Beddington Farm - The Sorcerer His Apprentice and Icy Conditions!!

Today was always going to be Gull watch at the Farm. News broke that The Sorcerer was going to be checking up on his apprentice (me)! Garry Messenbird Beddington “Guru” and SVC County lister was travelling up from Sussex with Grant a former BFBG keyholder to see the Twite.

I arrived before light and was joined by Glen on a very chilly and strangely smoky corner! A check of the lakes took me to lower altitude and the Gull bash began. It was not long before the rarer gulls were rolling in.

Adult Yellow-legged Gulls and then Caspian Gulls (3^rd winter and 1^st winter) were soon being announced by the small band of birders that had the addition of Frank to the gathering. The banter in the hide flowed like the cold air and smoke from the incinerator that was on a test burn. Really not sure what it was burning but it did not taste very good!

A posse of Yellow clad men departed for the landfill leaving myself and Pete Alfrey on the sandmartin bank to continue the gull watch. It was the men in yellow that picked up the first Iceland Gull which was identified as a 1^st winter and then Pete found a rarer in terms of plumage 2^nd winter bird. There will be better pictures of these birds on his blog. http://peteralfreybirdingnotebook.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/good-days-winter-birding-at-beddington.html  

Note to self: Phone scoping is the way forward with a permanent adaptor from phone to scope. This picture came out ok though; The Sorcerer in action!

A very productive morning all round with the Twite showing well on the landfill for the brave souls. Woo Hoo!