FRANKLIN'S GULL - York Area Tick

Woke up early so gambled on a visit to the River Derwent. As I reached the hide at NDC...a message...

8.52 FRANKLIN'S GULL Thorganby Ings this morning

That's handy...I thought! The Geoff Smith Hide would have been handier...but I'll take it. Ten minutes later I was in the car park and soon joined a small group (6) looking out onto the Ings. One of them was Tim Jones who informed me the bird was still present and kindly allowed me to look through his scope. Result!!! 

It's the dark Blob!

Jono Leadley had amazingly (it's a large area with limited viewing) re-found the bird after first being found by Oliver Metcalfe yesterday afternoon at NDC. Jack Ashton-Booth and Duncan Bye were also present.

The weather was grim, heavy rain and very cold but that didn't seem to matter. I contacted Haydn to let him know it was still showing, albeit distantly. The bird was resting on a small island. After around 20 minutes it took flight but soon settled again on an adjacent island. I was looking for Haydn to arrive? Around 15 minutes later the bird suddenly took flight and flew low North up the river...just as Haydn arrived. He'd missed it! I gave him the bad news which he took well...as he always does. I stayed and searched for it with him until he had to leave.

I then decided to head back to Duff hoping the bird would return there for my Duff tick. I stayed till dusk but the bird never showed. The weather was diabolical but at least I was dry in the hide. It was seen briefly at Ellerton...but that was that. Hopefully it will linger in the Valley so Haydn can catch up with it and I can get my NDC tick.

A quality addition to the York Area List. I'll have to have a count up! Almost certainly the same bird that's been seen around Yorkshire over the recent past.

Pete Piringer (who lived in Thorganby) would have loved it...