Kittiwake was real...but dies

Brain called me to say he had a Kittiwake on BSL, but it looked very unwell, I couldn't go straight away, but got there after about 15 minutes. Brian was still there and said it had just rolled over and died 2-3 minutes before. I am now inclined to year tick this based on the evidence.

Apart from an 'observer unknown' report 2nd April 1999, the last confirmed was 5th July 1990, which was also an adult and also died.











I went off to LFGP to check out a grebe, which was Little and also adding 4 Meadow Pipit, headed back to recover the corpse. I heard Green Woodpecker in the car park too.

There is something very sad about photographing dead birds, not because of year ticking them, I just don't like seeing them dead.

Now, let's bring up the subject of was it the bird I saw on the 7th? And why nobody else saw it? I guess we can put it down to flooding and few people managing to get around the park at all.

Assuming it was the same bird, this would constitute the longest staying individual ever, for DP at least. This is only the 7th DP record, the previous confirmed records are:

April 7th 1984, 2 Adults over 10:00 (bird walk)
May 30th 1984, caught but died 31st  (Paul Andrew)
April 28th 1985, oiled Adult, 05:18 to 06:45 only (FJC)
January 3rd 1986, Adult died (Alan McAll)
April 13th 1986, 07:30 for 10 mins (FJC)
July 5th 1990, Adult died (BTB)

Forgot to add 3 Ring-necked Parakeet flew to willows above the wooden footbridge, then flew back 10 minutes later. A friend also told me LSW was seen behind the aviation museum again around 14:00.