Another Med Gull

I did a Kjell today. By that I mean I found a good bird and didn’t have my camera with me 😊

Safely back in Oslo and normal life I took OB Jr to IKEA in the afternoon and as my reward I was “allowed” to stop off at the ponds at Valle Hovin where a 1^st winter Med Gull was seen on Tuesday. The bird hasn’t been seen since which isn’t surprising since I understand it was blinged that same day. The perpetrator (I don’t know who it was) hasn’t reported the ringing. Maybe they are embarrassed as yet another rare gull has done a bunk after been foot-noosed and man handled? When a rare bird is specifically targeted and disappears (as happens time and time again) then one must assume that its behaviour is altered and therefore subsequent sightings do not represent natural movements?My birding wasn’t finished as I managed to sneak in a drive around Maridalen whilst supposedly driving to the supermarket. At the farm at Skjerven there has been a small flock of mostly 1^st winter Common Gulls feeding ever since the fields were ploughed a little over 2 weeks ago and I have always stopped to look at them with the hope of finding a Med Gull amongst them. Whilst driving out of Maridalen today I saw there were 15 or so gulls and naturally stopped the car. I initially focused on the 1^st winter birds but then a very white bird flew into my binocular view – a 2^nd winter MED GULL! It was a classic bird with dark outer webs to the outer 4 or so primaries. I then panicked a bit. I always like to photograph rarities I find. It is good for the blog and saves me having to write a description of the bird. But as I was only supposed to going to IKEA I had not taken a camera (I always have a pair of bins in the car though). I thought about trying to take pictures with the mobile through the bins but in the end took a picture with just the mobile (turned out to be useless despite the bird only being 50m or so away) and decided to rush home for a camera. I was back after only 18 minutes but that was too long. There were still a few Common Gulls in the area but they were not feeding as before (it was now 4pm and with a dark sky and the wind picking up the birds were maybe thinking of heading for the fjord where they roost). I searched a bit and then went shopping and returned again (all the time with Jr in the car who was getting more and more desperate for the loo…) but it had not returned. So, I think this adds to the argument that you are more likely to find a rare bird when you don’t have your camera with you (which Kjell seems to have proven on Værøy).

Hopefully though it will be seen again tomorrow as the fields have been pulling in the Common Gulls and the previous Med Gull in Maridalen liked to feed with Common Gulls on ploughed fields.

the result of not having a proper camera with you