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 !!