Low tide and a walk out on the sand, only a few bait diggers which in-turn meant really low numbers of gull's, they were flighty and not confiding always keeping there distance. When you tried to move closer they just moved further away.
A white headed bird caught my eye and got Richard on it, no sooner had we found it, when it took flight up over the shingle ridge not to be seen again all weekend ...
Record shots were taken ...
Caspian Gull ~ 1st. W
Small white pear-shaped head with sloping forehead.
Black bill gradual curve to tip, without distinct gonial angle.
Long legs with lengthy tibia.
Long legs with lengthy tibia.
Tertials brown with white edges, tips irregular broad white ends.
Greater coverts white edged, pale tipped with inner barred to dark outer.
Rear scapulars still 1st. gen with 2nd. gen upper replaced, grey with dark base markings, shaft streaks in to anchor pattern.
Broad dark even tail band, finely barred off the band, with white upper tail to rump.
Solid dark outer primaries fading to inner.
Inner primaries dark on outer web, pale on inner giving the 'venetian blind'
Worn greater coverts with paler tips against darker secondaries & median creating wingbar.
Saddle grey contrasting with wings and 1st gen tertials.
Body and head mainly white with dark markings making a necklace.
Underwing largely white, with fine darker marking on leading edge to lesser coverts.
Faint barring to axillaries.
Shame it didn't return for some better images.
Our third Caspian of the '13/'14 season so far.
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