January 17 Gulls

A few shots from the last few weeks, mostly gulls unsurprisingly given the time of year.

Norwegian ringed Black-headed Gull, Loughrea, 1st January 2017. Ringed in Oslo on 22nd July 2013. Seen several times during each summer near ringing site but not outside of  Norway or during the winter months.

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull, Loughrea, 1st January 2017. Ringed on 29th May 2011. First re-sighting of the bird.

Third-calendar Lesser Black-backed Gull at Waterside, 8th January 2017. Nearly as rare as Ring-billed Gull here during the winter.

Third-calendar Lesser Black-backed Gull at Waterside, 8th January 2017. 

Third-calendar Lesser Black-backed Gull at Nimmo's Pier, 8th January 2017. 

Fourth-winter argentatus Herring Gull, Waterside, 8th January 2017. 

Fourth-winter argentaus Herring Gull, Waterside, 8th January 2017. 

Ring-billed Gull, Waterside, 8th January 2017. Very dull bare part coloration. Not one of the regulars in the city area. One of four individuals recorded so far this winter.

Adult leucistic Black-headed Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 8th January 2017. Long returning bird.

Adult leucistic Black-headed Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 8th January 2017. Long returning bird.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 10th January 2017.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 10th January 2017.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 10th January 2017.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 10th January 2017.

Little Egret, Sruthán Pier, 10th January 2017.

Great White Diver

I was down around the Kilkieran way today. A fish farm just off Ardmore Pier has started up in the last year and has received a gathering of gulls, mostly Black-headed Gulls. It's becoming a bit a struggle to find any location in the county in recent years that attach more than a dozen large gulls. Nimmo's Pier, Rossaveel Harbour and a lot of the previously productive Connemara fish farms are a shadow of what they once were. I probably saw less than 30 large gulls in all at Ardmore today which included a very brief flyover first-winter white-winged gull. I also had a white colour ringed adult Mediterranean Gull also here (too far to read). While looking through the gulls I noticed a few Great northern Divers feeding quite close to the fish cages. I was pleasantly surprised to come across a leucistic Great northern Diver. It looked also like a pure albino from a distance but the wings were less than white especially the primaries. You could also make out the ghost image of the colour patterning on the head and neck at certain angles. The bird had a bit of a habit of opening it's bill almost as if it was gasping especially just prior to diving. I'm not sure if this is a great sign of good health unfortunately? While doing a quick search online for leucistic Great northerns I came across a bird seen on Skye island, Scotland over the winter of 2015/2016 which looks very similar to todays bird - note the darker primaries along with the pale greater and median coverts contrasting with the darker lesser coverts and secondaries.
https://twitter.com/skyebirdsbob/status/688794155649216512
http://www.road-to-the-isles.org.uk/westword/feb2016.html
This isn't the first leucistic Great northern Diver I've seen as I had one bird up in Renvyle back in 2011. I've added two record pictures below. This appeared very similar to a bird that has wintered on and off in the Black Head area of county Clare and may well have been the same individual (note the brown foreheads of both birds). http://murfswildlife.blogspot.ie/2013/12/albino-diver.html

Leucistic Great northern Diver with a standard GND.

Leucistic Great northern Diver with a standard GND.

Leucistic Great northern Diver

Leucistic Great northern Diver

Leucistic Great northern Diver

Leucistic Great northern Diver

Leucistic Great northern Diver

Leucistic Great northern Diver

Leucistic Great northern Diver

Leucistic Great northern Diver with some of the fish cages in the background.

Leucistic Great northern Diver, Tully Cross, Renvyle, 6th April 2011.

Leucistic Great northern Diver, Tully Cross, Renvyle, 6th April 2011.

January Gulls

A few shots from today of a lightly marked first-winter Kumlien's Gull at Rossaveel. It looked even lighter in the field compared to these shots. One first-winter Icleand and adult Med Gull also. Less than 20 large gulls present which was disappointing. I think we have the extremely stormy conditions to thank for the Kumliens's and the Iceland.
Also a few pics of a leucistic Black-headed Gull down at Newtownlynch Pier last weekend and one of the Lough Mask Common Gulls.

First-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 30th January 2013.

First-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 30th January 2013.

First-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 30th January 2013.

First-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 30th January 2013.

First-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 30th January 2013.

First-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 30th January 2013.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 30th January 2013.

Leucistic adult Black-headed Gull, Newtownlynch Pier, 19th January 2013.



Leucistic adult Black-headed Gull, Newtownlynch Pier, 19th January 2013.

Leucistic adult Black-headed Gull, Newtownlynch Pier, 19th January 2013.

"226Y" Adult Common Gull, Newtownlynch Pier, 19th January 2013. Ringed at Lough Mask, Co. Mayo.