10/02/2018 Hollingworth Lake, Rochdale

Glaucous Gull: This massive bird just happens to be the second largest gull in the world, after the great black-headed gull.  This species breeds in Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and this individual has decided to winter in Rochdale.

For the past two weeks or so there has been a very obliging juvenile glaucous gull at Hollingworth Lake, near Rochdale in Greater Manchester.

I've put off going to see it for a number of reasons, not least because I spent all last week birding in The Gambia.

Even on a grey, wet Saturday afternoon Hollinhworth Lake was busy, not only with families coming to feed to ducks and gulls and dog walkers enjoying this tranquil little spot, but parking enforcement officers!!

Beware and make sure you pay if you are staying.

When Gary and I arrived the bird was happily standing amongst the local wildfowl and black-headed gulls right off the car park on the concrete ramp leading in to the water.

The bird sat there happily and wasn't bothered by the dog walkers who came down to the waters edge as it just moved off on to the water and then came back.

The bird was almost immobile, and didn't fully take flight until a little girl and her mum came to feed the ducks.

Then the bird became very aggressive towards the black-headed gulls who were masters at steeling the bread, even in mid air.

But don't worry the galuc muscled in and got its fair share.

I never tire of seeing these birds up close like this, its a real winter treat.

The bird enjoying the company of the locals.

16/02/2017 St Helens

Glaucous Gull: Thanks to the on going excellent efforts of some great local birders who have found and tracked some local Viking gulls, I have been able to add a few new birding sites to my local list.

One of which is Lyme Wood Pits Country Park and Landfill site and Penkford Flash near Haydock. Where I have been a few times this week without seeing any white winged gulls until today.

Mediterranean Gull: As soon as I arrived at Penkford Flash there were hundreds of gulls, however there is very little cover and the flash is pretty close to the pathway so inevitably the birds were flushed and didn't reappear. I still had time to fire away a couple of record shots of the juvenile Glauc before it disappeared with the rest of the flock.

Following the gull flocks there is usually a large mixed flock at Haydck Island near the fields past the Shell Petrol Station. Viewing is difficult as suggested it would be best on the West carriageway in a layby, but then your viewing across two busy lanes of traffic and over a hedge.

Still you can get a half decent view of the flock from here and although this time there where no Iceland or Glaucous Gulls amongst the flock I did mange to pick up an adult Mediterranean Gull in the stubble field right next to the layby.

21/01/2017 North Shields Fish Quay

Glaucous Gull: From East Chevington I was keen to head back via North Shields Fish Quay in order to see the two juvenile Glaucs that have been hanging around for the past few weeks.

Take a look at this beast, can you blame me for wanting to come and see them. Those who know me know I have a thing for gulls and although I have seen plenty of Glaucs I have never had them at such close quarters.

The first bird I caught sight of was loafing aloft the roof of the fish quay docks before flying down on to the water giving me a good chance to see up close it's broad wings and diagnostic pink bill with it's 'dipped in ink' black tip.

The second bird appeared out of nowhere and began to feed on some bread that a passerby was throwing out to the birds. This is when I swooped in and got these shots as the birds came closer.

I got talking to a local who has been watching the birds on the quay and informed me that the two juv Glaucs are distinctly different in size and that there has been a juv Iceland Gull knocking about on the quay too, however this has not been around for a couple of days.

I wasn't overly disappointed with the lack of an Iceland Gull as both these Glaucs put on a real good show.

Here is another shot of the birds broad, short, narrow white wings.

Take a look at that distinct tertial step, followed by its relatively short primaries which are longer then it's tail all features of a Glauc. I've seen all these features before and picked out plenty of Glaucs from Iceland but always from a distance either at Moore NR or Richmond Bank.

This individual appeared to have a doggy leg and was limping around before laying down to rest on the quayside itself.

It was a real pleasure to get up close to a bird I have only really seen at a distance, this was great end to the day (despite any footballing upsets).

10/03/2016 Sandbach Flashes

Herring Gull: A day spent with Dawn shopping ended with a quick twitch for a gull. I was originally hoping to see Patrick Earith's adult glauc which he took some awesome images of -the brute.

Unfortunately the adult was long gone when I arrived but I was treated to some nice views of a juvenile Glaucous Gull instead.

However there were some people who thought this bird was a pale looking Herring Gull, but looking at its bill structure and wing length along with its pale biscuit-primaries I thought I was spot on.

But like a lot of these Viking gulls there is a chance they hybridize and with the help from the Pete 'Gull Man' Kinsella I have downgraded the bird to a Northern Herring Gull "argentatus" or more likely a possible hybrid Glauc x Herring.

08/03/2015 Richmond Bank

Glaucous Gull: After missing yesterday's monster of a mega Audouin's Gull, I was eager to give it a stab and set off for first light.

I headed straight to the gull watching site overlooking Richmond Bank and was surprised to find I was on my own, I thought there would have been more birders out looking for this monster.

When I arrived the gull count was about 2000 and growing, which again was surprising as usually Sundays are rubbish at Richmond due to the landfill not operating on the weekends.


I spotted two different Glaucs and an odd looking 1st winter Iceland. The first Glauc I spotted was a very pale bird and less evenly marked.

This first bird was a classic image of a large front heavy Glauc with its short primaries that seem to stop too early and large broad white wings.

Among the hundreds of argentatus and fuscus there was a darker more milky coffee coloured Glauc with pale barring along its wing coverts.

This heavy set bird stood out like a sore thumb among its neighbours and was distinctly different to the first Galuc which was a lot more white.

The odd looking Iceland Gull took me some time to pick out but again it was very distinct once you got your eye on it.

Other opinions believe its some sort of Herring hybrid one of Richmonds mutant birds!

This image shows the birds steep forehead and relatively large eye and the classic projection of its long primary wing feathers that were pale giving the bird an attenuated rear end.

Despite no sign of the monster Audouin's Gull it was a nice, if a little rainy, grey and damp morning



Note: The last three images were taken on my lousy iPhone through my scope and are not the best.

30/12/2014 Moore Nature Reseve

Glaucous Gull:  This would be my third trip in as many weeks to Moore, however on this visit I had more time so spent all day watching the gulls.

After spending two hours at Birchwood Pool I wandered over to Pumphouse Pool where I found a juvenile Iceland Gull, unfortunately not long after I picked it up the bird took off and I was unable to relocate it.

After losing the Iceland Gull I headed over to the upper hide on Pumphouse Pool with the hope of settling in and scanning through the building numbers.

Not long after I arrived Mike Mulholland turned up and it was from this moment that I simply spent the rest of the day chatting away with mike, no gulling, no birding.

I can however tell you some stories about Mike that includes a Frankie Goes to Hollywood T-shirt and Morocco, a lads weekend in Ibiza and a surprise visit from a Leatherback turtle in Conwy!

After we finally stopped gassing we spent some time looking through the gulls when I picked up a nice white winger amongst the flocks.
At first the Glauc in my mind was a bit small, however comparing the birds general size and bill size and next to the local argentatus we concluded it must be a Gluac and not the short legged, short billed, long winged Iceland Gull I spotted earlier.


On my way back I stopped off at Birchwood Pool where the gull numbers were much larger than earlier in the day it was here two young birders told me they just had a juv Gluac, juv Inceland and an adult Med Gull in the past hour or so.

(first two images where digiscoped)