The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Amazed no one has already mentioned this;

11:32 16/08/08 Audouin's Gull Lincs Huttoft Bank 18:20 15/08/08
third-summer photographed on the beach at Huttoft Car Terrace yesterday evening before flying off south


Anyone know anything? Who saw it, how long it was there, where it might have gone etc etc. This is a big bird and surely Lincs listers are interested in checking the area out today?!

Also anyone know where the photographs can be found?

Hi Josh,
Bird seen by Keith Atkin and Pete Haywood. Pete got a few shots as it flew off.
Neither Keith nor Pete have internet access but Pete sent his images to a friend who has forwarded them on to a few folks. Doubtless they will appear on here in due course.
It looks good for a 3rd calendar year Audouin's. Birders will be out looking this evening & tomorrow.

Roy.

Thanks for the info Roy. I hope to join the search today and/or tomorrow.

Josh

Spent 5 hours at Huttoft today but no sign of the gull.
2 Gannets South, c30 Teal South, c70 Common Scoter on sea, 4 Arctic Skuas South, lots of Sandwich Terns blogging and a light passage of waders South with Grey Plovers, Ringed Plovers, Knot, Dunlin, Sanderling, Oystercatchers, Curlew, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshank and Turnstones recorded.

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Regards,

Andy.

Just back from a long session walking the beach from Skegness to furthest south on Gib Point Reserve and back.
Not many Gulls and certainly no Audouins.

More images in the LBC Album - http://www.lincsbirds.co.uk/album/thumb ... hp?album=1

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Andrew Chick
Website: http://www.forktail.co.uk/

A quick update on todays Audouins Gull activity as I suspect that I am first home. The Audouins Gull showed a couple of times today at Chapel Pt. Firstly at around 15:30 when it was resting on the beach - it flew off out to sea and was lost from view. A growing group of Birders gathered throughout the rest of the day at Chapel Pt and at about 20:15, in the gathering dusk, Graham Hopwood spotted it some distance away on the sea where it bobbed about giving only brief views. It was seen by several of Lincolnshire's top listers on the sea before giving more views as it flew directly out to sea to be lost from view in the dusk.Most people left with a new Lincs tick.
Hopefully it will be present again tomorrow.

Also in the area today, 3+ adult Med Gulls (2 colour-ringed) and a Wheatear on the beach at Ingoldmells. Plenty of tern activity offshore still.

Will be returning in the morning.

Happy days...

Relocated the bird on the beach c2 miles north of Chapel Point at c11:20 and rung the news out straight away, allowing all in the area to get down and enjoy great views of the bird on the beach until just after 12:00 when it flew out to sea.

Sounds like it's been back since, so hopefully all have now caught up with this stunning 3rd-summer (not adult) bird.

Josh

Hope to get down tomorrow and would love to see it. If anyone finds it in the morning will they please text me - 07732 248949

Many thanks,

Hugh

Can anyone give me a lift from the Boston area?

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Hugh (and anyone else going tommorrow).

I started searching the beach from Chapel at 0530 this morning and did a pretty thorough search from all of the access points right up to Huttoft. The tide was in and the small numbers of gulls were easy to check on the thin strip of available beach, the Audoins was not on the beach early on (although I could have overlooked it had it been settled offshore).

From what I know of the birds habits over the last two days, it seems perhaps more likely to come onto the beach when the tide is receding so maybe no hurry to get there early in the morning when the tide will be up, but also, don't give up if it hasnt been seen by mid-morning - like I did today!

Anyway, many thanks to all who have repeatedly sent me messages to get me onto the bird finally this afternoon!

Cheers

Kev

blgp_birder has stated that this bird is in 3rd summer not adult plumage. Not strictly correct. It is in obvious moult ( or has suspended moult ) from 3rd summer to 4th winter = adult plumage this means that it cannot still be in full 3rd summer plumage. Given that moult normally starts and ends with the remiges ( which have started to moult ) - whilst the rest of the feathers moult during this time - it is entirely possible that most of the body plumage is in fact adult. Perhaps anybody with good pics can look at the plumage in detail and let us know.

I think it is third summer as well. The darkness on the end of the wing (excuse me for using non-scientific names for parts of the bird as I don't know the names) definitely suggests to me a third summer.

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Alastair Carr

Where there is a will, there is a way....

OK, that's a little picky. Yes this bird is in moult but as it is not in full 4th-winter plumage (i.e. adult) and still has retained its primaries etc etc then surely it is perfectly reasonable to age this bird as a worn 3rd-summer?