Bit of a Cock up

Wednesday 15th April 2009

Enjoyed the Football last night, great entertainment. The weather forecast looked promising for Birding today and when the first few messages on the pager came through including a movement of Arctic terns in the East Midlands it was time to get going. I had intended to go to Shustoke Res. first but after a quick look round Piccadilly I ended up at Coton. The weather had deteriorated with a now strong easterly wind and squally showers. A mist had also descended which lasted into the afternoon. This weather report is vital evidence in the story about to unfold. From the hide I soon picked out an Arctic tern amongst the Black headed gulls. I was looking out of the side window of the hide to get some relief from the wind. There was a steady stream of Lesser black backs going through and a more slender looking gull with all black wing tips which I took to be a Kittiwake. The gull continued in an easterly direction. I reported my findings to the voice of the Tame who relayed the info on. I moved on to check Bodymoor Heath water There were 10 Common tern on the Sailing club pool and 4 Common tern and a Grey Wagtail on Bodymoor Heath.

At Cliff pool I met up with Keith Warmington and Ron Thomas, the Mediterranean Gull was good value acting the playground bully. A phone call saying there was a Kittiwake sitting on the water at Shustoke had me scurrying off. The rain was quite heavy when I got to the reservoir but I assembled my scope to look at the only gull at the west end of the water. I was convinced it was a Kittiwake, Yellow/green bill all black primaries dainty posture. Other birders arrived and concurred, I took a few images out of habit for the old blog.

Without photos we would have been happy with that. Even though Steve Haynes threw a spanner in the works and said all he'd seen was a Common Gull we'd have invoked the old 2 bird theory and left it at that.

When I looked at the pictures at home it was clear it was a 2nd summer Common gull. Features which hadn't been apparent in the field, such as a tiny window in the primaries became obvious. Well done Steve. I and a few others got it wrong. but that doesn't matter what matters is that we ended up with the right ID. and those who take every opportunity to run down birders with cameras should acknowledge that photographs can provide a useful identification tool. Here endeth the lesson.