RAINHAM GULLS

[Tony Kennelly]

Whilst helping out at the gull ID workshop on saturday 14th, I & many others saw 2 or 3 adult med gulls, 1 adult yellow-legged gull & 2 1st winter ICELAND GULLS! Talking with one of the other regulars (with 30 years experience there) he'd never seen 2 together in all that time. Having been there early, to look for the bearded & penduline tits, unsucessfully again!, the iceland gulls didn't appear until 3pm. However, it was well worth the wait, as they both showed very well indeed on a calm & bright afternoon. They were both reported again today too.

Other birds included a peregrine on one of the pylons, which managed to slip away unnoticed by birders & birds! 2 ruff & plenty of regular waders: 1000+ lapwing, 100+ golden plover, 50+ snipe, 200+ black-tailed godwit, 4 curlew, 200+ redshank & 1 grey plover.

A quick look for the short-eared owls over the silt lagoons took a little bit too long as the bird that had just been showing well for another birder disappeared for 1/2 hour ! He came up quartering just as I was leaving - quite literally. Also a sparrowhawk (I was hoping for merlin) & 15 ring-necked parakeet heading to south london to roost.

Tony