Half an hour at Shawell A5 Lagoons today rewarded me with great views of a second-winter Caspian Gull.
As long as the local Buzzards give the gulls long enough to settle they leave the safety of the water and move onto the bank that separates the two lagoons. Just before I was about to leave I spotted this smart bird right on the top of the bank. I was travelling light so I only had my small compact camera and scope. Sadly I get quite a bit of vignetting with this camera and scope combination, but I've managed to crop the image to remove the problem.
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I was pleased to get the chance to study this bird, as it is the least mature second-winter I have seen. All the usual features are on show: upright stance, long sickly flesh coloured legs, white head with a beady dark eye, slender parallel edged bill and pencil mark streaking on its nape.
As long as the local Buzzards give the gulls long enough to settle they leave the safety of the water and move onto the bank that separates the two lagoons. Just before I was about to leave I spotted this smart bird right on the top of the bank. I was travelling light so I only had my small compact camera and scope. Sadly I get quite a bit of vignetting with this camera and scope combination, but I've managed to crop the image to remove the problem.
Second-winter Caspian Gull
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| Second-winter Caspian Gull |
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| Second-winter Caspian Gull |
I was pleased to get the chance to study this bird, as it is the least mature second-winter I have seen. All the usual features are on show: upright stance, long sickly flesh coloured legs, white head with a beady dark eye, slender parallel edged bill and pencil mark streaking on its nape.