Recent Images
Putative Heuglin's Gull
Putative Heuglin's Gull, Essex 10th December 2011
Okay so not quite recent but this bird has been playing on my mind since I photographed in early December 2011 in south Essex. It initially appeared to be a First-winter Caspian Gull, for obvious reasons, however some features don't quite sit right for this species and after some research it appears to be closer to Heuglini in appearance. Indeed there is an image of a bird on the Gull Research Org
website that is a very close ringer for this bird. Some initial feedback from gullers with far greater experience with heuglini have commented that its a pretty good candidate for this form/species with the exception of the state of moult, ie it should be closer to juvenile in December than shown here. Given a displaced bird may have a different moult strategy this could be the real deal. A little more detail is provided below on the bird however I would welcome comments that may lend towards an ID. For a full suite of images see here:
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull, Essex 11th February 2012
Remarkably I relocated the same bird back at the tip 9days later which often hung around in the middle of the loafing gull flock.
Iceland Gull
Iceland Gull, 1st-2nd winter Gull, Essex 4th February 2012
Finally scored a local white-winger. It seemed as if we were the only place in the country to not have an Iceland Gull so this beauty is very welcome. This is bird is probably a 1st winter progressing to 2nd winter, it has a mix of juvenile feathers, more prominent on the right side of the bird, and fresher pale grey replaced scapulars, again more obvious on the birds right side.
Ring-billed Gull, Essex 2nd February 2012
This is the third recorded at this site now and constitutes my 6th self found individual, more of this here
Water Rail, Wat Tyler Country Park, Essex 11th February 2012
A couple of very showy Water Rails could be seen regularly in front of the main hide at Wat Tyler. A very underestimated bird and superbly plumaged.
Grey Heron, Pitsea, Essex 11th February 2012
A species often overlooked or taken for granted but once you really looked at a Grey Heron you can see how well it is plumaged and the colour pallet is subtle.
Water Rail
Grey Heron
Smew
Smew, drake, Paglesham Lagoon, Essex 12th February 2012
For more of this stunning duck click