Glossy Ibis and Two Caspian Gulls

Yesterday morning I finally managed to catch up with a Glossy Ibis on patch.  It's taken me an embarrassingly long time considering there's been what, 600+ in the UK!

An early morning look along the valley showed one feeding in the corner of Colyford Marsh scrape, surrounded by gulls, Curlew, and Teal.  Presumably it was the same bird Mike B had fly over Black Hole Marsh at last light the previous evening.  Sadly it doesn't seem to have hung around though, as there were no further reports of it yesterday or indeed today.

Which brings me nicely to today...  I had just over an hour out after lunch which was mostly absorbed by the ever-growing gull flock on the Estuary opposite Coronation Corner, and was thrilled to pick up two more Caspian Gulls.  This is the third time I have done the double with Casps on the Axe (14/11/15 and 2/11/19). I tried to do the hat-trick today but it wasn't to be, presumably one day though!

Both birds were young birds born this year, with bird one being less advanced in its first-winter plumage, but in structure it was an absolute beast.  It was massive too, fitting in well with the loafing Great Black-backs, with a really impressive bill...

Look at the head and bill on that!  Dwarfing the Herring Gulls behind

Classic Casp stance, and again look at the bill on that!

The views of this bird didn't get any better as it proceeded to spend a lot of time asleep, however bird two was far more of a poser! 

This one was not as big or as well endowed in the bill department, but it was far more advanced to first-winter plumage, in fact it basically looked like a first-winter bird.  It had a heck of an attitude too, as you can see from the last three photos...

Still very chesty as a good Casp should be, and lovely plain lower greater coverts

 

Nice side-on shot, those tertials were lovely and dark with just narrow white tips

  

Nice pale underwing, solidly dark secondary bar and partially pale inner primaries

A typical angry Casp-pose on display here

A real fighter

...so it ended up looking like Billy no-mates!

 

Both birds stayed there for an hour, well until I had to leave so they could have remained all afternoon for all I know.  There's clearly a decent influx underway at the moment thanks to the recent stormy conditions, presumably originating from the spell of easterlies last week. 

Hopefully there's even more to come!