Tjeldstø 10 April 2015 - Almost back in business

Southerly and overcast most of the day.

Pinkfoot kortnebbgås

Above and below: Yellowhammer gulspurv

Suffering from a suspected concussion I took things very easy indeed with the shortest of walks at Tjeldstø. This paid off quite nicely with the first Pinkfoot kortnebbgås for the year in Øygarden. A couple of Yellowhammer gulspurv, a scarce migrant in Øygarden, proved quite photogenic along with Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke and my first White Wagtail linerle of the year.

Hybrid Glaoucous x Herring Gull

Also present was the apparently long-staying hybrid Glaucous x Herring gull - giving me the best photo opportunities I have had with this bird.

Lots of stuff now back with Curlews storspove displaying at Tjeldstø and Nautnes, Meadow Pipits heipiplerke now widespread and most of the usual suspects.

The first lambs are out and about at Tjeldstø

Skogsøy 16 February 2014 - Interesting gull?

Light north westerly winds, some light showers, some sunshine.

Great Northern Diver islom

Just another White-tailed Eagle havørn overhead

Spent an hour or so seawatching today. Amazingly (compared to previous years) no auks passing at all - the only auk was a Black Guillemot teist on the sea. Quite a few Gannet havsule passing / feeding offshore and some indication that the southward movement of Shags toppskarv has started. Best bird here was a single Great Northern Diver islom heading north. Several Kittiwakes krykkje were perhaps the only other sighting of any note.

Much paler primaries and no darker pale band

Silvery underwing

Better shot of tail

Here the paler primaries and tertials are obvious...

At Tjeldstø there was a gull that really stood out from the crowd - with paler primaries and no dark tail band. Can't quite make it fit with any of the really good gulls just yet - likely to be a Glaucous / Herring hybrid - perhaps this bird is just a very worn / washed out Herring Gull gråmåke.

Rong 24 January 2013 - Viking Gull?

It remains calm sunny and freezing.

Barely out at all today. A 10 minute stroll from the house with the dog produced two Snipe enkeltbekkasin together - both different birds to yesterday. Goodness knows how they are surviving.

A trip to the bank (honest!) paid off with a probable second year Viking Gull (Herring / Glaucous hybird). In the field I was struck by the paler primaries which lack contrast with the rest of the wing and seem to have broad pale edges. I snapped a few record shots but it flew before I could get any closer and I didn't have time to relocate the bird.

Anything rarer would probably have had a darker bill and a more rounded head.

Nor have I had time to look at the photos in any detail so any comments welcome.

Here are some record shots of this bird:

Bright sunlight is not what you need when looking at gulls....but the primaries certainly look pale enough here

Primaries and tertiaries pretty much the same colour

Underwing would have done a Glaucous gull polarmåke proud...

Pale broad tail band.....

Pale primaries with broad pale edges obvious in this picture

And finally two Herring Gulls gråmåke with a Great Black-backed Gull svartbak between them

This really shows how dark the primaries are on "normal" Herring Gulls (if there is such a thing as a normal gull)