New odonata record in the Algarve

I've been busy databasing my Odonata records from my trips away to the Algarve in recent years as I've been asked for records by a contact at the University of the Algarve.

The subject of Long Skimmer Orthetrum trinacria came up as the species appears to be rapidly colonising the Algarve region. My contact tells me the first documented Algarve record was in the summer of 2008 but the one pictured was one of 7 individuals seen at a site in the summer of 2007, and for the minute becomes the earliest documented record. I knew there was a reason I took and saved this record shot!

However, if anyone reading this has any records from the Algarve, please mail me at martinhodges1976@yahoo.com and I'll pass on your details to my contact in the Algarve.

White-winged gulls... continue to appear!!!

Large white-winged gulls at Tophill Low NR, East Yorkshire, are still something of a scarcity. I know... January 2000 I first started looking.

However, a 2nd winter Glaucous Gull was in this evening's roost, albeit briefly, before it flew south out of the area. Time in, birds out!

Question is, is this the same bird that was appearing before Christmas 2011 that suddenly stopped appearing as my holidays started... or another one?

Time for some dreadful record pictures...

Last weekend's sub-adult/adult Iceland Gull, I couldn't see a red spot on the yellow bill, but it was distant and getting dark!

And this afternoon's Glaucous Gull as it flew out south over the car park and off the site.

On the subject of white things... the Tophill Low NR Cattle Egret. Not that I've seen it but click here for more news from the site.

The gull run continues...

A view of D res, Tophill Low NR, East Yorkshire during one of the squalls that came over during the 11 night gull roost fun over Christmas! The camera was steady, the hide shaking!

Gull roosting 2012 in now in full swing with 4 nights in the shed already. The 1st winter Mediterranean Gull has appeared on D on 3 nights, with a new adult bird appearing (the first since late Oct/early Nov) on Sunday evening.

The highlight was Saturday with an Iceland Gull coming into roost just before last light, which kept with Tophill history and failed to reappear on Sunday.