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| Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls - Livermere 26th June 2025 |
June to August is the peak period at Livermere in my oh so humble, expert opinion...
It is outside of shooting season, firm under foot, large congregations of breeding/ post breeding birds and the potential for almost anything to drop in...
I mean, probably not a Griffon Vulture or a Puffin - but certainly dispersing wildfowl, gulls and waders.
I've seen some great birds mid-summer; there is currently a Ruddy Shelduck in attendance and Black Tern, Black-necked Grebe, Whinchat and Wood Sandpiper have all been logged in August. There is inevitably others I've forgotten...
There is also the thrill of the first juvenile Yellow-legged and Mediterranean Gulls of the year. Scaly juvenile Meds are a particular favourite. Expectantly searching out these gems keeps an inland birder away from alcoholism / recreational drugs / midlife crisis during the sultry, summer months.
Another favoured past time when views allow is ring-reading. Tantalisingly, I've seen one colour ringed Yellow-legged and two colour ringed Black-headed Gulls recently, all of which kept just out ring-reading range.
There was one Black-headed which did the honourable thing, coming into ring reading range. Turns out it is a German!
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| Black-headed Gull 'A730' |
I gratefully received the birds history - in German - luckily I am completely fluent and could read every word. The bird was ringed on a lake called Binnenalster in Hamburg back in March of 2013. It has since Rotterdam in 2013, 2022 and 2024, Poland in 2017, Birchington, Kent in 2018 and 2019 and finally - it graced the mighty Livermere on 26th June 2025.
This is a very, very high level of science.
I am going to leave you with a gratuitous Yellow-legged Gull photo, because there is currently double figures at Livermere and I like them.
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| Yellow-legged Gull - Livermere 25th June 2025 |
