More colour-rings on the Adur (31 January-04 February)

Tuesday 04 February. I took Cookie to Shoreham Fort, first calling in at Harbour Way where Polish Black-headed Gull T5PE was again on the exposed mud. The fort was birdless, not even a Turnstone around the harbour or a Gannet out to sea. Out of boredom I counted how may of the Rampion turbines were not working, 16 out of 116, usually it has been 10+/-.  Too much excitement so we went on to Widewater were we saw the Mute Swan family (mum, dad and junior), 2 Teal, 3 Little Grebes, Kingfisher and Meadow Pipit. Although the tide wasn't far out we tried the Adur seeing 3 Grey Plovers by the airport and a flock of about 300 small gulls by Ricardos. With them were two adult Mediterranean Gulls and a new and two repeat Norwegian colour-ringed Common Gulls, a very worthwhile haul. I never thought Common Gulls could be so interesting!

Black-headed Gull T5PE at Harbour Way

what I'm calling J1Z5 again on the Adur. 

J1Z5 was ringed as a second year south of Oslo at Torderød, Moss, Østfold in June 2012. It was also seen at seen Thisted havn, Nordjylland, Denmark in September 2015, Sundbrygga, Moss, Østfold in August 2016, assuming the same on the Adur on 15 March 2018, Jeløy, Moss, Østfold on 04 April 2018 and on the Adur on Saturday

Norwegian Common Gull JE242. Ringed as an adult near the southern tip of Norway at Espevigheia, Lillesand, Aust-Agder in July 2017, its not been seen again until today. Note the colour ring is on its left leg.

Norwegian Common Gull JJ242. Ringed as an adult near the southern tip of Norway at Espevigheia, Lillesand, Aust-Agder in June 2018, I saw it on the Adur on 31 December 2018. This one colour ringed on the right leg.

it seems quite a coincidence that JE242 and JJ242 should be in the same flock, less so that both were ringed at Espevigheia, although a year apart

adult Mediterranean Gull on the Adur

unusually ringed above the knee?

gulls on the Adur including an unringed Mediterranean

Monday 03 February. Megan and I took Cookie up to Mill Hill. In an hours walk a heard Robin was the only small bird encountered while a Peregrine was seen overhead a couple of times and 60 Rooks came up out of a field.

Sunday 02 February. Megan and I took Cookie to Brooklands seeing the Mute Swan family (mum, dad and 4 offspring), 8 Teal, 2 Little Grebes and a rather nice singing Coal Tit. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was also heard.

Saturday 01 February. I took Cookie to the Adur where we saw 50+ Lapwings, 5 Redshank, an adult Mediterranean Gull and amongst 400+ Common Gulls one wearing a Norwegian colour-ring. Megan was going to Chichester Festival Theatre so we dropped her off and went up to West Dean Woods. Sadly what used to be the Little Owl tree at Staple Ash Farm as lying in pieces although my last few looks there had been unsuccessful, as they have elsewhere. We walked up to Monkton Farm seeing a Marsh Tit and flyover Hawfinch on the way. Two more Hawfinches were seen flying over Monkton Farm where there was a decent sized Chaffinch flock (110+) but I couldn't pick out any Bramblings. During the afternoon we saw at least 4 Red Kites and 8 Buzzards but it was generally disappointing, the strong winds not helping.

Norwegian colour-ringed Common Gull. The final character looked most like a 5 to me. Checking my records it seems very likely that I'd seen this bird before when the last character was completely covered ...

the same bird on the Adur on 15 March 2018

adult Mediterranean Gull on the Adur

Friday 31 January. Cookie and I did a circuit of the Adur (Norfolk and Old Toll Bridges). We saw 6 Oystercatchers, 78 Lapwings, 13 Turnstones, 5 Redshank, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Sussex colour-ringed Herring Gull, Peregrine, male Stonechat and 5 Meadow Pipits.

one of two ringed Common Gulls not bearing a colour-ring.

Herring Gull A2FA, a bird I'd seen on the Adur six times between July 2010 and November 2015 but this is my first sighting since

adult Yellow-legged Gull by Ricardos