Grebes, Whitethroats and Summer Gulling

It felt more like winter gulling on Saturday morning, as the wind was bitter cold. I could have done with a pair of gloves - isn't it supposed to be warm in June?

I wasn't really expecting to see that many gulls during my visit to Cotesbach landfill site and Shawell A5 Lagoons, but at least 300 were present. Mostly immatures, but quite a few were adults. Most were Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but amongst them were 18 Herring Gulls, one first-summer Great Black-backed Gull and a second-summer Yellow-legged Gull.

Six colour ringed LBB Gulls were seen: two at the landfill site and four at the lagoons. Only the ones at the lagoons were readable, as the wind was too strong at the landfill site.

LBB Gull (DPDS) was ringed in Suffolk last July and spent its first winter near Agadir, Morocco.

1st-summer LBB Gull (DPDS)

2nd-summer Yellow-legged Gull (right)

 Nice Yellow Legs Already

Before setting off to Shawell, I called at Frolesworth Manor Lake where I got some photos of the resident grebes and also a Whitethroat, which was feeding its young right by where I parked my car. The Whitethroat continued to feed even while I was sat in my car.

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Whitethroat