Glaucous & Iceland Gulls

A day at north Shields Fish Quay on Saturday in the company of many birders and Gulls , we had all come to see  Glaucous and Iceland Gulls  and they put on a good show especially the Iceland Gull  which gave cracking views , my interest was also in the  so called "Viking" gull a hybrid of Glaucous and Herring Gull which put in an appearance later in the day , initially it looked just like a Glaucous but darker . I had heard the term Viking gull before presume it has northern origins where perhaps they are more common I suppose it's  just a simple name rather than saying Glaucous X Herring Gull Hybrid 

 Iceland Gull

Glaucous Gull on the shed roof

 The "Viking"

 The Viking

 Iceland 2nd Winter

 Glaucous Gull

 Glaucous Gull

Glaucous X herring Gull

 Glaucous X herring Gull

Glaucous top left   and Glaucous X herring Gull lower right

Glaucous Gull

Been rather busy of late but did get along to the fish quay and catch up with the Glaucous Gull though I did miss the Iceland , this was on the 25th Feb the bird was  located near the small beach area  but soon  flew off with other gulls and it was not till very late in the afternoon that it re-appeared but this time apparently up on there usual haunt of the shed roof . In the meantime a walk along to Tynemouth Haven had 100+ Dunlin about the same Redshank  and 5-6 Purple Sandpiper till the tide pushed them off. So I still need Iceland for the year and Both for the Blyth Valley  list a couple of  short seawatches has yet to produce any and Blyth harbour seems to get less and less gulls hanging around 

Kumliens Gull Hartlepool

Last Saturday I went down to Hartlepool headland specifically to see the Kumliens  Gull a form of Iceland Gull which I have not seen  before and It's looking doubtful if I will see one in the County this year despite there having been record numbers this year. Got onto the Fish Quay and immediately the bird  flew past but I was looking into the light  so I moved and waited for it to do a circuit  which it did several times but always catching me out  as it disappeared several times and I never saw it perched despite looking everywhere for it . 1st Winter Glaucous also around but this was the opposite as it sat on the water for most of the time, no fishing activity and by mid afternoon most birds had left with a few on the shed roof which where out of sight, three Red Breasted Mergansers and a Common seal the only other things of note, other than I also passed the BEER Can House !!!!

Kumliens Gull 2nd year  most views where like this as it cruised by overhead

 Kumliens Gull showing the darker outer primaries contrasting with the inners

 Glaucous spent most of the time sitting on the water till it went after a discarded fish below the quay wall

 Eventually lifting

And doing a short circuit before disappearing

Glaucous Gull

Went over to the area this side of of the Stella  Power Station to have a look through the Gulls for some reason it seems to attract a reasonable number despite the large housing estate now on the site, I only know you turn down to  Ross's Pickle Factory  turn is just past the large electric sub station . A Glaucous Gull stood out easily amongst the others a 1st winter bird , I only had my small camera so I got some digi shots ,nothing else of note that I could see there had been reports of YLG but I could see nothing that could be a likely candidate. The location of the bird as it was on the far shore was not strictly in the County so I would still like to find one  for myself.. I did not have time to explore the area there is some extensive rough ground and numerous wet areas and the path runs along the river edge so there should be ample views of the river or mud edges.

 This one does not seem to have the fierce expression I have seen on others

I have left the sound on for a change gives a bit of atmosphere even with the wind !! 

Iceland Gull - North Shields Quay

Reports of Iceland Gull and Glaucous Gull at North Shields fish quay again had me thinking  at the moment it does  not look like I am going to find one in Blyth Harbour so I headed back up to check it out , a bright sunny but rather windy day saw me on the  actual  quayside after checking the beach area on the way. First what appeared to be an adult came past but after further views you could see traces or smudges of light brown especially on the undertail so at the moment it's age is undetermined but I just refer to it as sub-adult,  also a 1st year bird came past and it was thought another bird perhaps a 2nd year but this one not seen to come past , I think it was actually just the sub-adult when viewed at a distance looking very white. No sign of the Glaucous  but it was good to catch up with the Iceland's  a few birders came and went with varying degrees of interest from just a tick and go to some spending more time in the company of these great birds , there must be more Iceland's in the Country than in any time before perhaps it will take time for more to drift into the County hoping for a nice clear cut Kumliens type .

