Let me know when that tide's coming in won't you

Let me know when that tide's coming in won't you

Monday 10 August 2015

Sabine's Gull - Pennington Flash

A Sabine's Gull has been present at Pennington Flash for a few days. This, I believe, is only the third such bird for Manchester, so it is by no means a common bird. In fact, it's not a bird that usually finds its way inland. It should be up in the high Arctic or way out at sea. So the chances of me stumbling across one again so close to home are practically zero.

I was hoping it would stay around for me to see at the weekend, but I got a bit nervous that it would take flight before then, so I went straight from work on Friday night just in case. It was there, and in diminishing light I enjoyed watching it patrol the shore line of the flash.
I went back on Saturday morning with the promise of better light, and my pictures were much better.
It was very close in to the shore line once again, and was favouring an area of water with a radius of just a few meters. It was feeding actively, but every now and again took flight for a few minutes before landing back in its favourite spot, right in front of the gathered crowd.

I think this is my favourite gull. Truly stunning.





 

It spent most of it's time picking insects off the surface, but occasionally dunked right under.



 
 
 
 

36 comments:

  1. Beautiful gull Adam... Great shots! Glad you went back the next day. I love it's black tipped Wings..very handsome bird. Enjoy your week.

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  2. Amazing images, Adam. I just looked up Sabine's Gull in my Birds of Africa, South of the Sahara and see that this gull is a Palearchtic vagrant to West Africa, It visits right down to Cape Town and up towards the East Coast of South Africa. Thanks for sharing. Greetings Jo

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  3. Congrats on your sighting, awesome photos.

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  4. Glad you got it, with no post I thought you might be away so it is good that it stayed around. I hope it survived its brush with death and a pike!!

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    1. Thanks Derek. Apparently it is in good health despite the pike incident. I'm hoping that it will move off soon, to seas that won't contain anything like a pike. Absolutely cracking bird.

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  5. Great photos of a beautiful gull. I'm glad you got to see it and thanks for sharing the photos.

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  6. Beautiful series of photos of a lovely gull.
    Thanks for linking up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/08/say-yes-to-neigh.html

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  7. In know I am supposed to be looking at the gull in these photos but the way you have captured the water in these shots is just mesmerising. The gull is pretty good too mind you!
    And thank you too for letting me use your Jenny Wren photo on #AnimalTales this week.

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  8. These shots are awesome! Wow! Brilliant! Popping over from #AnimalTales

    Angela from http://www.daysinbed.com

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  9. This would be a lifer for me as it is also a rare vagrant during migration. It's a gull I'm hoping I'll spot this year.

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  10. Marvellous to see this gull and you managed great shots of it

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  11. I'm so glad you posted these photos. I've read in the TXBird forum that they've been spotted in our part of the globe, but never knew they had the yellow beak 'ring'. Now I know what to look for. MARVELOUS photos!!!

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  12. Such a good one to see inland Adam. Rather early in the autumn too, perhaps related to the all the unseasonal winds we've had?

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  13. Such a good one to see inland Adam. Rather early in the autumn too, perhaps related to the all the unseasonal winds we've had?

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  14. Wow - perfect flight and stationary shots of the Seagull!
    Well done!
    Have a Beautiful day!
    Peace :)

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  15. I love the pictures of the gulls just sitting on the water!

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  16. It's always fun to spot things that are off course. And even better when you have a camera ready.

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  17. Beautiful wildlife photography Adam... I could sit and watch birds for hours.
    Enjoy your week ;D

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  18. Brilliant shots and a great looking bird. I'm regretting not paying a visit myself now on our way back from Leeds.

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  19. Awesome shots and what a beautiful bird.

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  20. congrats on the lifer! It's quite a handsome bird -- the bill markings are interesting as well.

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  21. an amazing shot of the gull as it comes into land on the water, so gentle

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  22. wonderful captures, specially the dunking head under water shot.

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  23. Beautiful photos of the gull in action! I used to see them all the time when I lived near the Atlantic Ocean. Now I'm in the mountains and there aren't any here.

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  24. Hi Adam,
    I'm enjoying looking around your blog (which I've linked to from mine http://robymilling.blogspot.co.uk/). I used to regularly visit your patch - Old Hall Lane - when Iived in Cheadle Hulme. I never bumped into you though. Great pix of the Sabines Gull which I also saw last week
    Cheers,
    Phil

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  25. How very cool! Occasionally Sabine Gulls are seen here...but I have never seen on myself.

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  26. Stunning photos and a great capture.

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  27. what a pleasure to see such a rare bird and to get great shots of it. I have not heard of this arctic gull. Thanks for sharing. Maybe I should check out my images from Varanger :)

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  28. Very beautiful pics of the gulls! Thanks for sharing! I am also a NW girl :)
    Valerie
    Fashion And Travel

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  29. One of my plans was to go down to the Niagara River and Lake Erie and go birding, but I am not well enough to do that yet. Wonderful photos... Michelle

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  30. What a handsome fellow! He's very photogenic and I can see why you like him! Thank you for joining us for Photo Friday again this week!

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