Bonaparte's Gull x2

I said it's been an influx year but I wasn't expecting this!

Following the Axe's first Bonaparte's Gull on 30th April 2007, it took 6,903 days until we had our second.  And the amount of days it took from then to get our third?  One.

I had a quick look around early afternoon today, and my first scan through some gulls on the Estuary from Axmouth revealed the continued presence of the first-winter Bonaparte's Gull, first found yesterday and which I briefly blogged about here.  This was the first sighting of it today so I put the news out as quickly as I could...  

The Boneys...or was it?

 

However, less than ten minutes later I was scrambling for my phone again, as continued scanning along the Estuary revealed the presence of a SECOND first-winter Bonaparte's Gull!

Nothing to compare with this one though!  

 

This all happened prior to 2pm, but when I left at 3pm both were still present just north of Coronation Corner, having both moved down river from where I first found them...

The first photo ever taken on the Axe that contains two Bonaparte's Gulls!  I'd say one bird is fairly easy to pick out but the second not so.  Will post the photo again at end of this post highlighting each

 

The closest that either of the birds came for me - this was the bird that is pictured above all on its own

  

They did eventually get very close to each other, it's just one of them was fast asleep...

This could have been an AMAZING shot!

 

Mark Bailey informs me there's one previous occurrence of two Bonaparte's Gulls together in Devon, back in April & May 1992 on the Plym. So we will just have to go for a trio then!  Thanks for the info Mark.

I will close this post with the photo promised above...

Haze most certainly didn't help!

 

Thanks for reading. Oh and and check your local Black-headed Gull flock for pink legs if you haven't already!