Kumlien's Gull

I'm on holiday from work this week and feeling pretty determined to get out birding as much as possible. So when I heard that Steve had found an adult Kumlien's Gull at Coronation Corner I decided to go and look for it even though it had flown out to sea. There are still large numbers of gulls patrolling up and down the beach and as soon as I arrived at the the yacht club car park (well, what's left of it) and lifted my bins, I spotted it sitting on the sea. Unfortunately it immediately took off and flew westward along the beach. I tried to follow but soon lost it in the glare as I was looking directly into the sun. There were so many gulls it could have been anywhere! Then I was distracted by several stricken, oiled Guillemots being washed in on the rising tide and began helping a chap from the RSPCA to locate them.

I had a second look for the Kumlien's Gull later in the day without much luck and had just got home and started cooking the tea when I received a text from Ian M who had spotted it by the tram sheds. I dropped everything and went straight there, the first time I've rushed out for a bird in an absolute age. I'm so glad I did, it was a stunning bird and gave some superb views. I took a few shots with my digiscoping camera, but only a few as the battery went flat almost immediately. I hadn't used it for months, so was lucky it had worked at all! It was good to see some familiar faces too, which I also hadn't seen for months!!

I was hoping to get some good flight shots but it didn't decide to leave until light levels were rapidly falling not helped much by an approaching storm cloud. Still, I got some not very good ones like so...

Thought it was going here... but it was a false alarm.

Then at 4.47...they're off!

Stands out nicely.

Around the yacht club a few much more common birds posed well, like they do.