GULLS!

Gulls!! a bit like "marmite", you either love them or hate them.  I  suspect that most of us don't look very closely at them and are just aware of their presence. Neil loves gulls and very diligently studies every detail whereas I give them a cursory look and only study them if they look obviously different. But I have to say that I love their character.  In the past I have taken in injured gulls and nursed them back to health. I remember a LBBG terrorising our old cat if he dared set foot into the kitchen where the Gull was patrolling as it recovered.  The look on the cats face was priceless.  On another occasion a BHG was sitting in front of the gas fire when there was a knock on the front door.  The poor delivery man couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the Gull and both simply stared at each other. I still smile about this scene even now. 

Anyway I digress, this is always an interesting time of year in the county to catch up with different gulls passing through.  Currently a Mediterranean Gull is coming into roost at Stanford Reservoir.   At  Boddington Reservoir there were 2 Caspian Gulls (adult and 1st winter) and 9 Yellow Legged Gulls today.  Recently a Caspian Gull has been seen regularly at both Hollowell Reservoir and Stanwick GP. 

There doesn't seem to be much bird news around for the past few days. The Ring-necked Duck remains at Titchmarsh LNR and Red Crested Pochards at Mary's Lake (Earls Barton) and Pitsford Reservoir.   There are still plenty of Stonechats around,  especially at Summer Leys,  Pitsford Reservoir,  Harrington Airfield and Blueberry to name but a few sites.             New birds reported today include a single Crossbill over Deenethorpe, a Ringtail Harrier over the rough area between Dallington and Harlestone Firs and a Woodcock at Blueberry. 

It is worth keeping an eye out for any Starling roosts where you can watch the spectacle of the "murmuration " as the birds gather.  There appears to be a reasonable murmuration over Sixfields and Titchmarsh. I'm afraid that one poor Starling met a grisly end today in our garden when the local Sparrowhawk paid us a visit. I was upstairs when I heard all the commotion and the terrible cries from the Starling. I ran down the stairs as fast as I could but it was in vain as the Sparrowhawk left the garden with the Starling .

Have a good weekend and don't forget that the clocks go back an hour. Somehow I don't think that the extra hour in bed will make any difference to the dogs !! It may be a little early but Waxwings have arrived in Scotland,  Yorkshire and Norfolk.  Fingers crossed that we get some of these gorgeous birds visiting our county. 

Regards Eleanor 

Common Gull.

Lesser Black-backed Gull.