Kumlien's Gull - 1998 - first for Pembrokeshire

Larus glaucoides glaucoides

At about 16:30 on 1st February 1998, for the first time of the year, I found myself checking the gull roost at Llys y Fran Reservoir, after (yet another) fruitless search for lesser spotted woodpecker in the woodland at the northern end of the reseroir.  A number of gulls, mostly adult lesser black-backed gulls Larus fuscus or the race graelsii, were already on the reservoir.  Fairly quickly I located a 1st winter glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus amongst them and soon afterwards another 1st winter "white-winged" gull.  From its size and structure it was obviously an Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides, but some features were not consistent with a nominate race bird (the race we normally see in Pembrokeshire).

I was in no doubt that I was watching an Iceland gull, with glaucous, herring Larus argentatus and Lesser black-backed gulls present close by or next to the bird for comparison, but the bird was unusually dark for this species.  At rest the exposed primaries were pale brown with whitish fringes, not the usual white of a nominate glaucoides.  The tail was seen twice when bathing and had a distinct darker band.  On the open wing, the outer 3 or f primaries were marked with pale brown on the outer web (which was obviously the brown markings I could see on the primaries at rest).

I left the reservoir at 17:00 (when the gates closed), having watched the bird for about 20 minutes.  After reference to literature at home that evening, I felt fairly sure that the bird was a Kumlien's gull Larus glacudoides kumlieni, so I telephoned several local birders to alert them to this possibility.  A telephone conversation later that evening with Graham Walbridge, a member of the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) convinced me that this was so.  The news was released onto national and regional 'birdlines' that evening.

The following evening I was joined at the reservoir by Stuart Devonald and two other local birders, where we soon located the bird.  We were able to confirm the features I had noted the previous evening and fortunate also to find an adult ring-billed gull Larus delawarensis amongst the other gulls.  On the 3 Feb the bird was also seen by others, including Jon Green and Jack Donovan, and again on 5 Feb when a number of observers saw it.  All agreed with my identification.  Just to prove that regular coverage of a site usually brings rewards, an Iceland gull was discovered on the 3 Feb, which I also saw on the 4th.  This enabled a good camparison with the Kumlien's gull (although I failed to see them both at the same time), which helped support the identification.  The Kumlien's gull was not seen after 5 Feb, despite regular watching of the gull roost.

Detailed description:

Size/structure: Overall, the bird was essentially as nominate Iceland gull Larus glaucoides glaucoides, ie similar to lesser black-backed gull in size, fairly lightly built for a 'large' gull and with delicate features.  The only structural difference to glaucoides that I noticed was the slightly shorter primary projection, which was only noticeable at rest, but this shorter winged impression could not be confirmed as no 'proper' flight views were ever obtained of the bird.  In overall size it was difficult to differentiate from an 'average' lesser black-backed gull, with which it was usually directly comparable.

Bare parts: The leg colour was not seen well, but was a shade of pink.  The bill was quite slim and small, no different from a glaucoides Iceland Gull.  It was largely black with a very small paler purplish area at the extreme base, largely on the lower mandibile, but this was often not visible.  The eye was dark.

Wings: Most views of the wings were at rest, ie just the exposed primaries.  The open wing was seen just a handful of times by me on the two occasions that I saw the bird.  At rest, the primaries were pale brown in the centre, with a neat whitish fringe, which appeared as a series of 'hooks'.  Four primaries could be see beyond the longest tertial at rest.  The longest primaries extended beyond the tail at rest but, to my eyes, not as far as most Iceland gulls I have seen, but obviously longer than Gaucous Gull.  On the few times that I saw the open wing as the bird bathed, the outer primaries had an obviously darker mark on the outer web.

Head: Creamy brown (but darker than the glaucoides present on 4 Feb), with a darker shadow around the eye, especially above it.

Upperparts: Same base colour as the head, but mottled with fairly heavy regular dark bars.

Underparts: Pale milky brown (but darker than the glaucoides present on 4 Feb), with obvious large darkish brown bars on the undertail coverts.

Tail and rump: Only seen on a couple of occasions as the bird bathed.  Rump same as mantle but more coarsely barred.  Tail had an obvious band - appeared quite even but broken towards the tip.

Overall plumage: When compared to the glaucoides on 4 Feb, which I would describe as a fairly typical individual, the overall plumage tone of the Kumlien's gull was a colder, grey brown colour, lacking the ghostly feel a glaucoides Iceland gull has.

Epilogue

This was exciting period of Llys-y-fran reservoir, with several new records.  A 1st winter glaucous gull roosting dialy from 1 Feb to 4 Mar (with a second bird from 5 to 6 Feb); an adult ring-billed gull on five dates from 2 - 8 Feb; a 1st winter Iceland gull on 3 and 4 Feb; and an adult Mediterranean gull Larus melanocephalus on 5 Feb.  Now we all know where to go when other popular gull roosts aren't producing unusual gulls, or even as a first choice!

