As you know, I've put in my time at Shawell A5 Lagoons and today I got some reward for my efforts.
I had been a good boy this morning so it was off to Shawell again for the afternoon. I was hoping to see five more colour-ringed gulls to bring my total for the site to 300. On arrival there was a couple of hundred gulls loafing about, but a Common Buzzard flushed them and they all flew off towards the nearby landfill site.
As there was only about half-a-dozen Common Gulls resting on the shoreline to my left I decided to eat my sandwiches. Suddenly they were all in flight right in front of me. Amongst them was a gull that appeared fractionally larger with longer wings. The Common Gulls were harassing it and as they chased it around I noticed that it was similar looking to the Common Gulls but slightly paler. It landed on the water and so I quickly got it in my scope. As soon as I saw it in the scope I was sure that it was a second year Ring-billed Gull.
The thing that struck me most from the view of it on the water was its strong looking bill that was pink based with a really distinctive black tip – somewhat similar to a juvenile Glaucous Gull. In my view I also had a same aged Common Gull and their bills were clearly different, as was the shade of grey on the saddle: the Common Gull being slightly darker.
Before I had chance to check out the rest of its plumage things kicked off again and the Common Gulls attacked it once more. Fortunately it came back down on the water. This time I was able to check the features again and I also saw that the greater coverts were similar coloured to the mantle. I had just enough time to check out the features that would rule out the possibility of it being a Herring Gull. It was smaller rounder headed and friendlier looking than a Herring Gull and it was also clearly smaller than even the tiniest female Herring Gull. The coverts also didn’t match those of a second or third-winter Herring Gull either.
Before I had chance to check out the rest of its plumage things kicked off again and the Common Gulls attacked it once more. Fortunately it came back down on the water. This time I was able to check the features again and I also saw that the greater coverts were similar coloured to the mantle. I had just enough time to check out the features that would rule out the possibility of it being a Herring Gull. It was smaller rounder headed and friendlier looking than a Herring Gull and it was also clearly smaller than even the tiniest female Herring Gull. The coverts also didn’t match those of a second or third-winter Herring Gull either.
All too quickly, as I hadn’t had a chance to photograph it, the Common Gulls attacked it again and this time they drove it away to the east and away from the lagoons. I lost it behind the bank between the two lagoons and despite rushing up to the other lagoon I didn’t see it again. As it flew away being chased by the Common Gulls I was able to compare the the wing and tails patterns.
Sadly it was over a bit too quick for my liking, as I pride myself on getting a record shot of the birds I find. Hopefully the records committee will realise that it was impossible to get a photo this time. Of course the record is subject to approval by the LROS records committee, but I'm happy with my Identification.
Below are some of my photos of other Ring-billed Gulls that were not hassled by Common Gulls:
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| First-summer Ring-billed Gull |
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| Second-winter Ring-billed Gull |
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| Adult Ring-billed Gull |