GLAUCOUS GULL at Trench Pool, Telford!

What a cracking shot! Jim Almond 

I got a complete surprise when this big 1st winter fem GLAUCOUS GULL landed in front of me!

  We arrived in that great birding county, Shropshire, just before 12 at my parents home in Trench, Telford from Dartford last night. This morning while Gayna was getting herself ready to go out, I thought I would go and have a quick look at Trench Pool, which is just around the corner. Here I found that the pool was 40% frozen over and the first thing I got on to was a 2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull on the ice. There was not much else of note and as I was just about to leave, I saw this white-winged gull coming towards me. GLAUCOUS GULL!! I couldn't believe what I was looking at as it landed on the ice at close range. A Glaucous Gull on Trench Pool! I quickly called Lathem and then put the news out. In the end it stuck around for a good hour for everyone to enjoy. This is not the best bird I've found on here, although I don't really watch it unless I'm visiting my parents house. On christmas day, '94, I found the only twitchable Shag to turn up in Shropshire. Luckly the bird was still present the following day and that's when eveyone caught up with it. I found also 3 different Scaups, including a drake that wintered a few years ago and many times, Yellow-legged Gulls. For a very small pool in a built up area, and not watched at all, it doesn't do all that bad.

1st winter CLOUCOUS GULL at Trench Pool, Telford

2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull was also a good bird for Trench Pool

The CLAUC GULL showing very well

1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL at Trench Pool Jim Almond

If you would like to see more excellent shots of the Glaucous Gull, I recommeand that you visit Jim's websie http://shropshirebirder.blogspot.com/

Both the GLAUCOUS and the Yellow-legged Gull together on Trench Pool


GLAUCOUS GULL flyig low over Trench Pool

There was also an escaped small Canada Goose on the pool 

  Gayna and I were going to go and visit the south of the county, but as the fog rolled in, we decided to walk along the River Seven at Lieghton. Here, the Pink-footed Goose was still around,  feeding with the Canada Geese, and a Green Sandpiper was on the river side. There were only a pair of Wigeon and Goosander.
  So I come back to Shropshire and the first bird I more or less see, is a Glauc! Not a bad birding county after all.

Both the Pink-foot and Green Sandpiper were present on the Seven

A slow walk at the side of the river