Venus Pool - Common Gulls

A few Common Gulls have been dropping in at Venus Pool just lately... I took pics of this 1cy (late) gull on the 11th Nov

Having a drink...

Then a paddle around...

This image shows the difference with smaller Black-headed Gull...

Take off...

Then departing...

A much briefer visit for this adult Common Gull the following day (12th Nov)

That's all for now but lets hope we get some interesting gulls this winter?!

Venus Pool - Yellow legged Gulls and co

I put in a few hours Gull watching today and it paid off with five species seen. Top of the bill were a couple of Yellow-legged Gulls and they took up most of my time, patiently waiting for flight!

First off was a 3rd winter YLG, fist picked up by John Martin in the morning and here it is leaving...

It flew back in mid afternoon but I had to ignore it as there was suddenly an adult YLG too. A much cleaner bird! Here's the two together...

And a comparison with Lesser Black-backed Gull...

Here's the adult YLG departing...

Two other species were present, an adult Herring Gull, keeping tucked away at the back of the crowd for much of the time!

I did manage to get its departure...

Let's not forget the noisy Black-headed Gulls?

And the last species turning up was a 1st winter Common Gull! 

Not a bad session with counts of YLG 2, LesserBB 120+, BH Gull 120, Herring Gull 1 and Common Gull 1. Oh and with Great White Egret (coming next) , Redshank, Little Egret (7) Curlew (2), Cetti's very vocal too!

There was even aviation interest as the final flight shot was courtesy of the RAF and a Hawk (7K017) Shawbury bound with landing gear down at just 1250ft (taken from the memorial hide).

Lochindorb - local birds

The moors around Lochindorb have become a featureless place managed to please the shooting fraternity? There's plenty of Red Grouse but precious little else...

She's looking a bit grumpy, maybe because the chicks were running amok!

But after stopping the traffic, they were soon in a much warmer / safer place.

As her partner watched on, observing the 'green cross code'....

I think I'm gonna start a 'bird on a rock' portfolio? So here's my first offering Common Sandpiper at the edge of the loch....

And one of 100+  Common Gulls breeding on a nearby moor...

Scotland - Cuckoo welcome

First evening in Scotland and after a miserable 8 1/2 hour journey due to Glasgow roadworks mayhem, I decided (after eating well) to check out Dava Moor ann Lochindorb.

No surprise to see 100's of Common Gull...

Blackcock were out lekking early!

And of course Cuckoos were cuckoooooing :-) Bird of my very brief 'day' or should I say evening!

Shame they weren't closer though!

Apart from this one!

A familiar welcome to Speyside, the long drive instantly forgotten!