A day which started at Sherwood Forest, ended at Patrington Haven on the Humber. There has been a mini invasion of Ivory Gulls recently, and todays juvenile was about the fourth or fifth this month. It wasn't a new bird for me, I saw an adult at Black Rock Sands in North Wales about 10 years ago, but it's a species which is always worth making an effort to see. It's been spending most of its time on the estuary, but two or three times a day has been coming to feed on dead fish provided by birders. Being a High Arctic species, it's not familiar with the threats from Humans and has been very approachable.
Not today however, at least not while I was there. Certainly it was very close in flight, but very reluctant to land and feed. Still, I had some outstanding flight views of the bird, and eventually it landed on top of a pumping station and showed really well.
Also on the estuary today, at least 5000 Golden Plover, Merlin and 100 Bar-tailed Godwits.
Year 258 (Ivory Gull)
Ivory Gulls are very odd looking gulls, more dove like than gull.
The Humber.
No comments:
Post a Comment