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July 2010 Diary and News
All the latest sightings, news and photos from Chasewater, Cuckoo Bank and surrounding areas
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All records and photos (jpegs) are welcome, please send them via our comments page. Home Key to Contributors
1st
22°C
Light rain
S3
At Stubbers Green there was a 2cy Mediterranean Gull and at least one adult Yellow-legged Gull (GE).
2nd
22°C
Sunny intervals
SW3
All the Little Ringed Plover fencing has now gone from the Sailing Shore leaving at least one territorial pair without protection. also present were 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Oystercatchers, 48 Lapwings, 2 Cormorants, 2 Common Terns, 250 large gulls and 50 Black-headed Gulls (GE).
At Stubbers Green there were over 900 large gulls including 6 (2 adults, 2 4cy, 2 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls, a 2cy Common Gull, an adult intermedius Lesser Black-back and ring numbers G:L, D:V, JEV, RORN, W6SR, 5ZF and JCZ (PJ).
3rd
Sat
23°C
Sunny intervals
WSW3
The 4cy Yellow-legged Gull was with 80 Lesser Black-backs (GE).
A Little Egret was at Stubbers Green along with 7 (adult, 3 4cy, 3 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls, 3 intermedius Lesser Black-backs and a 2cy Common Gull (PJ).
4th
Sun
23°C
Cloudy
SSW4
5th
 
At Stubbers Green there were 5 (2 adults, 4cy, 2 3cy)  Yellow-legged Gulls, 2 adult intermedius Lesser Black-backs and a Little Egret (PJ).
6th
 
At Stubbers Green there were 7 (3 adults, 4cy, 3 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls and a Little Egret (PJ).
7th
 
At Stubbers Green there were 6 (3 adult, 4cy, 2 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls and 3 adult intermedius type Lesser Black-backs with rings DL, GL, DR, (PJ).
8th
 
Over 800 large Gulls were at Stubbers Green at 20:00 with most flying off to the south-east. 4 (adult, 4cy, 2 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls were present along with 5+ adult intermedius types and a Little Egret (PJ).
Little Egret at Stubbers Green (A Sw)
9th
 
At Stubbers Green there were 5 (3 adult, 2 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls and Lesser Black-back with ring 053K has returned. It was ringed in Calais and was noted in Morocco during the winter (PJ).
10th
 
At Stubbers Green there were 7 Yellow-legged Gulls including the first juvenile of the year and a Little Egret was present on Swan Pool (PJ).
11th
 
12th
 
The Little Egret was reported at Stubbers Green.
13th
 
At Stubbers Green there were 6 (2 adults, 2 4cy, 2 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls, an adult intermedius type, a 3cy with Norwegian ring black with white JXH? and 8 Common Sandpipers (PJ).
14th
 
At Stubbers Green there were 7 (3 adult, 2 4cy, 2 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls and the following ringed intermedius Lesser Black-backs DL, GL, DR, JCZ (PJ).
15th
 
After a break from Chasewater of three days, a very casual visit during the early evening produced the bird we have been hoping for for years; a superb adult Franklin's Gull. Only around 60 of these North American gulls have ever been seen in Britain after the first in 1970, making this the rarest bird to be seen at Chasewater since the Lesser Scaup in 1987 (GE). 7 Yellow-legged Gulls and 40 birders were also present by dusk (PJ).

Record shots of the adult Franklin's Gull © G Evans
16th
 
The Franklin's Gull was again present during the afternoon and evening along with a 2cy Mediterranean Gull and 3+ Yellow-legged Gulls (GE). Also present were 6+ Common Sandpipers, a Sanderling, Dunlin and 8 Common Terns (PW).
Franklin's Gull © G Evans
At Stubbers Green there were 11 (5 adult, 2 4cy, 4 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls and a Norwegian intermedius Lesser Black-back JXH? plus a 2cy (JVL1) and 3 adults (PJ).
17th
  
The Franklin's Gull was present between 17:00 and 21:00 (PJ).  The 2cy Mediterranean Gull was on the South Shore, 2 immature Hobbies were over the North Heath and a Redshank, Dunlin and 4 Yellow-legged Gulls were also present (MY).
At Stubbers Green there were 4 (2 adult, 2 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls, a 2cy Common Gull, and a ringed (JFN3) intermedius Lesser Black-back (PJ).
18th
  
The Franklin's Gull was reported during the morning but was not seen in the roost which held the 2cy Mediterranean Gull, 5+ Yellow-legged Gulls and a Little Egret settled for a while before flying south (PW). The WeBS count included 24 Mute Swans, 79 Canada Geese, 54 Mallard, 23 Tufted Ducks, 11 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Cormorants, a Heron, 103 Coot, 2 Oystercatchers, 6 Little Ringed Plovers, 15 Lapwings, 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Common Terns and a Redshank (NS).
At Stubbers Green there were 11 (3 adult, 1 4cy, 5 3cy, 1 2cy, 1 juv) Yellow-legged Gulls and 5+ adult intermedius Lesser Black-backs (PJ).
19th
 
