London ticking… and a Caspian Gull

Suzanne and I had a very pleasant wander round Rainham in the sunshine this lunchtime – I was keen to catch up with a peculiarly large and black-and-white Little Grebe, and a couple of rossicus (Tundra) Bean Geese, since both would be London ticks.

Everything was very obliging (though the Slav was rather un-photogenic today – might return tomorrow), and I found a cracking 3rd winter Caspian Gull – I think this is yet another new individual on site following an excellent run of birds. Rainham is surely one of the best places in the country to see these right now, as long as you visit on a day when the tip is working (so not Sunday).

Photos were taken into the light so they’re not fantastic, but they show all the features: rather small pear-shaped head, long slim parallel sided bill, small dark eye, remnants of a streaky shawl on the nape, long thin legs, high chest and hanging belly to the rear. When it dropped onto the pool for a swim (showing very attentuated rear end, with primaries held high above the water), it spent a lot of time picking up bits of vegetation and messing about with them – I’ve seen Caspians do this a lot, no idea why though!

More from Yorkshire: Filey Brigg waders

Some further pics captured in gloomy conditions at the weekend. A confiding group of waders on the rocky shoreline at Filey included 13 Purple Sandpipers, a species I don’t see particularly often (or particularly close) down south. Given a bit of time and basic fieldcraft (keeping still and low down), they came in quite close allowing these photos to be taken. If I’m up that way again on a sunnier day, I’d like to have another go since there’s plenty of room for improvement… or maybe the Purps in Lowestoft are calling when I’m back in East Anglia.

Black-throated Thrush, Newholm

The first long distance twitch of the year was a great success all round: a cracking bird (filling a relatively easy gap on my British List), excellent company from Messrs Lethbridge and Harvey, plenty of good food, and some… …  err… “entertainment” in the pub in Bridlington on Saturday night! £1.50 a pint and karaoke. Hmmm… it seemed like such a good idea to go for a couple more quiet beers after dinner!

Anyway, moving on from that traumatic experience – here’s a few photos of ‘the boy’. The light was really poor so these were taken at ISO 800-1000 and aren’t going to win any prizes, but hopefully illustrate just how well the thrush was showing. Almost constantly on view, it was chasing away any intruding Blackbirds, calling quite frequently, and generally offering superb views. If only all new birds were so obliging.