 Light makes a huge difference in photographing these gulls although it was sunny all day the direction of light washed out the subtle colours .

 1st year alights briefly

 1st year mobbed by Carrion Crow

 1st year

 I just love the way they hang in the wind checking out any food source

 The sub-adult cruised over a fishing boat flying slowly into the wind, it checked out the boat turned sharply then dropped down onto deck and came up with this fish, although I have no idea what sort of fish it is ?

It's getting late in the afternoon the sun light starting to glow

Iceland Gull............. Fish Quay

Tuesday the 15th February, I wasn't really going to bother going out an other dull day in the offing , but the report of a Glaucous Gull at the Fish Quay North Sheilds and the sun trying to get out  I was off first problem road works at Spanish City took ages to get through then the road by the boating lake was closed ? so I had to work out how to get around and down to the quay. Well got onto the quay a few birders around, told me the Glauc was still around  and 2 minutes later the bird flew past us ,I remarked immediately that it looks more like an Iceland to me just going off its size and the bird not having that fearsome mean  look of  a Glaucous , but then I thought is it a Glaucous but at the smaller end of the range ? it landed briefly and I got some digi shots showing primary projection two toned bill with a slight (very) pale tip, "dark iris". This was at times a rather timid bird landing on the shed roof a couple of times chased off by Herring Gull Juv. I still think this is an Iceland Gull , but looking through the photos on my other posts of Iceland  ,provided I have I.D.'d all those correctly , the head of this bird does not fit the classic form, the bill looks a little long and in my last shot this looks more like Glaucous. When you read up on Gulls structure is to me the hardest  to assess  , but the head does look more rounded, so I'm going for 2nd winter Iceland Gull , iris is supposed to be pale at this age but can eye colour change quickly, not seen any photos with a transitional shade ?. Gulls can do your head in !!!!!!    I have labelled other posts with Iceland featured which were not previously linked.

Any comments welcome  even if it's just to say I'm wrong   !!!

 A very timid bird constantly chased off by other gulls

This shot looks a bit more like a Glaucous Gull

2-02-09 First Seawatch Glaucous or Iceland

Glaucous or Iceland Gull

The snow was not as heavy as I thought it would be , had a not too early run to Seaton Sluice for the first seawatch of the year , I nearly turned back along the coast road as it was just a white out but at the sluice hardly anything, visibility was great a few Fulmar around but as they where going north and south I presume they where of local origin, Kittiwakes , a couple of divers, and some Scoter on the sea which held a Velvet Scoter seen as they flew to resite, a couple of Gannets new for the tick list as was most seen that morning, MH & TC had left when this gull flew over what do you think of the first pic, Glaucous or Iceland.


Glaucous ,Iceland Gull,Snipe, Jack Snipe, Willow, Blue, Great,Long Tailed Tit, Barn Owl, Scaup, Red Breasted Merganser,Goosander, Teal ,Wigeon, Tufted, Mallard, Shoveller,Gadwall,Shellduck Goldeneye, Eider,Pinkfeet , Greylag ,Canada, Stonechat, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Heron, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Redshank, Sanderling,Bar Tailed Godwit, Grey Plover Mute Swan, Shellduck, Black- Headed , Common , Herring Gull ,Curlew, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Coot, Purple Sandpiper,Grey Partridge, Water Pipit, Mediterranean Gull, Sanderling, Dunlin, Turnstone, Brent , Redshank, Rock Pipit, Waxwing (s), Kittiwake, Tree Sparrow, Bullfinch , Raven, Dipper, Bean Goose,Woodcock, .....................................101 for January

Gannet, Fulmar, Guillimot, C Scoter,Velvet S, RTD,















Pic 2 a little more revealed





A Glaucous Gull in it's first calender year or................. 1st Winter

Early afternoon and it was ok weather wise so I went back down to the harbour hoping for a diver or two , but actually very little around MHS came along a we had a look for the Icelands but no luck, it was not long after he left that it dropped in

Smart or what !!!!!!!