Meds on shore opposite caravan park entrance, neither was Cherry Blossom. A boat brought in a good couple of hundred large gulls at dusk, 10+ GBB but again no white wings in there. Best came last, out in the gloom well offshore the unmistakable profile of a solid skua in rapid flapping/glide progress SW past, no doubt the same Pom that was seen before Christmas. Tracked it past Inchkeith, showed brief interest in a few Herring Gulls, then continued in towards bay off Musselburgh where finally lost to sight (bang goes the roosting further east theory, the only thing I can deduce from most recent obs of what is presumed same resident bird is it hunts till late so must still be hungry!).

2 comments:

  1. Suffering from Med envy - haven't seen one since 31st December!

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  2. I'm suffering same looking at the Gibbins gulls blog* from up north, I used to go to those NE harbours as a teenager and have happy memories of white-winger in the plural, much harder work down here...

    * http://chrisgibbins-gullsbirds.blogspot.com/

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