Having failed miserably at Richmond Bank last Friday when there was supposedly Caspian, Iceland, Glaucous, Med and Yellow-legged Gull all on show...non of which were?? somewhere different beckoned.
The chance came today as I was en route back from south Staffordshire and I nipped in at The Void near Stoke. A freezing wind swept muddy Country Park on the site of an old coal mine I think. The water was iced over so all leg colours could be seen nicely in the overcast light (the best I'm told for ascertaining true leg and mantle colours). Out on the ice a few hundred gulls mostly Lesser Black Backs with a few Herring the odd Greater Black Back a couple of Common and 50+ Black Headed.
In amongst this motley crew one big ugly argentatus type Herring Gull...vid below.
The melee
I did actually find a decent gull well two actually of the same variety unfortunately not the hoped for Caspian but its Mediterranean cousin Yellow-legged Gull, hiding away mid flock.
Of course I could be talking a load of bollocks
(as usual some say)
but I think I've called the above right.
If not please tell me why in one of those protracted senseless slagging debates they have on Birdforum!!
TTFN
