27th November 2019
Including this adult, in the last week there have been up to 7 Yellow-legged Gull off Morning Point.
Late this afternoon off Morning Point. there was a good movement of 100s of kittiwake and 60-70 Lesser Black-backed Gull heading west. So I guess it was no surprise when I picked out 4 Yellow-legged Gull (2 2nd w and a single 3rd w and adult) in with them. up to 70 LBBG is a very large number for this time of year as a count of 4 or 5 birds is regarded as pretty good. Also a LBBGXHerring Gull was very briefly feeding off the point. Just went out the door outside and there on the wall was a Rusty Dot Pearls.
Out of the 2 2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull, this was the only individual that stuck around while other bird was only seen once distantly among the hundreds of other gulls. When I first picked up the above YLG distantly front on, I thought I got a Caspian Gull but was disappointed when it flew closer. Two above images by Jo
For comparison here’s the 2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull from last week off Morning Point
This 3rd winter nipped in and out just before it was almost dark
The adult stuck around for a good twenty minutes Above two images by Jo
The image above shows three of the Yellow-legged Gull off Morning Point taken by Jo
The HERMIT THRUSH is still giving awesome views at the start Kittidown Trail for the hordes of birders twitching it from mainland
At the same time two days ago off Morning Point, there were good numbers of LBBG moving through again and this time 3 adult Yellow-legged Gull passed by with 2 Common and 6 Mediterranean Gull. Earlier on in the day we said hello to our ducks at Porthloo and also to the Surf Scoter that was hanging out with Mallard. There was also single Black Redstart on the beach.
I remember not many years ago when Yellow-legged Gull was recorded on Scilly once maybe twice a year and sometimes not at all! Two of the 3 adult Yellow-legged Gull off Morning Point
This adult LBBGXHerring Gull, I believe, is only the second time this hybrid has been recorded on Scilly after I had another adult on Tresco two years ago in December. One of Yellow-legged Gulls have photo bombed the image below. As we try and arrive when the tide is approaching high tide, it’s also an hour before dark making photography hard work in the fading light.
In the last three days maybe over 120 Lesser black-backed Gull have moved west passed Morning Point.
Great black backed Gull off Morning Point by Jo
Maybe the two yanks, Surf Scoter and the HERMIT THRUSH, might decide to overwinter on Scilly. Scoter images were all taken by Jo.
It’s now been over a month since we put Coal, at the front, followed by Pablo Jr, Feather and Graham Gordon, on Porthloo Duckpond and they’ve seemed to have settle down and enjoying their new home. By the way, Graham Gordon is a female!
SCILLYSPIDER 2 