Slaty-backed Gull, a MEGA rarity, great surprise in January 2021, thank you Sendari!

 

Four Herring Gulls on the left and Slaty-backed Gull on the right. Photo: Olli Haukkovaara

On January 23rd, Saturday afternoon, Elissa Soikkeli found a promising looking gull from River Kymijoki, in the downtown of Kuusankoski. Soon it was confirmed to be a 2nd ever Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus) in Finland, and the 9th observation in whole Western Palearctic area. A real MEGA rarity! While writing this, I'm not sure how many different birds have been seen in Westers Palearctic, perhaps 8 as the gulls in Lithuania and Latvia 2008 / 2009 were the same. This gull disappeared soon to south with Herring Gulls and was not found again before sunset.

I had agreed with my friends Risto Vilpas and Ville Työppönen, that we will still try to see the gull on Sunday morning, 24th of January, so we pushed the pedal at 6:00 a.m. and arrived at Kuusankoski at about 8:00 a.m., roughly an hour before sunrise.

We were the first birders there and we immediately spotted the Slaty-backed Gull on the opposite side of the river! Wooohoooo! Lifer for each of us! Thank you Sendari and Elissa! Next the message to Lintutiedotus i.e. the Finnish Rare Bird Alert system; The Slaty-backed Gull is still on the same place as yesterday!

Soon after that lot's of birders, men and women, of all ages, arrived to river bank, approximately about 50 of them. Cheerful yells and Corona-type "handshaking", many of the birders got the lifer even though many had seen the 1st Slaty-backed Gull 8 years ago, in Espoo, Finland.

Slaty-backed Gull on flight. Photo: Olli Haukkovaara

The Slaty-backed Gull was relatively easy to identify, it had broad white trailing edges in the wings, conspicious white "string of pearls" in outerwings, raspberry-pink legs, fine brown head-markings and slaty-colored back, not black.

I wonder what will be the next lifer, this Slaty-backed Gull was really a surpise! Last year I got two lifers, Collared Pratincole and Cackling Goose. This year, well, only Sendari knows....

Thank you Sendari, we will sacrifice to You! Photo: Ville Työppönen