Lesser Black-back Gulls at Elton Common

 I've been abroad in France for several weeks but before I left I checked several times on gull numbers around Elton Common/ Pike Hall and there were generally around 100 birds loafing around in early August. Checking there today I estimated around 2000 birds were present as the fields were ploughed at Elton Common today (a few days ago Simon counted 8.8k at Carsington so there must be plenty of other groups around)

Lesser Black-backed Gulls following the tractor

There are almost 400 birds in the photo above and there was a second tractor with a similar number of birds in attendance with large numbers sat in the neighbouring fields.

There were several darker backed 'intermedius' type birds along with a few Herring Gulls and several Black-headed Gulls plus at least one Common Gull.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls with a darker intermedius type (centre) and Herring (right)

Earlier I had a Ringed Plover fly over Beeley Triangle, calling and my first local Northern Wheatear of the autumn. 

There was an Osprey over the moor on Saturday, but too distant for photos, and what may be the same bird was seen again yesterday.

No sign of any Pink-footed Geese yet or winter thrushes but that will hopefully change before the month end.

Summer gulls

Every year the cutting of the hay meadows for silage attracts hundreds of gulls, mainly Lesser Black-backed Gulls, to the fields between Winster and Newhaven. 
The gulls seem to be particularly attracted to the field after the grass has been cut and just removed, presumably revealing lots of insects that have been left behind, so they move around the fields quite a bit as they are cut. 
There are a lot of fields, many of which are not close to roads,  and when they are near the roads they can be busy so you need to find the fields that are reasonable accessible at the right time.
Today I counted over 350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, predominantly of the British race graellsii but also a few of the darker backed race intermedius which breeds in northern Denmark, southern and central Norway.
Many of these birds will be heading to the Iberian peninsula or Morocco for the winter.
I also counted 9 of the paler backed Yellow-legged Gulls which have spread in to southern Britain from the French and Portuguese Atlantic coasts and the Mediterranean over the past couple of decades and are now regular on Midland lakes and reservoirs in the late summer and autumn.

Lesser Black-backed Gull - graellsii adult

Lesser Black-backed Gull - graellsii 1st summer 

Lesser Black-backed Gulles - graellsii foreground with intermedius behind

Lesser Black-backed Gull - intermedius adult

Yellow-legged Gull - 3rd summer

Yellow-legged Gull - 2nd summer

Lockdown day 49 - Gadwall at Chatsworth

Walked over the moors to Chatsworth yesterday, it was probably 5°C but felt colder with a strong northerly wind. The Stonechats were still feeding their young and I flushed a recently fledged Skylark. Stopped at the top end of the old Deer Park for Redstart and Pied Flycatcher. 
The lake at Swiss Cottage is still dry but Emperor Lake held 4 Tufted Duck and a single drake Gadwall which is new for the lockdown list. A drake at this time of year could indicate possible breeding so worth checking again later.

Gadwall - drake

Pied Flycatcher - male

 The pair of Little Grebe were still there and presumably breeding, this is the only pair I've found in the area although they were present at Conksbury in the late winter so there could be a pair there also but it's a little far to walk! 
A single Common Sandpiper on the river whilst personnel from Chatsworth House were clearing all the debris from the river bank including some of the large tree trunks. I saw the Oystercatchers but fear their nest may have been a casualty of the clean-up operation. Presumably Chatsworth will be re-opening their car parks shortly with changes to the lockdown restrictions taking effect on Wednesday. 
A single Red Kite flew across the skyline as I left the park for Beeley.
This Lesser Black-backed Gull was a sad sight, caught by a length of rope and it will be very lucky to survive.

Lesser Black-backed Gull caught with rope

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Middleton Moor

The Lesser Black-backed is by far the commonest of the large gulls in the Peak District, currently there are around 500 to 600 roosting at Middleton Moor. They can then be seen feeding in grassy fields in the area during the day.
The increase in number of birds wintering in Derbyshire is a relatively recent change, and can number several thousand at Carsington. Prior to the 1970's is was mainly a migrant with most records in the Autumn.
Almost all the birds are of the western European race Larus fuscus graellsii which breeds around much of the British coastline.

Lesser Black-backed Gull - adult graellsii

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Winster

There has been a party of gulls in the field between Winster and Grange Mill for several weeks now. Seeing them in the sunshine with the lines of what I assume is winter wheat makes quite a striking image. The group included several Herring, Common and Black-headed Gulls and there were also 7 Buzzard in the field.

Lesser Black-backed Gull