Kumlien's gull breeds in north-east Canada and winters there and in coastal eastern North America.  It is a vagrant to Europe.  Most records occur when there are also higher than usual numbers of nominate glaucoides.  At the end of 1998, the subspecies was removed from the list of birds considered by BBRC for the following reasons:

The BBRC feels that there are a number of problems with this form.

• since the recent interest in the identification of the subspecies, it seems that Kumlien's gull is best considered a scarce winter visitor.
• the range of plumage variation is such that it is difficult to establish clear divisions between nominate Iceland gull, particularly in first-year plumages
• whilst a number can be safely identified, this is not true for many, as we know that birds indistinguishable in the field from the nominate race both breed and winter in areas where Kumlien's gull is 'meant' to occur.  In Britain we are therefore limiting ourselves to identifying only a proportion of the extra-limital visitors
• because of the problems of identification, the lack of clarity as to which birds are Kumliens', the shifting nature of its taxonomic status in Britain, which may represent a change of occurrence but is more likely to reflect a change in observer behaviour, we feel that the process of record assessment is not achieving anything scientifically.

This should not put us off looking for Kumlien's gull - 'classic' birds are still identifiable (especially adults), but some birds will have to be left as only possibly this form.  This record has been accepted by the BBRC so should give other observers an idea of what to look for in a first winter bird, to be certain of a Kumlien's gull.  With some concentrated offort, we shouldn't have to wait too long for our next record and the first of an adult bird.

For futher reading, see Gulls by P J Grant, and the article 'Plumage Variation in Kumleins' Iceland gull' by Kevin J Zimmer, pubihsed in Birding, October 1991.

David Astins

Pembrokeshire Bird Report 1998

Herring x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrids

Harris, M.P. 1970. Abnormal migration and hybridization of Larus argentatus and L. fuscus after interspecies fostering experiments. Ibis 112: 488-498.

Click to read more ...

Great Black-backed Gull - 1980s winter atlas

The BTO winter atlas showed that Great Black-backed Gulls were present in most 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents over 60 birds, being concentrated in squares SM 80 & 81.

Graham Rees

Common Gull - 1980s winter atlas

The BTO winter atlas showed that Common Gulls were present in most 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents up to 400 birds in a day.

Found extensively using wet pasture and newly ploughed land but all roosts reported were around the estuaries.

Graham Rees 

Ross’s Gull

Rhodostethia rosea

Vagrant.

The Ross’s Gull has a disjointed Arctic breeding distribution and largely winters in the far north but a few occasionally wander further south.

An adult was at Fishguard Harbour on the 15th and 16th February 1981. It was found by Jack Donovan, while leading a field meeting of the Mid-Pembrokeshire Section of the Dyfed Wildlife Trust. Perched initially on a hand rail by the lifeboat station amid a group of Black-headed Gulls, it flew off into the harbour.

It was relocated the following day, walking on the sands of the inner harbour but shortly afterwards took off, gained height and departed northwards. This was the first recorded occurrence in Wales.

Graham Rees.

(Covers records up to and including 2008).

Sabine’s Gull - Weather effects

Xema sabini

Throughout the 1980’s Sabine’s Gull occurrences were associated with south west gales, which were thought to have blown them into Cardigan Bay from the South West Approaches, which they were able to exit when the wind veered between west and north. These conditions were the result of depressions tracking along a course whereby the centres passed north eastwards over Scotland.

 Post 1992 autumn depressions began to track farther south, their centres either over Pembrokeshire or south of it. These resulted in strong south easterlies which did not have the same displacement effect on migrant seabirds. However strong northerly winds sometimes followed, blowing down the west coast of Scotland and the length of the Irish Sea, which did result in Sabine’s Gulls passing close in to the north Pembrokeshire coast.

Whichever period is examined it becomes evident that the variation in the number of Sabine’s Gulls seen depends on the frequency of “favourable” winds. Between 1980 and 1990, one to nine per annum was recorded in six years and 12 to 25 per annum in five years. Between 1991 and 2005, three to nine per annum were noted in eight years and 12 to 43 in six years. None were seen in 1993 in an autumn dominated by north east winds

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

Sabine’s Gull - Ages

Xema sabini Juveniles have outnumbered adults, making up 79 % of the total recorded. Peak numbers of adults have occurred in August, whereas juveniles have peaked in September and October.

Patterns of occurrence, 1981 – 2005, adults in red, juveniles in blue, in six day periods.

Sabine's Gull - Status

Xema sabini

Scarce passage migrant.

The Sabine’s Gull is an Arctic breeding species, with an estimated total population of less than 100,000 pairs. Most breed in Canada and Eastern Russia, with about 100 – 200 pairs in Greenland and sporadic outliers in Spitzbergen.

