Prescot Reservoirs,
The run of rare gulls continued with this 1st winter caspian gull at the reservoirs today . It showed briefly around midday and after some checking of the photos at home I was able to confirm it as a 1st w caspian gull. Several yellow legged gulls also today with 2 adults , a 2nd winter and a 1st winter was a good total among the couple of thousand herrings throughout the morning.
A female goosander, 3 goldeneye, 3 pochard, 5 teal and 10 tufted duck on the still partially frozen reservoir.

1stw casp

1stw casp

1stw casp

Prescot reservoirs,

A real rarity at the reservoirs is Glaucous gull and a juvenile today was the first for over 13 years. Glaucous gulls have been pretty scarce in the NW this winter and this bird was my first this winter. A nice addition to the ring billed and caspian gulls this winter at the res.

An adult med also today and BH reports a crossbill over this morning.

Ringing update,
I have just received a reply about the ringed common gull at prescot reservoirs seen on 5th Jan 2010.
It was rung on 10th july 2006 on the island of Amrum just off the north sea coast of Germany. It was then recorded each summer in 2007, 2008 and 2009 at Amrum and then finally by me at Prescot reservoirs in Jan 2010

Rung 10.7.06 at Amrum Germany
recorded 2.6.07 at Amrum Germany
recorded 6.6.08 at Amrum Germany
recorded 19. 5. 09 at Amrum Germany
recorded 5 .1.10 at Prescot reservoirs, UK

Seaforth NR
Nipped down to have a look at the adult ring billed gull this afternoon. Showed well with 3 adult meds. A few fieldfare and redwings on the reserve also.

Prescot reservoirs,
8 inches of snow and the reservoir 80% frozen
A couple of common gulls of interest today.
A red darvic ring with white letter and numbers A325 was on an adult common gull. It was ringed in Germany between 2005 and 2007. I have sent the details to the ringer so hopefully he will get back with more info.
A leucistic 1st winter common gull looked very wintery in the blizzard conditions .
Also adult med gull, 2 adult yellow legged gull, 3 goldeneye, 20 tufted duck,2 pochard , 10 little grebe and 2 snipe . BH reports 7 golden plover earlier.

Two very different 1stw common gulls

Moore NR,

A 2nd w iceland gull, 3 adult and 2 1stw yellow legged gulls, and an adult med gull today on Birchwood pool which was 90% frozen.

2nd w iceland gull

2nd w iceland gull

adult yellow legged gull

1st w yellow legged gull

1stw yellow legged gull

1st w yellow legged gull

A very caspian-like herring gull.

Prescot reservoirs,

Very few gulls today with the majority being the 300 common gull. A couple of hundred black headed gull, a hand full of lessers and only 50 herring gull. A nice 1st year yellow legged gull was on no3 reservoir.
13 pochard ,50 tufted duck, 3 goldeneye and 15 little grebe.

1st year yellow legged gull

1st year yellow legged gull

1st year yellow legged gull

1st year yellow legged gull

1st year yellow legged gull

1st year yellow legged gull

Argentatus herring gull. A very long white tip on p10

Prescot Reservoirs,
Loadsa gulls. Lovely.

Blizzard conditions gave the reservoirs a very festive feel today. The snow covered surroundings were very picturesque but the sight of 5000 herring gulls was absolutely amazing. No3 res was completely full, every bit of water was full of herring gulls plus 1000 black headed gulls. The now empty no4 res had a roost of 1500 herring gulls. These estimates are really on the conservative side and I am sure there were more than the numbers I have stated but I wasn't going to count them.I would say that 90% of them were adults. Probably a combination of the severe weather conditions and the tip at Moore not working today. Certainly the most gulls I have ever seen on the reservoirs.
A couple of adult yellow leggeds and a leucistic herring gull was what I could pick out of them in the couple of hours I had with them.

An interesting 1st w gull
A leucistic herring gull

A dark eyed argenteus

A dark eyed argenteus

A very pale 2nd w herring gull

A faded 1st w herring gull

Prescot reservoirs,
An adult caspian gull was present today with an adult med gull, 2 adult and a 1stw yellow legged gull. 2000 herring gulls gave me plenty to look through in the bitterly cold weather.

77 tufted duck, 11 pochard, 9 goldeneye, 6 shoveller,17 teal, 1 great crested grebe, 12 little grebe,1 dunlin and 1 snipe.

Adult caspian gull

Adult caspian gull

Adult caspian gull

Adult caspian gull

Adult med gull
Dunlin

Adult yellow legged gull
Snipe

Prescot Reserviors

Chris D reports an adult caspian gull today.

Prescot reservoirs,

A couple of adult yellow legged gulls have been regular this month and the ring billed gull has been dropping in most days.

Prescot reservoirs.

Found this adult ring billed gull today on no4 res. Adult yellow legged gull and adult med gull also