Sunday 22 December 2013

Ivory Gull, Patrington, East Yorkshire, 20/12/2013

Patrington Haven, East Yorkshire, 20/12/2013

Mick and myself arrived at Patrick Haven around 09.00 hours, we are hoping to get a look at a juvenile Ivory Gull that has been seen here over the past six days !

There is 50 + cars already parked in the lane to the small car park, the light is poor, there is a cold wind, a mile walk out to the Pumping Station where the Ivory Gull visits to feed on fish, lots of different fish samples kindly left out for the Ivory Gulls welfare ! It did like the Salmon !

On the walk to the Pumping Station, many people was walking away, seen it, ticked it and was on there way, happy ! We soon heard that the Gull had flown in at about 08.15 hours, it must have been still dark, stayed feeding for 15 minutes and then flew off to perch on some distant rocks (at least 500 meters away, looking into the light and strong cold wind).

When we did arrive, the Ivory Gull was on the rocks, preening, just to distant for a decent view through bins but big enough to just make out it was an Ivory Gull (not a Ptarmigan or a pigeon) !

It was a case of shelter from the wind and cold by the pump house, a bit of chat with the company and wait for the Gull to come into feed !

11.45 hours, the Ivory Gull flew from the rocks, it circled the pumping station, then landed by the fish, straight in on the Salmon !



Ivory Gull, juvenile


the gull was briefly disturbed by a departing Enviroment Agency vehicle, took to the air for a fly by circuit


and straight back for another feed



A 20 minute feeding session then off for the rocks to preen again !



We new that was it for at least an hour +

Back to the car for a bit of a warm up, a short drive into Patrington, Fish and Chips and coffee, then back out to the pumping station for another look !

14.45 hours, the Gull returns, the light is poor and getting worse by the minute !
1/640 sec going down to 1/400 sec, f 4.0









only a 15 minute feed, on the Salmon, 15.00 hours, back to the rocks !

A Superb day over !

Mick had some ideas of travelling back South a bit towards Eyebrook, to stay the night in a Travel Lodge and visit Eyebrook Resevoir on the Saturday to look at a Velvet Scoter that had been reported there all week !

We had travelled 250 miles to see this Ivory Gull, with a good chance of a repeat view the next day, I made sure we stayed the night in Hull with a repeat visit planned for 08.00 hours, first light tomorrow !

.......................................................................

We was out and down at the pumping station at 08.00 hours next morning (Saturday 21st),
the Ivory Gull was on the rocks, once again, in the shelter of the pump house, the chat and we waited !

the light is not any better than yesterday, 1/2000 sec, f4.5


11.50 hours, the Gull flies in for its feed, it only stayed for 10 minute view, guts down a big bit of Salmon and away !  Best fed Ivory Gull in the Northern Hemisphere !








Day over, we headed for home in torrential rain !

A superb Gull !    A super couple of days !

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Slender-billed Gull, Ebro Delta, Spain, 12th - 15th December, 2013

Thursday, 12th December, 2013

We landed Reus Airport, Spain, hired a car, then one hours drive and we are into the most northern coastal part of the Ebro Delta by mid afternoon !

We have come to the Delta hoping to see and photograph Slender-billed Gull !
In winter plumage !
also a chance of an Audouin's !

Mick has done his homework, there is a chance that maybe a Slender-billed may have over wintered and remained in the Delta breeding grounds !

First we check out the Badia del Fanger area, from two vantage points, slow drive down tracks between miles of  flooded, narrow rice fields separated by bunds,

Little Egret, 1,000's, just everywhere
Grey Heron, could have been a 1,000, just everywhere
Cattle Egret, 50 +
Great White Egret, 50 +
NOT ONE PURPLE HERON !
Glossy Ibis, 500 + in one flock

Greater Flamingo, rafts of 300 + out in the bay.
Purple Swamphen, 5 +

Black-headed Gull, just 1,000's
Yellow-legged Gull, 100's
Lesser Black-backed Gull, 100's

Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Redshank, Greenshank
Crested Lark, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail, Common Redstart, 1
Black Redstart, lots

Common Buzzard, 8+
Kestrel, 10 +
Peregrine Falcon

The quantity of birds is phenomenal, just everywhere, constantly active feeding, all very sensitive to the car passing, thousands of white birds, bright sun light.

No photographs !

No Slender-billed Gull !

It's dark, we find Aldi's, stock up on crap, find hotel and preparations made for Day 2.

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Day 2, Friday 13th December

We start the day, lost in the dark, looking for a place that we never did find, the Punta del Fanger,
ending the morning at Riumar, where the Ebro flows into the Med.

No Slender-billed Gull !

Midday, decisions made, we cross the Ebro to the southern side !

