Gulls

There was a good flock of gulls on the fields to the east of Cotham Landfill this morning - almost all Herrings. After an hour of scanning, some more gulls flew in from the field behind (where there was a similar-sized flock, but obscured by the hedge), and more scanning eventually produced an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Adult Yellow-legged Gull at Cotham Landfill

Giving up, I went to Kilvington; there were two more Yellow-legs, another adult and a 2nd winter, amongst a small group of gulls on the West Lake; frustratingly, a gull on the water looked good for an adult Caspian; it swam towards the shore and was just about to get out, when all the gulls flushed and flew off to the south-east. I had a look at it in flight, and it appeared to show long grey tongues extending into the black wingtip, and white tips to P10, but I didn't see P5 properly and the views weren't good enough to nail the ID. Interestingly, according to the sihgtings board, there was an adult Caspian here on 22nd October.

Adult Yellow-legged Gull with 2nd W Herring Gull at Kilvington Lakes

2nd W Yellow-legged Gull at Kilvington Lakes

On the East Lake, there were two female Red-crested Pochards amongst 75 Common Pochard.