White-winged Gulls again! Sunday 7th December 2008.
After finishing on the early shift at the General, I drove over to Eyebrook Reservoir, to look for the 2nd winter Glaucous Gull which had been re found in fields next to the reservoir.
Parking up next to the hedge by the island, as I got out of my car I heard Mick Ketley's voice shout out that the Glaucous Gull was flying over the road, which upon I looked up and saw the big brute of a Glaucous Gull flying over the road into the fields behind the reservoir. Result!!!
Joining Mick and the Brett's by the island we waited for a few minutes hopefully for the Glaucous Gull to return, but strangely after half an hour the bird had not returned.
With this we started to scan the in coming gull roost hopefully to see the Glaucous Gull again and the long staying Iceland Gull which had been returning to the reservoir for the last three weeks.
Over the next hour good numbers of large gulls joined the roost, with others sightings included a single drake Smew and smart looking male Pintail in the large numbers of feeding ducks.
Then at around 3.45pm I re found the 1st Winter Iceland Gull as it joined the roost. It briefly washed itself just south of the island, and then joined the main roost as it came quite close to the Gull watchers feeding off the point next to the island. My aborted attempt of trying to digiscoping the Iceland Gull failed miserable as there was just not enough light in the day left.
As the gloom descended we scanned the roost for a few minutes more but there was still no sign of the Glaucous Gull. Maybe it had roosted at Rutland Water?
By 4.30pm it was getting to dark to view the roost and decided to call it a day and by now my feet had turned into ice blocks!!
So in conclusion not a bad afternoon's birding with two white-winged gulls under the belt, a now rare occurrence in Leicestershire birding circles!?
Parking up next to the hedge by the island, as I got out of my car I heard Mick Ketley's voice shout out that the Glaucous Gull was flying over the road, which upon I looked up and saw the big brute of a Glaucous Gull flying over the road into the fields behind the reservoir. Result!!!
Joining Mick and the Brett's by the island we waited for a few minutes hopefully for the Glaucous Gull to return, but strangely after half an hour the bird had not returned.
With this we started to scan the in coming gull roost hopefully to see the Glaucous Gull again and the long staying Iceland Gull which had been returning to the reservoir for the last three weeks.
Over the next hour good numbers of large gulls joined the roost, with others sightings included a single drake Smew and smart looking male Pintail in the large numbers of feeding ducks.
Then at around 3.45pm I re found the 1st Winter Iceland Gull as it joined the roost. It briefly washed itself just south of the island, and then joined the main roost as it came quite close to the Gull watchers feeding off the point next to the island. My aborted attempt of trying to digiscoping the Iceland Gull failed miserable as there was just not enough light in the day left.
As the gloom descended we scanned the roost for a few minutes more but there was still no sign of the Glaucous Gull. Maybe it had roosted at Rutland Water?
By 4.30pm it was getting to dark to view the roost and decided to call it a day and by now my feet had turned into ice blocks!!
So in conclusion not a bad afternoon's birding with two white-winged gulls under the belt, a now rare occurrence in Leicestershire birding circles!?
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