Sandbach Flashes,Cheshire

[Twitcheruth]

After a hectic morning we headed over to Sandbach Flashes after lunch and were rewarded with good scope views of a Glaucous Gull and then an Iceland Gull....at one point we had them both in the same view.....they were stunningly beautiful and quite pure white in places! So 2 lifers within a few minutes of arriving! The Glaucous Gull flew like a ghost from it's spot in the water and dwarfed the LBB Gulls alongside it with the Iceland Gull looking softer,thinner and nicer looking....2 brilliant birds!

Wigeon were present in large numbers along with Teal,Shelduck,Gadwall and Pintail with the waders present being Redshank,Lapwing and a nice Ruff.

At the feeders were the usual Finches and Tits along with House and Tree Sparrows while we also had good views of a nice Treecreeper with Song Thrush and 2 Redwings being spotted in a nearby field.....a brilliant start to a birding weekend!

[PeterB]

Congratulations on the lifers Ruth, I wouldn't be able to ID those gulls if they sat on the end of my lens.

[Little Sparrow]

Many congrats with your Gull Lifers Ruth! Lucky that they were both in one scope view too! Not often that happens and for it to be two lifers even better!

A very nice species list you had at Sandbach Flashes...a productive day for you!

Thanks for sharing your day and I hope today is as good for you!

[Richard Prior]

Originally Posted by PeterB

Congratulations on the lifers Ruth, I wouldn't be able to ID those gulls if they sat on the end of my lens.

like wise Peter

[JONNY74]

Well done Ruth sounds a top trip.

[astafjevs]

Nice one Ruth, did you know they were there or just get lucky?

[Twitcheruth]

Thanks everyone....we knew the Gluacous Gull was there as it had been present all winter but the Iceland was a bounus....apparently there was a Med Gull and a Caspian too.....but we didn't see those!!!

[astafjevs]

Birds gull-ore then

I haven't seen any of the gulls you mention Ruth, although I'm confident I have resolved my med gull id problems, so now I just need to see one and I'll know what it is

[Twitcheruth]

Originally Posted by astafjevs

Birds gull-ore then

I haven't seen any of the gulls you mention Ruth, although I'm confident I have resolved my med gull id problems, so now I just need to see one and I'll know what it is

Good you've sorted out your Med gulls Stuart,here's one from last year with BH Gull for comparisson.
I think I might have struggled with the Iceland Gull but we were surrounded by twitchers who confirmed what we were looking at!