Yellow-legged Gull - real or fake?

26th September 2014 - Topsham

A decent low tide afternoon gull gathering at Topsham Rec produced no surprises, just this interesting individual. It's been around a few days but these are the first photos I've managed to get.

Yellow-legged or Hybrid Gull? - 26/9/2014 Topsham

Yellow-legged or Hybrid Gull? - 26/9/2014 Topsham

Yellow-legged or Hybrid Gull? - 26/9/2014 Topsham

The mantle is a darker grey than Herring Gull and the legs are definitely yellow rather than pink, so why isn't it a Yellow-legged Gull? Well, there are a few things not quite right with this bird as a michahellis. The grey isn't that much darker than the adjacent Herring Gulls and the yellow legs are rather pale and washed out, a genuine michahellis should be darker still and the legs should be a richer yellow - the colour often fades a little in the non-breeding season typically not as much as this. The orbital ring is difficult to make out in the photos but through the scope was definitely not the obvious coral red shown by michahellis. On the open wing there is a broken black band on P5, on a Yellow-legged this should be broader and complete. There's also a suspiciously obvious white crescent between the grey and black on P6 and P7. On a more subjective level, the overall shape of the bird didn't give the feel of michahellis, the head is fairly rounded, even small, and the bill 'hook' has a gentle curve, although this might be because it's a female.

I admit I'm suspicious these days, here's why - an undoubted hybrid from last week. Darker grey certainly, but pink legs.

Hybrid Gull - 17/9/2014 Topsham

And no reason to doubt the credentials of this bird, a michahellis from Sardinia earlier in the month.

Yellow-legged Gull - 7/9/2014 Alghero, Sardinia

Sardinia - 1st year Yellow-legged Gulls, and a real oddity.

Just because they're interesting, here's a small selection of 1st year michahellis from Sardinia in early September. I was surprised at the range of variation in moult progression in just a handful of birds.

Yellow-legged Gull 1cy - Alghero, Sardinia 7/9/2014

 Above: all scapulars apparently 2nd generation (ginger toned when fresh with broad pale tips), many coverts new/growing.

Yellow-legged Gull 1cy - Alghero, Sardinia 7/9/2014

 Above: many 2nd generation scaps and coverts, nice contrast with older worn and faded juvenile feathers.

Yellow-legged Gull 1cy - Alghero, Sardinia 10/9/2014

 Above: many replaced scaps but coverts apparently all juvenile.

Yellow-legged Gull 1cy - Alghero, Sardinia 10/9/2014

 Above: new scaps obvious on both birds but no coverts moulted that I can see; interesting difference in colour tone between these two.

Yellow-legged Gull 1cy - Alghero, Sardinia 10/9/2014

Above: just a handful of 2nd generation scapulars are visible, again no apparent moult in coverts or tertials yet.

Yellow-legged Gull 1cy - Alghero, Sardinia 10/9/2014

Above: a similar moult stage, just a few new scapulars grown coverts and tertials all juvenile.

Yellow-legged Gull 1cy - Alghero, Sardinia 10/9/2014

Above: same again, a few new scapulars, no coverts replaced yet.

Yellow-legged Gull 1cy - Alghero, Sardinia 7/9/2014

Above and below: the same bird, this one appears to be still in practically full juvenile plumage, possibly one scapular and one greater covert (visible on second photo) are moulted.

Yellow-legged Gull 1cy - Alghero, Sardinia 10/9/2014

Finally a real puzzle, I was too busy taking pictures and trying to avoid spooking the gulls to notice this one until I checked the photos later, now I wish I'd payed more attention at the time and seen it fly.

1cy gull - Alghero, Sardinia 10/9/2014

I'd assumed it was another michahellis but the bill is quite short and deep and the tertials and coverts look just like a Herring Gull.

Peregrine takes Kingfisher

17th September 2014 - Topsham

It was a standard morning at Topsham Rec, I was checking the gulls and examining a fairly obvious hybrid - more of which later - when a couple of agitated and noisy Kingfishers shot past me. A few minutes later they were calling again, now accompanied by anxious Black-headed Gulls and Redshanks, when a Peregrine appeared over the reeds carrying one of the Kingfishers. I grabbed a few shots, my camera was on my 'gull setting' so the results were seriously underexposed; still, it's not something I've ever seen before and I'm pleased I got anything.

Peregrine with Kingfisher - 17/9/2014 Topsham

Peregrine with Kingfisher - 17/9/2014 Topsham

Peregrine with Kingfisher - 17/9/2014 Topsham

Meanwhile back to morning's real business, the gulls.

A fairly obvious hybrid was in evidence again. The legs are pink - with a slight hint of salmon perhaps - and the head and neck are moderately streaked so no chance of mistaking this for a michahellis. The primary pattern would seem to rule out a northern argentatus Herring Gull, the only other possibility.