The Franklin's Gull was present again this evening but could be difficult to pick out amongst the other gulls. Also present were 6+ Common Terns,  2 Oystercatchers, a Redshank, Common Sandpiper, 2 Cormorants and the pair of Great Crested Grebes have 3 chicks (GE).
20th
 
The Franklin's Gull had been seen during the early evening but had been disturbed by people walking across the lake bed, however it reappeared around 21:00 and stayed to roost. Also present were 5+ Yellow-legged Gulls, around 400 Lesser Black-backs, 10 Common Terns, 2 Oystercatchers, 1-2 Common Sandpipers and 2 Cormorants (GE, IW, N, NS, PW et al).

At Stubbers Green there were 9 (2 adults, 2 4cy, 2 3cy, 2cy, juv) Yellow-legged Gulls and 5 intermedius type Lesser Black-backs including one with ring JYL1 (PJ).
21st
19°C
Sunny intervals
SW3
Sanderling © P Ward
 The Franklin's Gull was present during the evening until 19:25 when all the gulls were disturbed by a juvenile Peregrine and the Franklin's was one of the very last gulls to return at 21:45 (HC). An adult Mediterranean Gull, 2+ Yellow-legged Gulls, an intermedius Lesser Black-back, a Little Egret, 2 Sanderlings, a Dunlin, 2 Oystercatchers, 6+ Little Ringed Plovers, 6 Common Sandpipers, 6+ Common Terns, 2 Cormorants and a Pochard were also present (PW, HC).
At Stubbers Green there were 14 (4 adult, 3 4cy, 5 3cy, 2cy, juv) Yellow-legged Gulls and an influx of at least 10 intermedius Lesser Black-backs including one with ring J35A (PJ).
22nd
20°C
Heavy showers
E2
There was no sign of the Franklin's Gull by 21:35 although gulls were still arriving after this time. Up to 5 Yellow-legged Gulls, up to 10 Common Terns, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Dunlin, 6+ Little Ringed Plovers and 2+ Common Sandpipers were present (JA).
23rd
20°C
Sunny
N1
A Black-tailed Godwit and 5 Yellow-legged Gulls were reported.
24th
Sat
19°C
Cloudy
WSW2
The Franklin's Gull was reported between 16:00 and 17;30 when it flew off. A Whimbrel also flew through at 19:25 (Bird Forum).
At Stubbers Green there was a juvenile Shelduck, juvenile Mediterranean Gull, 11 ( 5 adult, 2 4cy, 2 3cy, 2cy and a new juv) Yellow-legged Gulls, a ringed (J13J) adult intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull was the 7th in the past 11 days (PJ).
25th
Sun
23°C
Sunny intervals
NW2
A Green Sandpiper and 1-2 Common Sandpipers were present but there was no sign of the Franklin's Gull (HK).
26th
 
At Stubbers Green there were 9 Yellow-legged Gulls, 10+ juvenile Lesser Black-backs and 2 2cy intermedius (JYL1, JZE1, 2 juvenile Herring Gulls and a Dunlin (PJ).
27th
 
3 Turnstones and a Dunlin were on the South Shore of the main lake and up to 10 Common Terns and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were also present (GE).
At Stubbers Green there were 11 (3 adults, 4cy, 5 3cy, 2cy, juv) Yellow-legged Gulls (PJ).
28th
 
5 Yellow-legged Gulls were at Stubbers Green along with an adult intermedius (JZE1) and 4 Black-tailed Godwits flew south (PJ).
29th
 
The Franklin's Gull was again present along with 6 Yellow-legged Gulls, a Turnstone and a Wheatear (JA).
30th
18°C
Light rain
The Franklin's Gull was seen in the roost at 21:30 and a Little Egret flew over the dam (JA).
At Stubbers Green there were 12 (4 adults, nr adult, 4cy, 4 3cy, 2cy, juv) Yellow-legged Gulls, an adult Mediterranean Gull, 2 juv Herring Gulls and 21 juv Lesser Black-backs. Intermedius JZE1 was also present (PJ).

31st

Sat

 
19°C
Sunny intervals

3 Yellow-legged Gulls were present along with a Dunlin and 1-2 Common Sandpipers. The Franklin's Gull was relocated at Gailey where it was still present at 21:10 (PJ, JA).
At Stubbers Green there were 12 Yellow-legged Gulls, an intermedius Lesser Black-back JZE1 and an Icelandic graellsii YA43. Over 30 Yellow-legged Gulls were recorded during the month, many of which were also present in June. Totals recorded were 8+ adults, 7 4cy, 11+ 3cy, 1 2cy and 4 juveniles (PJ).