Species of the week: Mediterranean gull

(Apologies that this week's species of the week is late - I was off sick on Monday when it usually have been written.)

With the current heatwave bringing sub-tropical weather to the UK, it's perhaps only right that our latest species of the week is one that brings with more than a hint of Mediterranean warmth.

Just a few decades ago, there was great excitement when Mediterranean gulls first started to colonise the UK as a breeding species along the south coast. Their spread was slow, but eventually they began breeding in East Anglia and further afield. Here at Minsmere, one or two pairs have bred for several years with varying success, with a record of just six breeding pairs. Until this year!

Following recent spring influxes, it was no surprise to see flocks of up to a hundred Med gulls (as they are widely known by birdwatchers) during the spring. However, unlike in recent years, when many of these have dispersed to breed elsewhere, this year they all decided to stay, and we've been treated to some superb counts of these beautiful gulls. In fact, at least 35 pairs have bred here this year, and at the last count there were at least 27 chicks of various ages wandering around the Scrape - some of which are ready to fledge within the next few days.

Mediterranean gulls in flight by Oscar Dewhurst

If that's not impressive enough, we're now being treated to a post-breeding influx from elsewhere as well, resulting in numbers that would have been almost unimaginable just a couple of years ago. Monday night's roost count was a quite extraordinary 354 Mediterranean gulls on the Scrape - a reserve record count by quite some distance. 

Many birdwatchers are easily put off by gulls, but Mediterranean gulls have something a of a wow-factor about them that make them well worth a second glance (and a third, fourth, fifth...). Adult birds really stand out from the crowd with their jet black head, bold white eyebrows, bright red bill, clean white wingtips and cat-like call. Compared to the more familiar (but wrongly named) black-headed gulls, they are altogether more attractive, cleaner looking, birds. 

A chance to compare Mediterranean and black-headed gulls 

They're not the only gulls to look out for on the Scrape either, as there are still several cute kittiwakes visiting from the Sizewell colony to bathe (if anything, kittiwakes are even more beautiful than Med gulls, with delicate expressions, black legs, and black wingtips that look like they've been dipped in ink). I know some birdwatchers would say the same about Caspian gulls, though they are really one for the gull enthusiasts rather than the more casual birdwatcher (indeed, you may not even find them mentioned in your field guide as they used to be considered a race of herring gull. Up to seven Caspian gulls have been in the roost, and there's usually one or two around during the morning when they come to freshen up after feeding on nearby pig fields. There's often a yellow-legged gull among them too.

Alongside the gulls, don't forget to look out for the terns too. Several pairs of Sandwich terns have nested again this year, and at least four chicks are still being fed by their parents. Lots of common terns are nesting, and we have occasional visits from a few little terns. A first summer (second year) Arctic tern was seen this morning, providing a good ID challenge alongside the similarly plumaged common tern that has been here all spring. (This plumage, with an all black bill, is rarely seen in the UK as they usually remain off west Africa until their third year. The plumage is refered to as "portlandica"-type.)

Elsewhere on the Scrape there are still lots of avocets, families of shelducks, mallards, greylag, Canada and barnacle geese, mute swans and lapwings as well as the first returning (southbound) spotted redshanks and growing numbers of black-tailed godwits (109 on West Scrape yesterday, for example). Other passage waders seen in the last few days include 50 knots and 40 dunlins yesterday, ten knots and six sanderlings today - these are probably all failed breeders already heading south.

The ringed plovers nesting on the beach have fledged three chicks so far, and the beach flora looks really stunning now. It's also proving popular with insects including both small and Essex skippers and various bees and hoverflies today. If you like impressive insects, then spend some time around the North Bushes on a sunny day as the bee-wolves, pantaloon bees, green-eyed flower-bees and various other mining bees and wasps have now emerged and are attracting a host of parasitic insects too. The pond and reedbed ditches are also great for dragonflies, including emperor, Norfolk hawker and red-eyed damselfly, with several dazzling banded demoiselles around the sluice.

A beewolf with prey by Steve Everett (above) and a Norfolk hawker by Malcolm Bigg

Finally, I'd best not forget the reedbed where bearded tits, reed warblers and reed buntings are proving relatively easy to see at present, bitterns, hobbies ad marsh harriers continue to be seen regularly, and otters are still putting in the odd appearance.

With so much to see, why not come along in the next few days.