MEGA: BONAPARTE'S GULL - a
first record for both Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
After Roy Hargreaves and David Bilcock
initially saw the adult winter BONAPARTE'S GULL at Wilstone on Monday (4
January), it reappeared yesterday morning (8th) and showed on and off until late
morning. I relocated it with Warren Claydon in an increasing Wilstone
Black-headed Gull roost at 1545 hours yesterday, the bird flying east to roost
in College Lake BBOWT at 1600 hours.
Anyhow, today, in poor weather conditions,
the bird arrived post-roost at Wilstone shortly after 0830 and endeavoured to
wash and preen with Black-headed Gulls for an hour or so before flying south. I
went venturing out into the mud-soaked farmland and relocated it in a bare earth
field, about 500 yards west of Little Tring, south of the Dry Canal - taking
earthworms. It was also frequenting the sheep field immediately to the west -
the one just north of Miswell Farm. It was commuting between these two fields
and the reservoir all day - to at least 1430 hours - delighting upwards of 90
observers, including the likes of Mike Ilett and Graham White from the opposite
side of the county.
At 1535 hours, David Bilcock singlehandedly
located it on nearby College Lake BBOWT, where it was sat with about 100
Black-headed Gulls out from the reserve's Octagon Hide. This represents the
FIRST record for Buckinghamshire. Following Dave's call, I drove over to join
him but as the reserve officially shuts at 1600 hours, he was keen to leave
before getting locked in. Fortunately, the cleaners had just arrived, so I raced
around to the West Bank and relocated it not that far out in amongst a whopping
5,016 Black-headed Gulls that roosted. I kept on it until 1648 hours, at which
time it was virtually pitch dark - my first county tick in a long
while.
The only other main highlight today was a
drake PINTAIL on Wilstone, roosting with a major arrival of dabbling duck
(particularly Wigeon and Teal) on the Drayton Bank
Adult winter Bonaparte's Gull
College Lake BBOWT roost
9 January 2016
(David Bilcock)
