Common Gull ~ Ad. S ~ Dungeness NNR, Kent - 28.07.13

Between the fishing boats and the lifeboat station is a massive sand bed exposed at low tide, the gulls gather here and wait for the bait diggers to leave something for them to feed on ...

So standing fairly still and its not to long before they trust you just a little and settle down ..

The Commons were most active when feeding and nearly all were adults ..

Common Gull

The light was constantly changing so after an hour moved on ..

Mediterranean Gull ~ Southend Pier, Essex - 27.07.13

The forecast was for showers all day, with very little else about it was Southend for some Med beauties ... 

The forecast of rain should of kept most people at home, instead it was packed on the seafront and as it turned out it was sunny spells and never rained ...

Arriving at low tide to try for some thing different with many Meds loafing on the beach, should of counted them for all you List & No: weido's, but No, but I did from the pier 32 birds !!

Mediterranean Gull

Get out and get yourself some gull's ..

Common Gull ~ "Long Call" ~ Two Tree Is, Essex - 27.07.13

A quick look in at Two Tree Island, Essex and roosting on the mud near the slipway with the BHG's was a pair of Common Gull we watched them perform the "choking" but hadn't even got the camera out yet ...

Though I did manage images of the "Long Call" 

Common Gull ~ ad. S ~ Long Call

Mediterranean Gull ~ Southend Pier, Essex - 25.07.13

What better way to kick off the 2013 winter gull season, a visit to Southend Pier ...

I arrived at high tide with no Med Gull's visible over the 2hr stay max total was 9 birds which is more than expected ...

All age groups are moulting into winter plumage some more advanced than others ...

Mediterranean Gull ~ ad

Most noticable in the moult is the hood with the forehead, lores and chin now showing white feathers coming through ...

The inner primaries all dropped ...

The coverts are also being replaced ...

A more advanced bird with the hood well moulted and inner primaries nearly grown ..

Into 2nd . Winter

Hood and inner primaries are most noticable in the moult ..

Again a more advanced bird, hood nearly moulted out and inner primaries P1-5 replaced P6-7 dropped.

Juvenile into 1st. Winter

Only a few covert feathers replaced ...

No ringed birds seen ...

Little Gull ~ Dungeness, Kent - 14.07.13

A walk out to the fishing boats mid-afternoon and its high tide with a really calm sea ...

Lovely just sitting on the beach watching birds go by ..

A few crates of fish leftovers were emptied at the water line and the frenzy began with GBB's, LBB's, Herring and BHG's the main feeders.

Common Gull mainly ad's with a few younger birds all fly-by's.

Adult Med Gull's went past ..

Common & Sandwich feeding on small fish near the slick ..

Then this adult summer Little Gull came in close feeding and moments later joined by two others but much further out ..

Now some of these images are near-on full frame yet due to user error all just off focus, with PS managed to get usable images ... Lucky ..

Note ... The extensive feather wear !!

Little Gull

  

A smart looking gull that you rarely get a chance at, let alone get close too

Try again next time ..

Bonaparte's Gull ~ Crossness, London - 07.07.13

Spent a good half day chatting on Saturday and having not checked the news updates for a few hours, when a text from Jono saying 

" I wouldn't mind a look at the gull "

ehh ... what gull

Quickly checked Twitter and reports of a Bonaparte's Gull at Crossness with links to images so followed the link ..

A full summer plumaged bird !!

This was two hours ago and i'd been talking all that time but now it was to late to get there so we decided on a early one in the morning with fingers crossed ...

We arrived at 06:00 and after scanning for an hour couldn't locate it at the sewage outfall when another birder turned up and said it was off the golf center so we walked up and still no luck ... Now back at the outfall and we found it !!

It would fly in and drift feed back out and fly back in, drift out ..

It bathed right out on the rivers edge and spent ages resting on the jetty ..

When at high tide it came back in and fed with 100's of BHG's ..

Must be a returning bird from earlier with its sunday best on !!

Bonaparte's Gull ~ ad. S

A great looking bird ..

A great day ..

Only a few other birders turned up ..

Just how i like it !!