The east Canadian and Greenland populations cross to the east Atlantic en route to winter as far south as Namibia and western South Africa. Strong winds at this time result in variable numbers passing through inshore waters.

The first to be recorded in Britain was at Milford Haven in the autumn of 1839 and another was recorded near Amroth on the 12th November 1892.The next to be recorded in the county was not until the 11th October 1968 at Skokholm.

Subsequently a total of eight birds were noted between 1970 and 1980, at Skokholm, Newgale, St David’s Head and off Fishguard. Between 1981 and 2006 they were recorded from The Smalls, the Gann, Bluck’s Pool, from the Pembroke to Rosslare ferry, Skomer, Ramsey and the Celtic Deep but principally, 95 % of the total, from Strumble Head. 

Total birds per annum.

 Records span the period from the 11th August to the 20th November, the most logged in any year being 43 in 1997, with a highest day total of 12 at Strumble Head on the 13th September 1997.

Two birds recorded do not fall within the pattern outlined above, the first being a juvenile feeding among seaweed on a Caldey Island beach on the 16th July 2005. This was remarkably early for a bird of the year to have travelled so far from where it had fledged, possibly climate change resulted in an early start to breeding.

The second was a first winter bird seen at Strumble Head on the 2nd January 1999, flying with Kittiwakes, when its smaller size and unfamiliar plumage pattern attracted observers’ attention

Little Gull

Hydrocoloeus minutus (Larus minutus)

Passage migrant.

Little Gulls breed in lowland fresh water habitats throughout the temperate middle and northern latitudes of the Western Palearctic. They have increased in British and Irish offshore waters since the 1960’s, probably coming from the Baltic and North West Russian breeding populations.

Formerly rare in Pembrokeshire, Mathew (1894) knowing of just one occurrence of two birds at Tenby in 1892, Lockley et al (1949) being able to only add one more record of a single bird seen near St David’s on the 12th September 1927. Subsequent records date from 1961, increasing in line with other parts of Britain and Ireland.

Total birds recorded 1961 – 1981.

     Most of these records came from Skokholm but some from Skomer, Mullock Bridge, Ramsey and South Bishop. Thereafter, observer cover increased and more attention was paid to the offshore waters, with an increasing time being devoted to seawatching.

Total birds recorded 1983 – 2006.

 Most were noted between the 10th July and 31st December, being recorded all around the coast from Cemaes Head to Wiseman’s Bridge, within the estuaries of the Teifi, Nevern and Cleddau and out to sea as far as Grassholm and The Smalls. However the bulk of the records were from Strumble Head, partly because of its geographic position but also because of the intensity of prolonged observations conducted there.

New high county day totals were experienced at Strumble Head in the period 28th October – 24th December between 1984 and 1990, viz. 69 on the 24th December 1984, 75 on the 10th November 1985, 76 on the 13th November 1987 and 47 on the 28th October 1990. All occurred during onshore gales.

The incidence of onshore gales in late October to December diminished during the period 1991 – 2002 and the number of Little Gulls seen dropped, with peak numbers down to 16 on the 14th November 1993, 12 on the 29th October 1996, 10 on the 6th November 1999 and 15 on the 29th November 2002. However, the “right conditions” occurred in 2003 and 46 Little Gulls passed on the 15th November.

The Little Gull has so far been predominantly a coastal bird in Pembrokeshire. The only fresh water records concern singles at Bosherston on the 10th September 1983, Brandy Brook on the 21st March 1991, Pembroke Mill Ponds on the 4th April 1990 and 31st October – 4th November 2004, Pen Beri Reservoir on the 20th December 1997, Withybush airfield on the 21st October 1988, Llys y fran Reservoir on the 30th September 1976 and 1st April 2006.

The marked spring passage of 1973 – 75 noted in Wales by Lovegrove et al (1994) was not recorded in Pembrokeshire. Spring occurrences in the county have been few and sporadic with singles (once two) being recorded in 12 years between 1973 and 2005, with a total of 24 birds involved, passing between the 25th March and 26th June.

There are 46 records for mid winter, that is January to February, mostly involving one or two birds at a time but with three Skokholm on the 6th February 1998, three Strumble Head on the 10th February 1985, six there on the 24 January 2002 and seven on the 13th January 2004, six Ramsey Sound on the 19th January 2004 and 11 Fishguard Harbour on the 13th February 2005. Most were one day occurrences but one was at Newgale for 26 days in January to February 1990 and another at Fishguard Harbour for 63 days from the beginning of January 1995.

Graham Rees

References
LOCKLEY. R. M, INGRAM. C. S. and SALMON. H. M.1949. The birds of Pembrokeshire, West Wales Field Society.
LOVEGROVE. R, WILLIAMS . G. & WILLIAMS. I. 1994. Birds in Wales, T & A. D. Poyser Ltd, London.
MATHEW. M. 1894. The birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands, R. H. Porter.