Description


A diary of my birding activity covering highlights and photos from my birding adventures. Mainly Norfolk (UK), occasionally beyond. I might mention the odd thing that isn't avian, but for moth and other insect news check out my mothing diary.

Wednesday, 20 January 2021

Review of 2019 and 2020 - Birds: Gulls and Terns

GULLS and TERNS (family LARIDAE)


Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla - No records worth mentioning.



Kittiwakes, Minsmere, 11th May 2019



Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus - 120 at Ryburgh in October 2019 was my only record but the species is common over here and at the meadows.


Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus - 35 past Sheringham on 21st October 2019 and 2 at the staithe at Burnham Overy on 12th June 2020.


Little Gull, Burnham Overy, 12th June 2020



Audouin's Gull Ichthyaetus audouinii - 2 at Platje de les filipines and 3 at Llobregat Delta in Spain on 21st/22nd February 2020.


Audouin's Gull, Platje de les filipines (Spain), 21st February 2020



Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus audouinii - I added this species to both my garden list and the meadows list in spring 2020 with one heard flying over the meadows on 19th April, 2 flying over on 27th April and then 2 over the house on 8th May.  Elsewhere up to 20-30 at several coastal locations during the two years and 80 at Hayle on 10th October 2020.

Mediterranean Gull, Titchwell, 21st July 2019



Common Gull Larus canus - No records worth mentioning.


Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus - No records worth mentioning.


Herring Gull Larus argentatus - A concentration of gulls in and around early-mid April 2019 included at least 80 Herring Gulls.  Sadly I wasn't able to find any Yellow-legged Gulls or anything better among these.

Herring Gull, Blakeney, 18th March 2019




Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th April 2019



Herring Gull x Caspian Gull Larus argentatus x Larus cachinnas - One at West Runton on 18th March 2019, yellow-ringed bird X053.





Herring Gull x Caspian Gull hybrid, West Runton, 18th March 2019



Herring Gull x Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus argentatus x Larus fuscus - My attempts to see the Ring-billed Gull x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid at Blakeney in March 2019 all failed, and I had to make do with the regularly returning Herring Gull x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid (which was paired to a Herring Gull)












Herring Gull x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid (with Herring Gull attempting to copulate with it), Blakeney, 18th March 2019



Herring Gull x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid, Blakeney, 20th March 2019



Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis - One at Buxton on 9th September 2020 but apart from this only seen in Spain.


Yellow-legged Gull, Llobregat Delta (Spain), 22nd February 2020



Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus - Regular at the meadows including 30 on 27th May 2020.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Blakeney, 18th March 2019


Lesser Black-backed Gull, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2020



Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis - No records worth mentioning.


Common Tern Sterna hirundo - Often seen along the river from the meadows and one heard over the house on August 2019.


Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea - One between Staffa and Iona in June 2019 and singles past Pendeen (Cornwall) on 6th and 8th October 2020.


Black Tern Chlidonias niger - One at Sparham Pools on 19th April 2019 was a nice surprise - the first one I've found in the valley for a while.  Also one at Titchwell on 21st July 2019.

Black Tern, Titchwell, 21st July 2019


Next page: Skuas, Auks, Divers, Tubenoses, Storks, Gannets, Cormorants, Spoonbills and Herons

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