SCILLYSPIDER: Kumlien's Gull at Morning Point

Monday, 15 January 2018

Kumlien's Gull at Morning Point

I relocated the adult Kumlien's Gull at Morning Point after goin missing for eleven days

Mid-morning and I arrived at Morning point to see that the juvenile Iceland Gull had been joined by an adult Kumlien's Gull. It didn't take long to work out that is was the individual that Andy Holden found that hasn't been seen since the 4th Jan! Where has it been in all this time? In the thirty minutes I was there, both white-wingers showed very well feeding off the inlet before a heavy shower came in and I had to return to work. Good numbers of Kittiwake were also moving through in the gale force westerly.
Yesterday afternoon, Ritchie Aston got a Short-eared Owl over Porth Hellick. Later on in the early evening Mick Scott had a Long-eared Owl in his garden at Longstones. Shortly afterwards I had a single at the entrance of Star Castle and this evening, Higgo had another single at Lower Moors and the Snowy Owl was still on the NW side of St Martins yesterday. Be warned! For a change, lots of photos of gulls.

Both the adult Kumlien's and juvenile Iceland Gull showed very well at Morning Point before the former species moved on just as a heavy shower came in.

Lots of Kittiwake were pressing west through the rain just off Morning Point

At 08.00 yesterday morning, Higgo and I joined Joe Pender in his punt for a look around the Samson area and south end of Tresco. as we set off in the calm waters, the sun was just breaking and the first bird we see is a juvenile Glaucous Gull from Samson towards St Mary's. Although it was ideal conditions, for the next hour before returning home all we saw were 10+Great Northern Diver and good views of the female Long-tailed Duck off Ca\rn Near, Tresco. However, back in the harbour we all got cracking views of the Black-throated Diover and 2 Black-necked Grebe and when I got home I could hear a Firecrest in the garden and found it in the pines. Later on in the afternoon, 'Rocky' Robin and I took advantage of the calm conditions and had a scan from Mcfardlands Down and Innisidgen and the only bird of note was a juvenile Iceland Gull that flew from st Martins and landed in Watermill Cove Bay, St Mary's briefly.

The female Long-tailed Duck was still in the same area as it was when we first found it in November last year, just off Carn Near, Tresco,

Both the adult Black-throated Diver and 2 Black-necked Grebe have got use to boats in and out of the Harbour

Got home and found this Firecrest in me garden

Two days ago, Higgo and I pulled up in me wagon yin the afternoon at Porthloo and found a juvenile Glaucous Gull. It stuck around for over an hour to the delight of everyone who came to see it. As the Kumlien's Gull reappeared after goin missing since the 4th Jan, who to say that this Glaucous Gull at Porthloo is not one of the three juveniles that was on Scilly and went missing at the same time as the Kumlien's? Shortly after seeing the Glaucous Gull I observed the juvenile Iceland Gull in the last hour of daylight at Morning Point. Also, a 'bridled' Guilemot was found dead on Porth Hellick Beach and on St Martins, Viv Jackson had a Yellow-browed Warbler.