Kitti conundrum

Following on from last evening’s excitement, I returned to Stewartby Lake in the hope of getting further views of the first-summer Ring-billed Gull that Neil had found on Thursday 14^th March. I determined I’d get there early as the weather was inclement and I hoped any goodies would arrive early to roost. So it was that I joined Tony Ploszajski at 4.45 at the usual gull watchpoint midway along the north-west bank. We were sheltering under brollies but the change in wind direction had brought the roost closer and all conveniently facing west broadside on. In fact the gulls came in later than yesterday and comprised just a few hundred birds split roughly equally between Common and Black-headed. Roy Dunham soon joined us and the last night’s hero, Neil Wright. Tony P had to go but Tony Revill and Phil Rhodes arrived. Of a sudden, Neil cried out that an adult Kittiwake had just flown in – and it had! We watched it for some time but then continued our scans for the RBG or a Med Gull as more and more gulls now poured in. A few minutes later I was scanning the flock and well over to the left, I ‘re-found’ the Kittiwake. Whilst trying to direct the others on to it, Tony Revill called that he was watching an adult Kittiwake in flight in the vicinity I was pointing to – he was and Tony and I kept on it through our ‘scopes as it circled and then headed right but we lost it in the melee. During these flight views, Neil called out that he’d still got a Kittiwake on the water over to the left where my bird had been. I then re-found presumably the flying bird on the water in the front centre of the roost, just as where the original bird had been. Paul Wright now arrived and we quickly directed him onto both birds. Regrettably, but unsurprisingly, the Ring-billed Gull didn’t make a second appearance and, as Lesser Black-backs had dropped from 135 down to 49, it is likely that the RBG was merely en route northward.

In terms of what counts on a Self-found Yearlist, the above is a conundrum…..

NW clearly self-found the first bird centrally in the flock when overall numbers were under a thousand. But, had I found the second bird and it was the first bird that had flown up for a fly round and landed again in much the same place as it took off from? Or, had I merely relocated the first bird over to the left and it was TR who found the second bird flying in to land centrally in the roost? Indeed it is unlikely, but not inconceivable, that there was the ‘central bird’, the ‘left bird’ and that the ‘flying bird’ simply flew through and headed west toward Brogborough. It is safest and most likely that just two adult Kittiwakes were present. It is also ‘almost’ certain that any one of us present would have found the first Kittiwake moments after NW called it as it was a very obvious bird toward the front centre of the flock – so on that basis alone is, I understand, an SFYT.

MJP

BNG

A Little Owl and one of two Black-necked Grebes...showing well...

Sandwiches for Lunch

Having gotten up later than a late thing this morning, I eventually got to Stewartby Lake at 11.45 where it was of no surprise to find that Keith Owen's 2 Kittiwakes had already moved through (unmedically speaking), however his summer plumage Sanderling was still along the concrete slipway by the sailing club, albeit only for a few minutes as, when I looked for it again about noon, it was not to be seen and thereafter both children and boats arrived!!

At noon, I was scanning the lake to be certain that the Kittys had definitely gone and had only seen a distant single Black-headed Gull and a Common Tern resting on a closish buoy when I heard a tern calling - but what a treat! Eric had arrived!!

I reverted to bins and quickly found not one but three Sandwich Terns flying about in the nearest quadrant of the lake to by position toward the level crossing, east corner end of Green Lane along the north-east shoreline. They appeared to be a pair and a single as the two kept apart from the third bird and landed on a mid-lake buoy together. I promptly 'phoned the news out - it was 12.05. Sandwiches for Lunch indeed!!

One of the birds seemed to have gone within ten minutes but two were still present when I'd relocated to the breaker's yard, north corner. This "pair" then moved off as well and had gone by 12.23. I took this photograph, the best of a few taken, at 2x thro' my 32x 'scope lens and then blew the resultant shot up rather a lot more on the computer. Even at the near kilometre distance snapped, the large size, shaggy black cap, black legs, white body and long "dipped in butter" black bill are all clearly evident.....honest!

Later, I enjoyed further views of the long-staying Slav Grebe in the same 'scope view as the recent drake Common Scoter. The Nightingale sang sporadically at the north corner but my singing Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler of recent days were far easier to see. At 2.15 with TP, LC and BC, I enjoyed nice close views of the Turnstone found at Millbrook Pillinge a little earlier by DHB, then it was back for another half hour or so at Stewartby.  

Martin Palmer