We head out for the Biarra del Trabucador, this is a approx. 2 mile spit of sand, about 200 meters wide that you can drive down a central track !

To your left is the open sea, the Med, into the sun !
but to your right you look into the shallow bay of the Badia dels Alfacs,

there are Waders on every sandbar !

Kentish Plover, plenty
Ringed Plover, 500+
Dunlin, 1000 +
Sanderling, 500 +

Mallard, 500+

a raft of Flamingo in the distance

Mediterranean Gull, 6 total
Yellow-legged Gull, a few


Then Mick spots the SLENDER-BILLED GULL ! ! !

It's an adult winter, and an absolute cracker !

It remains a bit distant, we watch its habits, it is passing backwards and forwards between two favoured sand bars, stopping of at intervals between !


Mick spots a second Slender-billed on the scene, a superb 1st winter !
Mick then stated there was in fact 3 Slender-billed Gulls !

We watched the Slender-billed for the remainder of the afternoon, as long as the light allowed us to attempt photography

This adult winter gave a couple of photo opportunities.






As the light came round, we gave up, and headed of to the local Fishing Harbour at Sant Carles de la Rapita.

A look round the harbour,

Yellow-legged Gull,
Black-headed Gull,
Mediterranean Gull, 1st winter, 1
*****AUDOUIN'S GULL ****** 1
Black-necked Grebe, in the harbour

Light all wrong for photographs, we had already got the Slender-billed !

Day 2, Finished,

We have found the target bird, we KNOW where the Slender-billed are, 3 birds !
Tomorrow we are going to photograph them !

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Day 3, Saturday 14th December

We are out before dawn, again at the fishing port of Sant Carles de la Rapida

Temperature 3* C, a clear sky, stars shining, not a breath of wind, the sun is coming up, it's going to be a perfect day !

The harbour is dead quiet except for the Black-necked Grebe and a few Cormorants,
Gulls only there when fishing boats come in and unloading catch to fish market !  All closed on Saturdays !
We have a breakfast, sausage in a baguette, an very strong coffee

10.00 hours.  The sun is right ! It's now 10* C and getting warmer !
We are out again on the  Biarra del Trabucador, conditions are superb, we drive past all the 100's of Waders.

We immediately see an adult Slender-billed, same as yesterday, passing up and down the same length of the bay, between the same two sandbars !

We are here for the duration !

a 1st winter turns up,
then a 2nd winter appears,
there is a further Adult on the scene !

Only once did two birds come close to each other, there preferred to keep there distance of each other !

This is how my day went !  In this photographic order !



Slender-billed Gull, adult winter


Slender-billed Gull, 1st winter


Slender-billed Gull, adult winter

Slender-billed Gull, adult winter

Slender-billed Gull, adult winter


Slender-billed Gull, 1st winter

Slender-billed Gull, 1st winter


Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter


Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter



Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter


 Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

 Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, adult winter

Slender-billed Gull, adult winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter

Slender-billed Gull, 2nd winter


Slender-billed Gull, 1st winter

Slender-billed Gull, 1st winter

Slender-billed Gull, 1st winter

Slender-billed Gull, 1st winter





Mick (small crop)

Mick (large crop)


Slender-billed Gull, 1st winter

Slender-billed Gull, 1st winter

Slender-billed Gull, 1st winter


the temperature topped 20* C around 15.00 hours, the sun is now round SW, harsh, side light images, photo opportunity over !

A Sanderling has been passing by so close ''all DAY''  ! ! !
(he's in the photo shot of Mick)
A very, very, obliging bird ! !
Nobody has bothered to photograph him !

Sanderling, (I liked the long shadow)


16.00 hours, we are back at the fishing port of Sant Carles de la Rapida, the fishing fleet are all in harbour, no fishing on Saturdays, no Gulls !

the Black-necked Grebe was still busy feeding in the harbour

We called it a day, with plans to have another morning tomorrow with the Slender-billed Gulls !

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Day 4, Sunday 15th December

We have only a morning session left, 12.00 noon is deadline, stop and go for the 15.00 hours flight home !

we are back at the fishing port of Sant Carles de la Rapida, the fishing fleet are all in harbour still, no fishing on Sundays, no Gulls !
and even the cafe does not open this morning !

09.30 hours, we are out again on the  Biarra del Trabucador to look for Slender-billed !

Today, conditions are not good, there is a cool wind, the bay is choppy, lots of waves.

Sure we see a Slender-billed ! About 200 meters out, a dot in the choppy sea !

There is no point in staying !

10.00 hours, we move to the northern end of the Delta to a small harbour port l'Ampolla, we are just checking it out for Gulls, it the last call before Midday leave.

Audouin's Gull, 1, and a couple of Meds complete the day

15.00 hours Flight. London 18.00 hours.