Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Øygarden 20-22 January - YLG

On 20 January I was not really out but found the "yellow-legged" gull at Dåvøy again. Having discussed this bird recently with other birders I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that it is a real Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke.

The beak looks massive, bulky and with a prominent gonys. The red spot bleeds over to the upper mandible.

Rather round headed, red orbital ring and eye seems to be a shade darker than the Herring Gulls


All white tip on P10 can be a feature of birds from parts of the Med. Obvious black band on P5


The small size is obvious here in comparison to the local HGs.

A quick look through this blog shows that this bird is most likely a bird that has been seen repeatedly over several years:

Some examples
2019 (Feb)

The fact that P10 can be white on YLG is shown here on gull research. I think I need to dig up some of my YLG shots from the Mediterranean🙂

On 21 Janaury a flock of 19 Common Scoter svartand on the east side of Blomøy was one of the largest flocks reported in the county thus far this year. When exactly did things get this bad?? Seaduck numbers seem to heading just one way - and it is the wrong way.

A short seawatch at Skogsøy on 22 January produced a Gannet havsule, several Kittiwake krykkje and finally some auks - though they were too far off to be specifically identified they were guillebills alke/lomvi. On the sea small numbers of Eider ærfugl and singles of Black Guillemot teist and Long-tailed Duck havelle. Best bird here was a fly over Snow Bunting snøspurv (first for Hordaland this year). Good numbers of Siskin grønnsisik too about with a single flock of 120 flying over.

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