It's been all about gull watching around the reserve this week. On Sunday we and 18 members of the local group went on a gull identification course in Peterhead, lead by a local gull expert. With the aid of a couple of loaves of sliced bread we attracted a huge flock of gulls. With a bit of help, even a terrible gull watcher like me still managed to identify eight different species including Iceland, Glaucous and Kumlien's Gull. We also got a few tips on identifying and aging young and juvenile gulls, which I'll be trying out as soon as any of the ones at Strathbeg come close enough to look at!
The other highlight of the day was a couple of seals, including one almost black individual who came to check out if what we were throwing in the harbour was remotely edible. We think that they often get fed or scavenge scraps of fish from the boats, and were clearly very disappointed that we only had a few rounds of bread.
Back on the reserve this morning we were all a bit surprised to see a number of Black-headed gulls starting to explore this island in front of the visitor centre. The warm weather of the past few days has obviously convinced them that it's almost spring and a couple were clearly starting to set out territories. With that in mind, Emma and the vounteers headed out in the kayak to put the tern and gull boxes back out on the island. These aren't nest boxes, both gulls and terns nest in a small scrape on the ground, but are there to give the chicks somewhere to shelter in bad weather, or to hide from the larger Greater Black-backed gulls which will happily eat a tern chick if they can catch one.
Hi Michael,
Much debate about the Iceland/Thayer's/Kumlien's complex on the day including the question of species/subspecies/self-perpetuating hybrid. Our guide on the day (much more expert than myself) said we could count it, so I'm counting it!