North Wales

A trip out to North Wales to add a few year ticks was very enjoyable. Once again there was very little in the way of sunshine, but the birds on offer more than made up for that. I started at Rhyl to add a Scaup. I had already picked up a Lesser Scaup in Scotland, so to get the pair so early in the year was great. It has been a few years since I last saw one, so was pleased to see it playing ball not too far out on the lake.

I moved on to the Little Orme where an Iceland Gull had been for some time. It took me a long time to locate it, looking down onto a shingle bay that was the perfect camouflage for the bird. After quite some time it appeared from behind a rock. A cracking gull which then took flight around the bay giving some very good views.

Also here at the Litte Orme, I managed to tick off Shag, Red-throated Diver, Fulmar, Eider, Guillemot and Razorbill. A good day out all round.

Iceland Gull

Red-breated Merganser in flight.

Scaup

With a Tufted Duck on the left.

Iceland Gull at Elton Reservoir

The weekend saw me out and about in search of a reported Iceland Gull. I had seen one a couple of years ago at Sandbach, but to be honest it was a little too far away for me to really appreciate, even through the binoculars. So I headed to Elton Reservoir in Bury wondering what I'd find. This time I made sure I did my homework and knew exactly what I was looking for. It was cold and windy as I scanned the water, but it was not long at all before I picked out the very pale feathered Iceland Gull in amongst a whole host of other gulls. It was quite some distance out in to the reservoir, so these shots are not particularly great but more of a good record in Manchester.

The pale bird just left of centre is your Iceland Gull





Here out in front

In flight at the back behind a Black-headed Gull

1st winter Common Gull in flight.