Glaucous Gull ~ Dungeness, Kent ... 29.01.12

O.M.G .. !! .. The lite is shite !!

When the forecast isn't great, we head for Dungeness as it always comes good  !!

Drove in across Walland Marsh, seeing 52 Bewick's Swans and  failed to locate the Dotterel at Lydd Airport ...

Looked in at the Arc Pit, a smart drake Smew & 4 redheads were the stars !!

At the fishing boats, the gull numbers were nowhere near as many as last weekend and we didn't see the Caspian !!

But the Glaucous had returned, and was noticeably greyer on the upperparts ...

Glaucous Gull ~ 2nd.W

Roll on Friday Ireland here we come !!

Caspian Gull 1st.W ~ Dungeness, Kent ... 22.01.12

My first of many visits without seeing the Glaucous ... 

The dull overcast conditions never dampen the day at Dungeness, unless you don't like gulls but if like me you love 'em then its always a great day !!

Took awhile to find it today, just so many gulls to look through ...

To get any kind of action/flight shot was straight forward you don't have to wait long before a dog walker, someone pushing a pram or a fishermen walks right through the mass of gulls and up they go !!

Caspian Gull ~ 1st.W

All to brief spell of good light !!

What a great bird !!

Herring Gull ~ Dungeness, Kent ... 22.01.12

As the weather was for dull & overcast we decided on a pilgrimage to the old  faithful Kent's finest ... Dungeness.

Gull's being the main target, and the roost has easily double in numbers !!

Loads of Gull's

Hundreds loafe on the shingle and even more are cruising around the fishing boats and that's where the action is !!

Herring Gull ~ 1st.W

Ringed bird from the North Thames Gull Project

Herring Gull ~ 2nd.W

Herring Gull ~ 4th.W

Herring Gull ~ ad.S

Hopefully i've aged them all correctly

So you don't like gull's ... why !!

Gull's are Fantastic

Caspian Gull - 4th.W ~ 355P ~ Crossness, London ... 21.01.12

With the tide on it's way out this afternoon a visit to Crossness opposite the Golf Center to check out the gull's.

Along with a Med & a couple of Y.leg's was this beauty a 4th winter Caspian Gull ringed as a chick in Poland .

Ring. Green/Gold code 355P

Caspian Gull ~ 4th.W

Fantastic Bird


More in-depth write up
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Iceland Gull - 2W ~ Thames Road Waste Depot, Crayford, Kent ... 21.01.12

After trying a few other local sites Me & Kev chanced our luck at the local Council dump & Viridor waste just off Thames road in Crayford. 

This is a good site for gull's and plenty of em', scanned the waste ground along side The Jolly Farmers pub, then Viridor and then from the footpath to view the rear of the Council tip. We scanned the salt mounds and i was just viewing a Y.L.Gull when in came a stunning white winger, I shouted to Kev who had his winkle out at the time " I've got a white winger, Iceland Gull " what !! ... a White winger ...

We texted a few people who turned up quick smart the Kent & London massive well 4 people !! Then another Ian who saw it from the train ! .. and finally a 6th person ... wow ... We nearly had to call LGRE for some crowd control advise !!

The images that you are about to see are dodgey !!

I have no excuses ...

Iceland Gull ~ 2.W

Mediterranean Gull ~ Southend Pier, Southend-on-sea, Essex ... 14.01.12

Mediterranean Gull

This is really the main reason for going to Southend Pier for it has to be one of the best locations to photograph this stunning gull up close.

Winter see's the Med Gull numbers increase with wintering birds from the continent.

This visit 3 ringed birds from Belguim, 2 from Germany & 1 from Poland.

1st. Winter

  

1st Winter birds are lovely with beautiful markings that really show in flight !!

2nd Winter

Adult Winter

A great afternoon !!