Caspian Gulls ~ Dungeness, Kent - 28.10.17

Monday 30 October 2017

With winds of 20mph from the west and an incoming tide it started off a normal day for Dungeness, upon arrival though the activity out on the sea was far greater than normal with a 100+ Gannets feeding close in and two large rafts of Kittiwakes easily 500+ along with higher numbers of passing Med & Common gulls and much higher numbers of large gulls seemed promising for the afternoon ..

It wasn't until later that the beach became clear of fishermen that the gulls settled and after a few mass feeding frenzies that the numbers begun to build with a large roost on the beach and a large raft on the sea ..

The first caspian to show up was the regular bird at the moment and a rather smart 1st winter bird it is to ..

 
Same bird in Storm Brian ~ 21.10.17

Sme bird ~ 30.09.17




   
Next up was a rather nice 2nd. winter 
not as regular as the younger birds and a joy to see when they appear on the beach .. bird #5

 


A new 1st winter bird seemed to stay distant on the beach only coming close when in with the melee .. Bird #6



Very late in came another 2nd winter, a small bird with a equally small bill that I had my doubts about mainly due to bill size but the facebook group backed up the caspian id and so it was bird #7

   

Four Caspians in a day doesn't happen to often at Dungeness and considering the amount of gulls the most so far this season but still probably not yet in to four figures for the beach and only a few ringed birds amongst the the large gulls ..
Other notables two 2nd. winter yellow-legs and a 1st with a juvenile Arctic Skua passed ..

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