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Wednesday, 17 December 2014

An Iceland Gull Finds its Way to Shawell

I had my usual Wednesday lunch break today at Shawell and I spotted what looked like a 'white-winger' resting amongst some gulls near the tip. It was facing me, so I couldn't see its primaries. Before I had the chance to confirm its identification, something spooked the gulls and they all took to the wing. Many were heading towards the A5 Lagoons, so I followed.

 Hundreds if not thousands of gulls were at the lagoons, but initially I couldn't see any sign of the really pale bird. Working through the gulls I came across a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull and what may well have been a new hybrid Caspian x Herring Gull, but I didn't spend much time looking at it as I wanted the Arctic Wanderer.

 It didn't appear to be at the lagoons but suddenly, as if by magic, it appeared on the far shore - it was an Iceland Gull - a result of last week's 'Weather Bomb'? Hopefully the first of many.

 I have aged it as a third-winter, because of the bills lack of yellow and the patchiness of the coverts.

Third-winter Iceland Gull

Third-winter Iceland Gull

Third-winter Iceland Gull
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3 comments:

  1. Paul Riddle18 December 2014 at 09:17

    A super find Carl, just rewards for all the time you spend up there.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Darren Robson18 December 2014 at 13:35

    Shawell is fast becoming 'the' place for scarce gulls, well done mate, Glaucous-winged for your next find I reckon...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Carl Baggott18 December 2014 at 17:59

    Thanks guys, a Glaucous-winged Gull would get a few more at Shawell than normal Darren.

    ReplyDelete