An extremely productive and satisfying photo shoot on Link's road car park this morning, with the stars of the catwalk or should that be the car park showing really well. The 1st winter Iceland Gull was in the south east corner of the car park on the edge of the flock of Gulls, mainly Black- headed but there was a 1st winter Common Gull amongst them too. The Iceland Gull was very obliging and was even walking around to within 10 feet of the car, which I used as a mobile hide. The light was very good so I was able to manually select low ISO setting such as 160 and 200 ISO.
The Iceland Gull posed really well and by the side of a puddle too. As I looked back at the flock I could see 2 Mediterranean Gulls, both adults, one in stunning full summer plumage and the other almost in full summer garb with a just a little white by the base of its bill.
The full sp one was having ago at the other which flew off. As I looked at the remaining adult Mediterranean Gull, I noted it had a green ring on its right leg, the number was 3XA9 it was the bird I have seen on 2 previous occasions for the last 3 years at this site. Originally ringed in Belgium on 17 May 2004 as a 3rd calendar year bird by Renaud F (so it will be 10 years old this year! See my post for 23 Nov 2009 for a fuller history of the bird) ) the Med Gull tends to alternate sites spending the winters at Lowestoft and the summer at Belgium and I will be e-mailing him and Camille D (in France who are conducting this excellent ringing scheme) tonight with the latest sighting!
It was really great to be re-acquainted with this Gull, (I had seen 3XA9 on 2 previous occasions 28 Dec 2007 and 15 Nov 2009) and it is just like seeing an old friend after a long absence and it obliged beautifully for a couple of shots at just 10 feet away (again using the car as a hide) before it ran back a couple of paces (see the result at the header to this blog!)
POSTSCRIPT 13/2/11 Just checked my pictures and the near full sp Med Gull is Stumpy, no wonder it was a little unsteady on its one foot!
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