Sutton Bingham - Wed 8 Jan

A flying visit to the reservoir after work just before dark just to check out the gulls and unbelievably this paid dividends as I found an Iceland Gull! A patch tick for me which is hardly surprising as it is only (as far as I'm aware) the third record for Sutton Bingham following birds in January 1983 and January 1985. I did my best to get a record shot, these are arguably my worst ever photos of any sort of bird but it was nearly dark and the bird was hanging out with Herring Gulls a fair way out from the northern causeway. To aid in identification I've placed a nice red ring around the Iceland Gull, you can see it if you squint!

 

 

Judging by the plumage I would age the bird as a first-winter with an almost complete dark bill, similar size to the associated Herring Gulls and with that ivory white mottled plumage. This more than makes up for the leucistic Herring Gull that sent my pulse racing at Sutton Bingham a few years ago...no doubt about this one. Oh yes, and there was nothing else of note tonight by the way!