Caspian Gull ~ 1st. W ~ Dungeness, Kent - 25.10.15

Another Caspian for Dungeness, that takes it to 9 individuals seen, and 2 more that DW has had, that i haven't seen during the week making a great total of 11 so far for the 15'/16' season ..

This bird stayed around the boats all afternoon and performed well for the camera ..

Caspian Gull ~ 1st. W

A fairly small bird, probable female ..

With a finely barred upper tail and some replaced Greater, Median and Lesser Coverts.

This is the other 1st. winter bird that was there briefly ..

Caspian Gull ~ 1st. W ~ Dungeness, Kent - 24.10.15

With a light south-westerly breeze, a low tide for mid afternoon and overcast skies it had the makings of a good day.

Out went the bucket and c.400 gulls within ten minutes, in amongst them was a 1st. winter Caspian ..

It performed well but didn't hang around for long and never returned ..

Caspian Gull ~ 1st. W

A distinctive looking bird with quite a heavily barred tail, that hopefully returns for a few more visits to the bucket through the winter and will be easy to trace ..

Caspian Gull ~ 1 st. W ~ Dungeness, Kent - 11.10.15

This post is a old one from two weeks ago to play catch up ..

RB joined the fun today and no sooner was he out the car did he grab a 2nd. winter bird resting near The Puddles ..

I played the waiting game thinking that later when the light was better i'd have a go at this bird but it didn't stay for long and that was that, no images.

Later i pick out a 1st. winter in flight which was more camera friendly, the news went out and 6 people turned up thats a major crowd for a gull at dungeness !!

Caspian Gull ~ 1st. W

Gulls ringed from Matosinhos, Portugal ~ Oct' 15

The long weekend trip to Matosinhos, Portugal ..

Arrived Friday midday after a 15 minute drive from the airport straight to the beach and a roosting flock of c.500 gulls.
They are confiding here with many people walking through the flock that they are reluctant to even get up to move !!
I tried my luck to gain entry into the fisheries but was told to come back tomorrow so went back to the beach ..

Saturday morning and c.2000 gulls it was great to wander through the flock searching for rings but this wasn't to last as dogs flushed them more than once and the flock size diminished with birds heading off into the fisheries ..
I tried my luck again, to get entry but this time was told ...
"Come in but NO camera" 
No point in going in then ...
So drove north up the coast to Povoa De varzim to recce another harbour.
A few pleasant hours spent here before getting back for the evening gathering back at Matosinhos beach ..

Sunday morning and its raining, hard so drove south to Figueira de Foz and another recce, not as easy here as at Matosinhos but still a good few hours checking through the many flocks of gulls.
The evening session was again back on the beach, slightly hampered by the usual numpty dog walkers ..

Monday morning and c.3000 to wander through, the first 90 minutes without nobody around was bliss ..
One by one they turned up to let there dogs run crazy until about 300 gulls remained ..
So headed south to Sao Pedro da Afurada for another harbour recce, before getting the plane back home ..

A good weekend

All the usual species you would expect for this time of year, with nothing out the ordinary but so nice ring recoveries .. 
    

The following birds ringed by Paul Veron Mainly at Chouet Landfill, Guernsey .. 

3AL2 ~ Beach Matosinhos, Portugal

0FH1 ~  Matosinhos Beach, Portugal 

8AC0 ~  Matosinhos Beach, Portugal

7AX0 ~  Matosinhos Beach, Portugal

2.K4 ~  Matosinhos Beach, Portugal

8CK9 ~  Matosinhos Beach, Portugal

8CL6 ~  Matosinhos Beach, Portugal

8CS1 ~  Matosinhos Beach, Portugal

6AK9 ~  Matosinhos Beach, Portugal

3AP7 ~  Matosinhos Beach, Portugal

2FH5 ~ Sao Pedro Da Afurada, Portugal

Following the birds are from Roland-Jan Buijs

HO ~ from Europoort, NL seen at Matosinhos

XX ~ from Haringvliet, NL seen at Matosinhos

LY ~ from Maasvlakte, NL seen at Matosinhos

LY ~ from Maasvlakte, NL seen at Matosinhos

LY ~ from Maasvlakte, NL seen at Matosinhos

T2 ~ from Europoort, NL seen at Matosinhos



These two are Eoin McGreal birds

M: GV ~ from Lough Mask, Co. Mayo seen at Matosinhos

M: GV ~ from Lough Mask, Co. Mayo seen at Matosinhos



Both of the Following were birds ringed at Punta del la Banya, Tarragona, Spain ..

PCDB ~ YLG seen at Matosinhos

PCDB ~ YLG seen at Matosinhos


This is one from Peter Rock

F: Z ~ from Bristol, UK seen at Matosinhos


This is one from Peter Stewart

5JG ~ from Gloucester Landfill seen at Matosinhos ~ + 15yrs old


One from Iain Livingstone

7R0: C ~ from Ayrshire, Scotland seen at Matosinhos


One from Cristobal Perez

V9K ~ YLG from Porto do Son, Spain seen at Matosinhos


One from Sonke Martens

HECV6 ~ from Amrum, Germany seen at Matosinhos


One from Rute Costa

M: 056 ~ yIG from Quiaios, Portugal seen at Matosinhos


 One from Norway .... 2180 km's !!

J075L ~ from Udvaare, Norway see


One from Juan Punti

0G.18 ~ yIG from Spain seen at Matosinhos


One from Julian Gerngon

R:X6X ~ from Lilleau Niges, France seen at Matosinhos


One from Viola Ross-Smith

F: 046 ~ from Wales seen at Matosinhos


One from the Balearic Islands

B4FM ~ YLG ~ seen at Matosinhos 


Cannot find a group for this one?

111 ~ ~ yIG seen at Matosinhos


One from Alfredo Herrero

1M8: G ~ from Spain seen at Matosinhos ~ "lusitanius"


One by Gunnar Thor Hallgrimsson

Y250 ~ from Sandgeroi, Iceland seen at Matosinhos

This one has done 2700 km's.

Nice and easy trip here, next time later in the season like January ..