Hybrid Gull - 17/9/2014 Topsham

Hybrid Gull with argenteus Herring Gulls - 17/9/2014 Topsham

Hybrid Gull with argenteus Herring Gulls - 17/9/2014 Topsham

Hybrid Gull with argenteus Herring Gulls - 17/9/2014 Topsham

Hybrid Gull - 17/9/2014 Topsham

Just to make things even more interesting this juvenile Great Black-backed Gull dropped in briefly. I took a few photos and only when checking them later noticed the yellow leg ring. It's D:DB I think which would mean this bird was ringed in South Wales but I'm waiting for confirmation.

Great Black-backed Gull juv., colour ring D:DB - 17/9/2014 Topsham

Great Black-backed Gull juv., colour ring D:DB - 17/9/2014 Topsham

Great Black-backed Gull juv., colour ring D:DB - 17/9/2014 Topsham

Update 17/9/2014 Just had a very prompt reply from Richard Clarke of the Goldcliff Ringing Group, the GBB Gull was ringed on the nest 8th June on Denny Island in the Bristol Channel, Monmouthshire (actually right in the middle of the Bristol Channel). This is the first subsequent sighting.

Ruff, and some half decent photos for a change

15th September 2014 - Topsham

The dog needed a walk and I needed a walk so we went for a wander round Topsham, down The Strand and along The Goatwalk to Bowling Green Marsh, Goosemoor and back again. On a rising tide Black-tailed Godwits - juveniles are typically very approachable - can often be found feeding close by The Strand, occasionally other species join them. Today's bonus bird was a Ruff, no more than about 20 feet from the road and looking for all the world like it wasn't going to flush if I stopped. So I parked the dog, got out my camera and took a few photos.

Ruff - 15/9/2014 Topsham

Ruff - 15/9/2014 Topsham

Ruff - 15/9/2014 Topsham

Ruff - 15/9/2014 Topsham

Ruff - 15/9/2014 Topsham

Ruff - 15/9/2014 Topsham

Ruff - 15/9/2014 Topsham

Ruff - 15/9/2014 Topsham

Ruff - 15/9/2014 Topsham

Ruff - 15/9/2014 Topsham

Ruff and Black-tailed Godwit  - 15/9/2014 Topsham

Ruff and Black-tailed Godwits - 15/9/2014 Topsham

I know most of you will immediately recognise this bird as a juvenile but since quite a bit of detail is visible in the photos I thought I might indulge myself and look at some of the ways to age it.

The scapulars, tertials and wing coverts are blackish centred with distinct and broad whitish (buff when fresh) fringes and tips. Fresh non-breeding feathers on an autumn adult would be greyer with more diffuse and thinner pale fringes and, in fact, a few new adult pattern feathers are visible among the longest 'upper' scapulars.

The breast is plain pale buff, though the colour is faint and quite faded with many whiter or greyer adult type feathers are appearing.

The tail feathers, just visible on a couple of photos, show sub-terminal black and buff banding or notching, these feathers are plain dark grey brown on adults.

The legs and feet are dull yellowish green, on an adult they would be more orange or even red.

Solitary Ruffs can be tricky to sex but as this bird was feeding alongside Blackwits and only seemed small and not tiny in comparison I'm inclined to think it's a male.

A week in Sardinia - the birds

Just got back from a week in Sardinia. A really nice holiday with Carolyn, Jack and Sally (both rather too old to be still going away with their parents but unable to resist a free trip). As a birding trip - which it was never really meant to be - it was disappointing. Maybe it was the time of year but birding was a real struggle, very few birds in evidence and most even more unapproachable than in Britain.

Here's some rather poor photos.

Eleonora's Falcon - Sardina.

My one piece of real luck, not expecting to see this given our location at the 'wrong' end of the island, I jammed onto this on my first morning out. Just a shame about the quality of the photo.

Bee-eater - Sardinia.

Plenty of these and some big flocks, but always in poor light.

Griffon Vulture - Sardinia

Driving through the mountains I noticed a couple of these soaring close to the road, by the time I'd pulled over they were heading away from me.

Scopoli's Shearwater - Sardinia

Another departing shot from a short boat trip, identified solely on basis of location.

Hooded Crow - Sardinia

Zitting Cisticola/Fan-tailed Warbler - Sardinia

I'm actually quite pleased with this shot, given the light and distance.

Little Stint - Sardina

Flamingo - Sardinia

At least these were easy enough to photograph.

Stone Curlew - Sardinia

Which is more than can be said for these - a real record shot.

Spanish Sparrow - Sardinia

Common but surprisingly hard to photograph.

