Wednesday 21st September

Have recently got into the habit off walking the dog (and wife) around the reservoir after work but it won’t be long before it is too dark.

There was a fair westerly wind blowing tonight, but the Reservoir was rather quiet, I did however have a year tick but don’t get excited, I don’t know how I have missed this species this year but I have, so a warm but belated welcome to “Rook”!!!! I appreciate that some of you out there have seen ROOK this year at Shustoke, but I haven’t and it isn’t the kind of bird to generate Emails making one aware of its presence.

Anyway, if you think that’s bad I haven’t got Meadow Pipit on the list yet!!!!! I think being in Panama for two weeks in April has left a few holes.

After completing our circuit Joy took the dog home and I scanned the gulls for Yellow-legged, after humping my scope around I thought I had better put it to good use. For all you gull boffins there must have been close on 200 Herring Gull tonight 600 LBB Gull, 6 Common Gull, 1,500 Black-heads (these are estimates there could have been more or for that matter less).

I thought I had a Yellow-legged Gull again this eveing. The candidate tonight looked a shade darker on the back than Herring, was longer in the body and wings, the head shape looked good and it only appeared to have streaking behind the eye, but for me the bill wasn’t thick enough and it didn’t look bulky enough. Unfortunately, with the wind the gulls were all head-on most of the time, the light was fading, they were a long way away, and I’m no expert on gulls – not looking to make excuses but – where is Alan Dean when you need him (a wonder if he gives lessons)!!