First-winter Caspian Gull

Following inconclusive views of a possible/probable Caspian Gull on the Axe early this morning, I was delighted to see that unbelievably it was still present when I checked the gulls again just before 2pm this afternoon. It was much closer and in better light...

Not quite classic, but close enough!

You can see the lovely white head, and long parallel bill which is already turning pink at the base, lovely long pink legs too!  Plain coverts and lower greater coverts, all dark with pale edged tertials, plenty of grey on the scapulars and mantle, and the streaking on its nape and down its flanks. It was a big bird too, not as big as the Great Black-backed-sized male Casps I've seen, but clearly bigger, longer and taller than all surrounding Herring Gulls.  

The not so classic feature is the amount of streaking on its belly, although this is still on a very white ground colour and will fade as this bird goes through it's first-winter - so it will probably look much better in its 2nd calender year.  The upper greater coverts were also a little notched, but well within variation.

When it was at its closest, it gave me the opportunity for the absolute perfect 'flight shot'...

Thank you very much!

On this shot we can see its uppertail, with a neat black terminal band on an otherwise white tail, and then we have the wings...  Underwing nice and pale which is bang on.  The upperwing shows solidly dark secondaries, clear pale bar just above the secondaries formed by the tips of greater coverts, and the perfect amount of pale on the inner primaries.

It spent some time in the water too, where it looked even more obvious...

Just looks nothing like a first-winter anything else!

The brilliant white head, grey mantle, brown coverts and black tertials are such a striking combination

It was nice to see five Mediterranean Gulls on the Estuary too, four adults and a second-winter.  Numbers of Common Gulls clearly on the up too.

Otherwise during the last week all I have to report is a few Chiffchaffs (up to ten in a day), several Goldcrests and Redwings and up to five Black Redstarts at the east end of Seaton.  My first Fieldfare of the autumn flew over my head calling on Tuesday morning, which was a really lovely highlight.

Can see in the forecast this dull and depressing high pressure cloud is finally set to clear off.  I cannot wait!