Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus L.) Southsea

little gull - Southsea

iPhone record shots of the single little gull seen off Southsea beach (East of South Parade Pier).

Other notable birds seen from Southsea incl. Southsea Castle: 2 x great northern diver (Gavia immer); 3 x shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis); 11 x purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) & 7 x sanderling (Calidris alba).

The previous day (December 15th) 4 x kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) were noted mid Solent via the 09:00 Portsmouth / Fishbourne Car Ferry.

The return of B6WWWW, and an Old Portsmouth diversion

B6WWWW at Southsea Castle

I took an afternoon trip into town to successfully twitch the widely reported black redstarts (Phoenicurus ochruros) which are frequenting the sea buckthorn in Broad Street, Old Portsmouth. Before getting to Broad Street I stopped briefly at Southsea Castle to count the 14 purple sandpipers (Calidris maritime) feeding on the sea defences at low tide.

I was also pleasantly surprised to re-find my old friend the sanderling (Calidris alba) B6WWWW a bird that was originally ringed in Hampshire in 2011 by Pete Potts. I last saw the bird on the 2nd March 2015 since then it has lost the blue tag on its lower right leg.

Patch-birding-southsea-seafront 2nd March 2015

Having said farewell to this frequent flyer, I then headed to Old Portsmouth and spent some time watching the very showy black redstarts, of which three were present.

2017 starts with some local birding

cattle egrets, Warblington, 2nd Jan 2017

snow bunting, Hill Head, 2nd Jan 2017

sanderling, Eastney, 3rd Jan 2017

sanderling B6 RWYB, Eastney 3rd Jan 2017

purple sandpiper and sanderling (probably B6 WWWW),

Southsea Castle 3rd Jan 2017

.. "When two become one .." a valuable lesson in gull misidentification

I have to thank Lizard Naturally for both the final content of this Blog update, and for pointing out an error in my gull identification today, which meant that I originally assumed I had one gull species, when I actually had two!

Returning to Southsea seafront this morning, I headed west past South Parade Pier and spotted a white-winged gull on the foreshore amongst other gulls, I assumed it was the same 1w Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) - previously reported 2nd - 10th Jan 2016 in the same area (and whom I had photographed on the 8th). I grabbed a few hasty distant record shots, before the gulls flushed and I lost sight of the bird as it flew west. I then walked to Southsea Castle, where almost immediately a 1w winter Iceland Gull flew over my head.

Returning home, I quickly posted two of the photos on WhatsApp. Later on I editted the close up picture of the Iceland gull, and posted it widely. I put the following three pictures on my Blog, and wittered on about the Iceland gull! Hurrah!

This evening I received feedback on WhatsApp, identifying the first bird as a Glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus)!; it's large size, long neck and heavy bill, being more obvious, when the original photos are blown up and cropped. The message also confirmed my correct identification of the 1w Iceland gull, seen close in and overhead.

Only somewhat embarrassed about the original misidentification, made in haste and then skewed by the immediate finding of the second bird. I will learn by the mistake!

Glaucous gull

Iceland gull

Patch birding .. Southsea seafront pt. 1

Headed to Southsea Castle to check on the purps (Calidris maritama), as numbers have been reported on the up over the last week, counted eight (thirteen were reported yesterday).

The ringed sanderling (Calidris alba) B6WWWW was also present, and I took a few record shots to pass onto the Farlington Ringing Group. 2 Rock pipits (Anthus pertrosus) were very mobile, although one came within range whilst I quietly sat watching/photographing the sanderling.

Sanderling (Calidris alba L.) at Southsea Castle - including a ringed individual

record shot of ringed sanderling

Updates:

 

22.12.14 The record of the ringed sanderling B6WWWW has been submitted to BTO

03.01.15 I received confirmation that the sanderling was ringed by Peter Potts of the Farlington Ringing Group, on 03.10.11. Over the intervening years, it has been recorded between August and March mainly from sites on Hayling Island, with an occasional sighting on the IOW and Gosport. First reported at Southsea Castle on 29.11.14 it has been seen again on the sea defences up to and including 04.01.15.

Southsea Castle purps !

purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima L.)

surprisingly confiding!

Southsea Rock

Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus)