BEDDINGTON ICELAND GULL VISITS HOLMETHORPE

While I didn't get to venture around the local patch for too long yesterday, a message from Graham James mid-afternoon let me know that Gordon Hay had discovered an Iceland Gull on Spynes Mere.

While the weather had taken a turn for the worse – the temperature had dropped and the rain had started – I went out for a look. I met up with Gordon as the wind picked up and the rain got heavier, and he pointed out the Iceland Gull on the sand spit.

New Whitey at Holmethorpe

Gordon was certain this was a different bird to the other two he'd seen at Holmethorpe this winter and it looked remarkably similar to the one I saw briefly at Mercers Lake on Wednesday.

I later sent the photo above to Johnny Allan to check whether it was a bird that regularly visits Beddington. And sure enough, Johnny rang to say it was 'New Whitey', a first-winter bird that I had seen at Beddington on Friday, that has the look of a second-winter bird but with a dark eye.

New Whitey at Beddington

The bird has flown around the local area quite a bit recently, apparently having been seen roosting at Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir the night before.