An Arctic weekend

The weather caused me some motivational issues yesterday - snow and a freezing easterly wind meant migrant hunting was, realistically, off the agenda. Some fairly aimless pottering south of Newark culminated in a check of Cotham Flash, itself fairly birdless, but on the field pool beyond there was a good gathering of large gulls. I got a bit closer, and used a haystack for some elevation (and shelter). There were around 100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls present, with similar numbers of Great Black-backs and smaller numbers of Herrings - and a nice 1st winter Caspian Gull (the photos below don't do it justice).

1st W Caspian Gull at Cotham Flash

My viewing location

Today, another check of Cotham Flash failed to relocate yesterday's Caspo, and it was even colder and windier so I soon gave up. An afternoon walk at Collingham Pits then proved to be a good decision, as a Grey Plover was on the Silt Lagoon - a good bird for the Patchwork Challenge yearlist. The 4 Whoopers were still in with the Mute Swans but there wasn't a huge amount else of note present. 

Grey Plover at Collingham Pits