How about this adult Yellow-legged Gull for starters!
Another really striking Gull was a particularly dark Lesser-black Backed type - I have never seen one quite so deeply coloured. The streaking on the head and neck was equally dark and so were the legs. My attention eventually drifted elsewhere so I missed the flight shot! Steve Nuttall has seen these and it looks to be a 3rd winter 'Intermedius' type, dark but other features don't point to a Baltic type!
At about 1.15, Roger Clay picked up the bird of the day – a 2nd winter Caspian Gull and luckily it was on the ice not too far away! I hadn’t photographed a Caspo at this stage of development before – just like seeing one for the first time again, exciting stuff!
Standing on the ice, no problem in picking out the key Caspian Gull features, the white sloping head, beady eye, long parallel bill and long pale fleshy coloured legs.
Another nearby ringed bird to check up on too ....
Heads don't slope much more than this!
If this was the bird of the day, then this has to be the image of the day! Caught at the moment the flock took flight. Within the pandemonium the Caspo holding centre stage, long legs dangling. Three days old, the New Year has already given me an image to remember......
Sadly, in the confusion, I latched onto a different gull as it flew and whilst I was trying to relocate it my mobile rang. I could also see three queued messages – this could only mean one thing!!
I had an urgent appointment 15 miles away......
