Gulls 22/7

More gulls I'm afraid. 11+ Yellow-legged Gulls on Dogsthorpe Tip today (5+ ads, 2 3rd-s, 2nd-s, 3 juvs). Nothing at Tanholt.


3rd-summer michahellis



slightly bulkier juv michahellis


Confusing beast - you can probably forgive me for thinking that, when I saw the head only, I was onto a cachinnans. It then walked out from behind a crowd of Herring Gulls revealing itself to be, a Herring Gull with a most odd head and bill structure. You're always learning with these critters.

BLGP was quiet this evening; the showers did not produce much more than a Snipe and a Common Sand on the New Works.

More Gulls 21/7

I went gulling again today - it's about the only thing worth doing at the moment. In fact, it's probably the only thing worth doing in Peterborough at any time of year. Much improved on Monday, but that was presumably due to alot more gulls being present.

At Dogsthorpe Tip, I half-heartedly scanned the dump from the KFC car park and predictably saw nothing. However, I did get amongst the flock in the field south of KFC. Amongst the predominately Lesser Black-backed Gulls was this superb 2nd-summer Caspian Gull:





In addition to this beauty, there were at least six Yellow-legged Gulls in the same field. Who knows how many more were on the tip...


juvenile michahellis - these things are stunning when this fresh.

I moved on to Tanholt Pits, where a sizeable chunk of laridae was bathing/moulting/falling apart on the new pit. Amongst them was my first juvenile Mediterranean Gull of the year, as well as a couple more Yellow-leggeds (1st-summer and juvenile). Sadly my camera battery died halfway photographing the Casp, so no more pics!

I'll be back tomorrow.

Yellow-legged Gulls

Couple of juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls at Tanholt Pits this afternoon:




Bird one


Bird two

Also an eclipse drake Wigeon at BLGP today, but nothing else interesting. Been in Morocco recently; 16 WP ticks including Cricket Longtail, Pied Crow, White-faced Petrel and Black-crowned Finch Lark.