CASPIAN'S IN CROMER!

I have always wanted to visit Cromer this time of year, as it is the place in Britain for seeing juvenile Caspian Gulls in late summer. Geographically speaking, it makes sense. Cromer is situated at the north-eastern corner of one of England's most easterly counties.Directly to the east lies the coast of North Holland. It's perfectly positioned to be the first arrival point for juvenile Caspian Gulls dispersing westwards from mid-July.Much in the way that southeast England seems to be the point for the first arriving Yellow-legged Gulls a couple of weeks earlier. For anyone interested in gulls, Cromer comes highly recommended for unrivalled opportunities to study Caspian Gulls at point-blank range.

Four birds had been reported regularly throughout the week on the beach at Cromer, so I visited tonight with my good friend Owen Parsons. On arrival, it didn't take long to find our first juvenile Caspian gull, roosting on the beach.

As we were looking through the juvenile Herring gulls, a 1st summer Caspian gull appeared sat on the rocks.

Then another bird appeared on the beach in front of us.

I couldn't believe how many Caspian Gull's were about. We connected with six individual birds, three first summers, and three juvenile birds, but the adult bird eluded us after a good search of the area.

Owen papping away with a close Caspian Gull

A great evening of birding finished off with a pint watching the sun go down.

WHITE RUMPED SANDPIPER-SNETTISHAM-NORFOLK

Whilst out about in Norfolk with friends we all called in at Snettisham RSPB this evening to look for a White Rumped Sandpiper.

There were up to five White Rumped Sandpiper's on the North norfolk coast reported today and three had been reported from this site.

As the tide eventually came in and wader numbers increased in the Wash a birder called out that he had found one,the bird was with Dunlin and showed well.

I had only seen one previously at St Mary's Island,Tyne and Wear back in 2002,this is a bird that is well over due in Cheshire and Wirral.

I hadn't visited this site for a good ten years and just enjoyed the rest of the evening watching hundreds of waders in murmuration and watching the sun go down.

LATEST BIRD NEWS-MEGAS IN BRITAIN AND CHESHIRE RARES!

MEGAS

07/08/2024

STEJNEGER'S SCOTER-Adult drake still on sea off River Esk mouth-Musselburgh Lagoons-Lothian

CAPE GULL-Adult-Grafham Water-Cambridgeshire

AMERICAN CLIFF SWALLOW-ST MARY'S-ISLES OF SCILLY

04/08/2024

SCOPOLI'S SHEARWATER-Isles Of Scilly Pelagic-one 14km south-east of St Mary's;

01/08/2024

BROWN BOOBY-Kingsdown-Kent-One the sea off rifle butts mid-evening but no further sign by 21.00

STEJNEGER'S SCOTER-Adult drake still on sea off River Esk mouth-Musselburgh Lagoons-Lothian

30/07/24

GREATER SANDPLOVER-Male (eastern subspecies leschenaultii)-still on beach north of Beacon Point-Newbiggin-by-the-sea-Northumberland

27/07/2024

SCOPOLI'S SHEARWATER-From Rarity Hunters' pelagic c 5km south-west of Bishop Rock-Isles of Scilly

26/07/2024

2 SCOPOLI'S SHEARWATER-From Rarity Hunters' pelagic c 10km south-east of Bishop Rock-Isles of Scilly

22/07/2021

CORRECTION-WHITE WINGED SCOTER-1st-summer drake on sea was a Hybrid-St Cyrus-Aberdeenshire