Save Our Forests....

....and some other 'bits'.

During another lull in my birding I'm confident this gap filler on Birds2blog will be of interest to everyone who visits here so please take a look at Save Our Forests and consider signing the petition please.

Linnets. John Bateman

Two of the 34 Linnets I counted yesterday which seem to be the remnants of what has been some interesting observations of the set-aside at Cockersands where the numbers of Linnet/Greenfinch - and on one occasion a Brambling on 27 October - have fluctuated over a period of 'several' weeks and which reached a peak of at least 100 birds on two dates in Oct/Nov last year. Thanks for the pic John, you may be interested to know the only urban Grey Wagtail I know of visited our humble garden this morning after a long absence, though I know it has been seen by you recently John, on the other hand....is there more than the one bird? 

MEGA NEWS.

A Slaty-backed Gull has made an appearance at Rainham Marshes in London and put in a brief show again today at 12.20pm but as I write has not been seen since. Now I'm most certainly not the one qualified to make too many comments about 'gulls' it being an area where I 'fall down' in my moderate qualifications as a birder, but what I do know about this bird is this....

It is a large white headed 'gull' which breeds on the western coast of Alaska but which travels widely during the non-breeding season. It is similar in appearance to two other 'gulls' namely the Western Gull and the Glaucous-winged Gull. The species is a first for Britain with only one previous record in Europe, having been seen in Latvia and Lithuania.

If you can appreciate some good humour you'd better take a look at 'ID of the Slaty-backed Gull' HERE but be warned if 'strong' language offends you....STAY AWAY.