Rare bird sighting excites twitchers

A rare bird sighting has drawn enthusiasts to Geraldton, in Western Australia's Mid West region, after multiple sightings of a black-headed gull, a species rarely seen in Australia. This particular gull is believed to have strayed far from its usual migration path between Europe and Asia, likely due to severe weather conditions.

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There's only been eight to 10 records in Australia before and all of those have been in the northern part of Australia; this is the first one in the southern part. It's probably been caught in a storm, got blown this way and now it's lost.

Birdwatching friends Bill Betts and Daryl Jones were among dozens who traveled over 400 kilometers from Perth to witness the unusual visitor. Jones noted the rarity, stating, "There's only been eight to 10 records in Australia before and all of those have been in the northern part of Australia; this is the first one in the southern part." He speculated, "It's probably been caught in a storm, got blown this way and now it's lost."

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It's nice to say, 'We got it.' Sometimes we drive 500 to 600 kilometres and don't get anything.

The gull was first spotted on Wednesday and has been observed blending in with local seagull flocks along Geraldton's beaches. Tegan Douglas, an avid birdwatcher and employee of Birdlife Australia, highlighted how such sightings are now rapidly disseminated through social media and WhatsApp groups, a contrast to the older "phone trees" used for rare sightings.

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In the old days there used to be phone calls, phone trees for rare sightings. Now of course it's all on social media and WhatsApp chat groups.

Douglas mentioned the sighting has created a national buzz, with some birdwatchers flying in from the east coast and arranging travel with fellow enthusiasts. Geraldton photographer Steve Pidgeon, who captured the bird in flight, expressed surprise at the level of interest, noting the significant number of people traveling from various locations. He observed that birdwatching has seen a surge in popularity, particularly since COVID-19, as more people engage with natural spaces, leading to increased interest in birds and a desire to explore different environments.

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There have definitely been people that have flown in from the east coast and tried to arrange lifts up here with fellow birders to come and see it.