6-2-12, Stubbers Green.

With a day off I decided to do something weird, go and photograph and study some gulls. Gulls are a major weakness to me and it is more than time I did something about it. After taking the dog to the vets I was at the gull heaven for about 10.45. The sailing pool 95% frozen and there was a few gulls on the ice but not many. Then the photographs began although they are not very good as A) my camera is a bit old, B) I am rubbish and C) there was a misty haze every now and again that came over the lake but I had a go and photographing the species.

To start with, a Black Headed Gull.

Then comes along an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. So far hopefully so good.

A couple of Herring Gulls.

Common Gull.

Not really sure what this gull was!!!!!!!!

From the size alone I figured this was a Great Black-backed Gull. Looking at Gulls by Olsen and Larsson its hard to put an age on but possibly a 3rd winter!!!!!

Another chap was on site who was pretty good with gulls and gave me some advice whilst looking for gulls and he was a bit interested in this juvenile due to the lack of contrast between the wing coverts and the breast so I took a photo to see what others think.

This was another gull the chap was interested in. Lesser Black-backed body but the wing tips look long and as it is in adult plumage the legs are not yellow but pink. He thought proberbly a Herring x Lesser Black-backed hybrid. Again opinions welcome.

And finally a couple of shots of one of the Caspian Gulls that have been freqenting Stubbers Green. I had a handy chat with the chap on why this was a classic Caspian. Very interesting and hopefully I will remember these next time and find my own.

The complete bird list for the area was Shoveler, Black Headed Gull, Coot, Tufted Duck, Canada Geese, Mute Swan, Mallard, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Great Tit, Caspian Gull, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Fieldfare, Goldfinch and Starling.

Whitemoor Haye.

Onto the local patch and the pool was still completely frozen so it was on to the lanes and birds noted were Magpie - about 20 in total were seen including a group of 13, Robin, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Black Headed Gull, Starling, Great Tit, 4 Mallards flying over, Goldfinch, Wren, Dunnock, 322 Mute Swan, a single Corn Bunting singing, 3 Grey Heron, c20 Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, a Kingfisher which flew out of the ditch, Blackbird, Tree Sparrow, 16 Fieldfare, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, 2 Little Owls, Reed Bunting, 18 Golden Plover, a single Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Pheasant, Canada Geese and and a couple of Pied Wagtails.

Lichfield.

Twas dentist time at 16.00 but walking through afterwards I noticed a few Pied Wagtails on top of the shops roofs in the arcade, about 30 in total. Then passing Argos byu the car park there must have been another 90 to 100 birds on the roofs. I have seen pictures of urban roosts in trees with masses of Pied Wagtails and I would love to see this spectacle and hopefully its occering in Lichfield.

I went home.