Bird News from Tim Edelsten
Predictably, development has come to this picturesque and sunny port, and they have built a park with railings over an area of rocks formerly used by the birds to feed. A look at the harbour and neighbouring beaches found the following:
- Brant Goose Branta bernicla. Three in the harbour. There used to be more here in winter but they have concreted over the rocks they used to feed on.
- Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope. 17 feeding on seaweed in the shallows and rock pools.
- Mallard Anas platyrhynchos. Ten or so. Always unusual to see them in the sea rather than on freshwater.
- Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha. Several species of anatidae typically associated with inland freshwater seem to be distributed in marine areas the length of the east coast.
- Common Pochard Aythya ferina. Two in the harbour.
- Greater Scaup Aythya marila. Five or six diving in the harbour.
- Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus. Two off the north beach.
- Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator.
- Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena.
- Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis. Four.
- Temminck’s Cormorant Phalacrocorax capillatus.
- Sanderling Calidris alba. Ten or so along the south beach.
- Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla. Four or five in the port.
- Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris.
- Common Gull Larus canus. Two or three present.
- Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens. One in the port.
- Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus.
- American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus. One potential sighting under consideration. One or two have been reported here since January 22nd at least.
- Vega Gull Larus vegae. There seems to be a huge amount of individual variation within this species in terms of build, streaking, bill size, eye and leg colour, and overall structure. No two gulls look the same!
- Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans. One or two possible individuals showed features of this type, including long flesh-colored legs, mostly white head with gradually sloping forehead, longish bill lacking obvious gonys angle, and upright stance.
- Slaty-backed Gull Larus schistisagus.
- Taimyr Gull Larus heuglini taimyrensis. Up to ten on the south beach. Once again, a lot of variation within this group- some quite powerfully built, others shorter and smaller.
Presumed Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans, © Tim Edelsten
Presumed Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans, © Tim Edelsten
Presumed Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans, © Tim Edelsten