Yellow- legged Gull at last!

On Thursday 21st July, I heard a "kew-kew-kew" call at 5.15pm and rushed outside to the car park at the back of Gorleston Library and saw an excellent Hobby flying south-west carrying something in its talons.

That morning I had checked Links Road car park and not seen any Gulls on it, although there were c30 Common Terns on the groynes just east of the new caravan site and  Tooks old shop.

On Friday 22nd July, amazingly the sun came out in the afternoon, since I have returned from my Welsh trip its either been raining or very gloomy with dark clouds lingering overhead.  So straight after work at 5.20pm, I decided to take advantage of the good weather and check out Links Road car park. Success, this time as the Yellow- legged Gull was holding court on the car park striding around on the gravel and bathing in the pools, it then sadly flew off. A typically large bird with a big ferocious looking bill and darker grey mantle and back than Herring Gull with obvious yellow legs too. The bird has My attention was then turned to a rather sleepy adult Kittiwake in the north- eastern most pool. The bird appeared tired and often tried to snatch a forty winks or two! 

Throwing some bread out had the desired effect of attracting several Gulls including Black- headed Gulls, a Herring Gull, a Lesser Black- backed Gull and finally the returning Yellow- legged Gull.

Two dogs ran onto the car park and scared off all the Gulls (including the Kittiwake) that simply flew around in a circle and eventually settled again by the pools at the east end. The Yellow- legged Gull was now posing nicely by the pool and the Kittiwake had even sat down and was dosing by the edge of the pool. I was finally able to obtain really good shots of this individual which has been returning to Lowestoft North Beach area for the last fourteen summers and is now 18 years old, previously it had been quite camera shy but with the added advantage of using the car as a hide on the car park I was able to take full advantage of my luck.

The Yellow- legged Gull finally ran out onto the middle of the park and posed again beautifully for the camera, before sitting down and having a doze, I knew it was my cue to leave. 

Back in the garden at 6.30pm, a Red Admiral was seen to fly down on the water butt and then flew up the wooden pagoda and settled on the top horizontal beam and I was able to get some great shots using the garden steps.