Another productive Stewartby gull roost

Stewartby roost came up trumps again for Steve Blain, Neil Wright, Andy Plumb and me between 5.00pm to 6.30pm this evening with a tally of 9.5 species!

A large first-winter CASPIAN GULL was picked out by Steve shortly after he'd alerted Neil and I to a juvenile ICELAND GULL he'd picked out in flight coming into the roost. [My 128th species in Bedfordshire this year so far]. I had earlier found the adult GLAUCOUS x HERRING GULL hybrid and a first winter YELLOW-LEGGED GULL, I later picked out a second-winter YLG too and Steve saw an adult YLG as well. Whilst watching the Iceland Gull I found an adult MEDITERRANEAN GULL passing it and both birds were in the same scope view as the Glauc hybrid on one occasion. Still hordes of L B Backs, good numbers of Common Gulls and Herring Gull numbers holding up. Still less than a score of Gt Black Backs and B H Gulls were at a good few hundred rather than the few thousand of late.

Other species present at Stewartby Lake and environs this evening were a PEREGRINE on one of the old brickworks chimneys, a Kingfisher flying low across the centre of the lake, a Chiffchaff heard singing, a male Sparrowhawk low across in front of us, a couple of Grey Herons, 3 Gadwall flying off and all the usual species inc good numbers of Rooks and both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Nothing heard from the Cetti's Warbler reported near the gull watchpoint this morning by Pete Smith unfortunately.An excellent evening......

Earlier today I had visited Octagon Farm and Meadow Lane pits between c10.40am until just before noon then visiting Quest ClP and Rookery South ClP before spending a short while at Brogboro' Lake until 2.00pm

Highlights were.....

16 Dabchicks at Quest and 9 at Rookery South
10 Shoveler at Rookery South but no R C Pocards here today nor at Quest
72 Wigeon at Meadow Lane GP's
54 GOLDENEYE were counted at Brogborough Lake
2 Ringed Plovers were found at Quest ClP and 2 Oyks at Meadow Lane
5 Redshank were at Meadow Lane, a few at Quest and 4+ at Rookery South
a first-winter YELLOW-LEGGED GULL at Quest showed a long red ring on its left leg and a metal ring low on its right leg (just as the second-winter YLG had shown that I found here on 17th March) - the mixed graellsii L B Back and adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULL were also present again at Quest
singing Chiffchaffs were noted at OFm, Meadow Lane and Quest

MJP