A Double Caspian Hat Trick

Thursday was my last day of leave, so after dropping Lyra off at kindergarten, I decided to chance my arm at Ammasuo dump for a change of pace.

7 Caspian Gulls had been seen there so far this season, and even though this dump has no access save for a lucky few, the odds were good that I would pick up one or two from the hills along the fence.

I was also keen on seeing the pair of Black Kite which had been in the area on and off.

I tried the Kauhala side first, as I had never been there before, and though there were a lot of gulls on the buildings on this side, they were too distant to bother with.

I then made my way around to Kalliosuo, the side I've had success with in the past.

Gulling from here is more..."challenging" than from dumps such as Lohja, Tarastenjärvi or Topinoja, as combined with the distance, you are often very exposed to strong winds shaking your optics and strong haze off the building roof.

Nonetheless I did manage 3 Caspian gull over the course of a few hours, with the aid of the odd White Tailed Eagle or Goshawk occasionally re-shuffling the deck.

Caspian Gull - juv - of the 3 birds I saw, only this known individual was consistently viewing, the other two popping up briefly or distantly.

This bird has apparently been given the nickname "eye-mask"

Two Lesser Black Back/Heuglin's types were also present, as well as my first juv Baltic of the year.

LBB/Heuglin's type.

The best of the rest was obvious visible migration in the form of dozens of Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail going over as well as numerous Sparrowhawk migrating and several Goshawk, prime among those being this beast of a Juvenile.

Goshawk - Choose the form of the destructor.

Today I made my way back to Lohja dump. 

I arrived to see lots of gulls in the air. Jan Sodersved was already in situ down by the trash pile, and he informed me that he had had a candidate Caspian but the birds had scattered, probably due to a Goshawk or other raptor.

I decided to try the top of the hill in the meantime, and rounding into the cul de sac, picked up a new Caspian gull on the ridge. I tipped of Jan, who started to head up.

Caspian Gull - Juv - the first view. A bird with noticeably "open" greater coverts.

Caspian Gull - beautiful bill, tertials and scaps.

The birds on the ridge then all dropped down back towards the trash pile.

As I made my way back around I saw Jan parked up on a small hill looking through a group of gulls. I raised my bins, and immediately got onto another juv Caspian Gull, this bird definitely different than the one I had just been looking at. I told Jan, but the bird was on the wrong side of the car to me, so I swung around behind Jan's car. I lost the bird I had been looking at, but now I was looking at the same big pale bird from earlier in the week.

Incredible! 3 Caspian Gulls on the same day in Lohja! Prior to last year there had been nearly a decade with none!

Caspian Gull - If the Ammasuo boys can nickname theirs, so can I. Meet Big Boy - King of the trash pile.

I then picked up what looked like the other bird I had just lost, but now it was resting at an awkward angle. The feather tracts I could see looked good, but I wanted more on it.

Again, however, the birds flew down towards the trash pile.

We headed down there again, and the birds seemed settled.

It didn't take long to find the various Casp in the throng.

First up was what I'm calling bird 2, the individual with the open coverts.

Caspian Gull - Juvenile - bird 2. Open greater coverts. Unmoulted scaps. Neat tertials. Slightly comical bill shape.

Caspian Gull - bird 2 - fairly pale underwing, though not fully clean, but certainly on it's way.

"I am vengeance. I am the night."

Bird 1 - Big Boy, also joined the group, appearing at the entrance to the trash compound.

Big Boy surveys his kingdom.

Before taking his rightfull place at the top of the trash pile. Hail to the king.

It was then, through scanning left from Big Boy, that I picked up bird 3.

Caspian Gull - Bird 3 - scruffy scaps, with several dropped. Fairly solid greater coverts, with noticeable indentations/spots on the inners. Strong billed, but classic shape.

Full crop.

Underwing still well marked.

Note the fresh scapular and paling tips to the tertials.

This bird then moved back towards the hill.

Definitely the resting bird from earlier, now at a better angle.

Absolute stunner.

And with that it was time to go. A damn decent result for an hour and a half quick trip, and as far as I have been told, breaking the record count for Caspian Gull at this site.