Friday, January 13, 2012

Iceland & Glaucous Gulls & a Pond Tick!


Iceland Gull - Adult - even less common around here...



2 Iceland Gulls & a Swan               1st winter Iceland Gull

Birding had been a bit slow since the New Years Count really not much to add (A few Ducks) but...
Yesterday when I finally checked for 3 Gulls out the window on Meoness, I thought I was seeing things... are all the Gulls Iceland? To my surprise yes all three of them! Today I had 5 Iceland & 1 Glaucous around the Auld Haa & the South Harbour plus Warden David had another 2 Iceland maybe another Glaucous but not sure if it isn't the same bird... Wow! I was working in the garden when this Adult Iceland dove into my pond! (Wahoo! Pond Tick!) only 10 foot away swim on top. but my camera was in the house. I think it was trying for one of my goldfish. After I got my rubbish camera I was able to get about 10 foot away from the one adult gull and get some good shots. My Fuji Camera 10megapix 10X optic zoom held together with a rubberband is not the nature photographers first choice and the dull blue overcast light didn't help, but not bad...

Tomorrow(Sat.) we'll try to survey the whole island as part of a Shetland's White Winged Gull Count due to the large influx of birds in the past few days.


Glaucous Gull - South Harbour 
Taking photos of White Winged Gulls together is hellish to be sure you have the right bird.
I think I got it right but white birds in silhouette is sort of useless.




I'm looking for a Kumliem's Gull if any such thing truly exsit?

What a Kumliem"s Gull?




2 comments:

  1. That's a beautiful shot there with the sun. Speaking of birds my husband called me down to the kitchen window this morning to see a pair of turkeys. Unfortunately they spotted me and ran off. Turkeys are pretty big, lol.

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