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Sunday 15 November 2020

Eider and Yellow-legged Gulls

I was hoping the wind and rain of the last few days might have stirred something up, a wreck of Leach's Petrels or Grey Phals maybe?  But it didn't happen - which is good news for the Petrels and Phalaropes!

However this afternoon at Seaton Hole a young male Eider was feeding just offshore, and may only have been there due to the rough seas.  Eider shouldn't really be a rare bird around here, and it never used to be, but this was my first on patch since early 2011!  For some reason they have become so much rarer off the south coast of Devon within the last decade, although this is the third record for us in the last 12 months with both Phil and Ian having seen flybys whilst sea watching.


Of course I have been giving the gulls as much time as I've been able too during the recent storm, with two Yellow-legged Gulls being the highlight. A stunning but distant adult yesterday (back on looking right)...


And this classic second-winter this afternoon...


Would very much appreciate more wind and rain please!  It's turning into a cracking good gull autumn, but something with white-wing tips next would be good (and bigger than a Med Gull!).

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