A Great Day

I was fired up this morning and determined to have a good day. The forecast didn't look good, but he who dares and all that. 

I started the day scanning through the gulls resting in the massive quarry. I didn't count the Herring Gulls, but there may well have been up to 3000 present. A lone third-winter Caspian Gull was amongst the first group, but surely there must be more? Sure enough by the end of the day my total had reached seven, which may well be a record for Shawell. The adult I saw on Thursday was still present, but pride of place goes to the four first-winters that helped brighten up a dull day. First-winters in January and February can be really smart looking.

First-Winter Caspian Gull, Shawell A5 Lagoons, 09/01/16

I pride myself on almost always getting a record shot of my best bird finds, but the record shot I got today stretches the title record shot to the limit. A juvenile Glaucous Gull was resting by one of the distant pools at Cotesbach Landfill site. No problem viewing it through my 70 power scope (some sort of fancy American/Swarovski speak ;-), but photographing it was a different prospect. Who can argue with the result?

Juvenile Glaucous Gull, Cotesbach Landfill Site, 09/01/15

As well as a record breaking seven Caspian Gulls I also saw another German ringed gull, however, I could only read three of the four letters that made up the code. It was either a hybrid at the Herring Gull end of the scale or a Herring Gull. Hopefully the scheme coordinators can pin point which bird it is.