Caspian

There’s been a Caspian Gull at Sheringham for some months. Before the lockdown Tania and I walked along the prom to try and find it and got talking about the features of identification; how to distinguish an immature Caspian Gull from an immature Herring Gull. As we stood above a gathering of gulls on the beach I explained structure is key.

“A snouty appearance with long legs. Couple this with a pale head and a white rump and darker distal end tail feathers”. Are all good starting points.

Friend Bob’s photo on the front cover of the latest Norfolk Bird and Mammal Report is an excellent reference. We stared through the gulls and as if by magic it was there. Preoccupied in discussion we didn’t see it fly in!

Dualing Insect

Completely benign but enough bravado to make you reel back. This Sabre Wasp caught my attention on tour recently. Amazing insect.

 

Fancy a Shag

Well if nothing else the title to this blog should ensure it gets a lot of hits!

This Shag was resting between bouts of fishing at Sheringham on the Norfolk coast the other week … the 7th March actually. He, or is it she, was sporting some jewellry. A nicely marked colour ring on the right leg and a BTO ring on the left leg. The ‘BTT’ code of white on green lettering could be clearly seen; the lettering on the BTO ring was less distinguishable.

I guessed it would have been ringed on the Isle of May off the east coast of Scotland and indeed it was. Details sent off to the ringer, Mark, brought about a swift response.  He tells me it was ringed as a chick (BTO ring: 1493017 ) on the Isle of May, Fife on 19/6/17 as one of a brood of three. He also tells me  BTT was still on the isle when he last went out on 20th February but since the extreme weather a lot of the shags have disappeared.

I’m resisting the temptation to make any comments about shags in the snow!

Attention seekers

We don’t get many Purple Sandpipers during winter this far south. No big flocks anyway. Just a few birds maybe, scattered around rocky parts of the coast. This one was one of three we saw at Sheringham the other day when on tour. They are one of those birds like Gadwall or Chiffchaff that improve the longer you look at them. The intricacies of plumage on a Purple Sandpiper; the feather edges and the subtle tones of colour, are quite attention seeking.

A Pair of Dotterel

It’s par for the course that golfers and bird photographers don’t always hit it off. A couple of Dotterel that turned up at the Sheringham course recently saw the patience of a few driven quite far. Some photographers had the balls to venture a little closer than others to bag a shot; leaving those that stopped a fair – way away a little more green with envy. I know … I know, but the situation just teed itself up.

Smiling Gull

At Sheringham last week a Herring Gull landed in front of me that sported jewellery. Not a nondescript, lets camouflage it ring but a bright orange slap your face ring that brightened a very dull day. He acquired his bling in London the ‘T’ standing for North Thames Gull Group, so not that far travelled. He posed for me, first the right side then the left. He even smiled for the camera. http://www.ntgg.org.uk/cgi-bin/map.cgi?p=recmap&t=r&r=GR94308