Sardinian Warbler - Sardinia

A Sardinian Warbler in Sardinia of course. Pretty much ubiquitous - every bush seemed to have them but again frustratingly hard to photograph.

Gulls and then other wildlife to follow.

Mascarene Petrel - and what it takes to get the press interested...

...'egg bumps' apparently.

This story broke yesterday with the publication of the long-awaited Mascarene Petrel paper (Shirihai et al 2014). Well long awaited in the seabirding world that is, although it was picked up by the British press at least - The Independent and The Guardian, and I hear Tony was even doing radio interviews. It's a change from my usual more parochial concerns and while I wasn't part of the expedition - I did get an invite but my meagre travelling fund was exhausted - I did have a small role in producing the resulting paper (Shirihai et al 2014), link to pdf below.

In a family containing so many endangered species, the Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima is in a precarious, though sadly not a unique, position. It's only known to breed on the small island of Réunion in the western Indian Ocean. It was first described in 1856 and for many years was known from just ten specimens (all but four now lost) until two more were collected in the 1970's. A breeding colony on Réunion was discovered by Vincent Bretagnolle in 1997 but there were no definite sightings at sea and certainly no photographs of the bird in its natural marine environment - until a couple of years ago.

Hadoram Shirihai and Vincent Bretagnolle (authors of the forthcoming 'Tubenose Handbook - illustrated by yours truly), together with Tony Pym and Maria San Román visited Réunion in December 2012. Using the same methods perfected in studying Beck's and Fiji Petrels and in getting the first at sea photos of Zino's Petrel, they lured in at least 33 birds and photographed 12. For the first time it was possible to describe Mascarene Petrel's at sea appearance, how it looked, how it flew - it's jizz.

I won't attempt to summarise the identification features - and the difficulties - the paper does that perfectly well.  Hadoram has kindly allowed me to post some of his astonishing photos - just wish I'd been there!

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima, showing the characteristic deep based Pseudobulweria bill (look at the depth of that latericorn!). Off Réunion Dec 2012 © Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses Project

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima, the faint contrast between the blackish head and the browner belly 'ghosts' the hooded pattern of Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata. off Réunion Dec 2012 © Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses Project

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima, off Réunion Dec 2012 © Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses Project

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima, the pale flecking on the neck is just visible in this superb shot. Off Réunion Dec 2012 © Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses Project

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima, long even width and rounded wings. off Réunion Dec 2012 © Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses Project

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima, off Réunion Dec 2012 © Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses Project

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima, approaching the chum. Off Réunion Dec 2012 © Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses Project

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima, feeding on the chum. Off Réunion Dec 2012 © Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses Project

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima, taking off - great legs!. Off Réunion Dec 2012 © Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses Project

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima, off Réunion Dec 2012 © Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses Project

And my small part? Since I was painting the plates for the forthcoming Tubenoses monograph, Hadoram asked if I could move a little ahead of schedule and prepare the Mascarene Petrel plate for publication in the paper. Here it is.

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima and Fiji Petrel P.macgillivrayi, together with some confusion species. From Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World (in prep.) © Tim Worfolk

The press coverage has been great and it's no surprise that most story's are picking up on the 'egg bump' - which, to be honest, is an amazing first. But when even the Guardian writes of  'ornithological paparazzi', I dread to think what the gutter press are making of it.

The paper is about much more than at sea identification of course. With a bird as endangered as the Mascarene Petrel it's vital to know its population size, all its breeding sites and what dangers it faces. A likely breeding population of in the order of 100 pairs is suggested (although it may be higher) and since only 9-10 burrows have so far been found it's obviously critical that the remaining sites are located and, if at all possible, protected. At least one result of publicity is often more funding, I hear that Birdlife International is to spend more than 3 million Euros (half from the EU LIFE+ fund) to halt the decline of Réunion's endemic petrels (the other being Barau's Petrel Pterodroma baraui). Money from the EU LIFE+ fund will be spent by the Parc National de La Réunion to 'stop the loss of Réunion's biodiversity by saving two endemic petrels from extinction'.  Thanks to Tony Pym for the correction and my wife Carolyn for explaining it all to me in simple words.

Reference

Shirihai H., Pym T., San Román M. & Bretagnolle V. (2014). The Critically Endangered Mascarene Petrel, Pseudobulweria aterrima: identification and behaviour at sea, historical discovery of breeding sites, and breeding ecology on Réunion, Indian Ocean, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club, 134 (3) 194-223.

A pdf of the full paper can be downloaded here www.bou.org.uk/boc/shirihai-et-al.pdf

LIFE+ PETRELS - Halting the decline of endemic Petrels from Reunion Island: demonstration of large-scale innovative conservation actions