Wednesday 2 September 2009

Preston Marina

14:30 Heavy showers, 16 o C. Wind SSW 10mph. Humidity 73%. Pressure 1004mB. Visibility poor. High tide today 23:13, 8.65m.

It's too wet for bird watching today, other than saying there are gulls out there. The light is too poor to see colours of feathers, legs, etc.

The gulls most often seen around here are black-headed gulls. Black-headed gulls actually have dark chocolate-brown heads which are white up the back, and in winter they have white heads. The juvenile gulls are brown and stripey, rather than grey and white. They're smaller than common or herring gulls, but you don't always have anything to compare sizes with. They have a red bill and legs.

If you see a very small gull with an all-black head it could be little gull, which is an occasional visitor. I've seen one at Leighton Moss but never around here.

If you see a gull the same size as a black-headed gull with an all-black head it could be a Mediterranean gull, which is a very rare visitor. I've never seen one of these here.

The RSPB has a handy bird identifier to help you put a name to any birds you see.