Gulls are back!

This was due to be a post about all the wonderful autumn migrants I have been enjoying over the last week or so, however I am sorry to report that blog post went out the window as soon as I started looking at gulls late this morning...

After a prolonged spell of settled weather, today saw the first good southerly blow for a couple of weeks with plenty of heavy squalls.  Naturally gull numbers increased on the Estuary because of this, and in amongst them were some nice highlights.

Late morning/early afternoon there were two Caspian Gull in with the large gulls between Coronation Corner and Tower Hide. 

This bird was a clear first-winter, looking amazing on the water, on the deck and in flight...

Found during a rain storm hence the darkness to the above photo! Still striking though

 

It's the bird with tail tip hidden and slightly looking down - such a great shape!

 

Nice pale underwing with some brown blotches, but also note clean white tail and solid dark secondary bar

And a better view of its upperwing pattern

The other Caspian Gull present was not so straightforward to age.  The amount of clear grey on the upperparts sent me down the second-winter route at first, but I think it is just a very advanced first-winter due to lack of any older feathers in the coverts and it's mostly dark bill.  If you read this and disagree, please let me know...

Not the lankiest of Caspian Gulls, but it's still got a good neck on it

 

Wave if you're a Caspian Gull!  Perfect underwing shot, and the lack of any white on P10 another pro-first-winter point

 

So yet another Axe Casp-double!  At least...

This evening when I went for another look along the Estuary there were far less gulls present but at about 5:30pm things became a bit complicated!  The above bird was still present in the flock on the salt marsh opposite Coronation Corner, appearing just after the flock had been flushed.  Just before this flush though I had picked up this bird... 

Certainly looks similar to the above bird, but can't help but think it has more patterned mantle/scaps. The awful light doesn't help that's for sure! 

 

Another decent underwing shot

Then just to make it even worse, after this flock had been flushed again, with no Casps coming back, about ten minutes later way up river in the gloom I pick up this Casp...

And who are you!?  

I am going to stick with two birds today, unless closer scrutiny of my photos reveal otherwise. Still, that takes my 2025 Axe Casp total to 14 birds which I am flabbergasted by!  

Over the years southerly storms in October have proved the best weather and time to see the older age classes of Yellow-legged Gull on the Axe - which remain pretty scarce here.   This came good again today, and during the earlier gulling session of the day I picked up a whopping four Yellow-legged Gull.  One a first-winter, of which there have been many around over the last month, but the other three were older birds, and all of different ages which was nice.

 A second-winter...

The closest bird.  Not easy to tell here but it's leg were pale yellow

A third-winter...

Note the darker mantle colour, long wings, square head shape, and pale yellow legs all visible here

 

And an adult (or very near adult)...

Mantle colour and overall size obvious here despite the distance

 

The adult was still present when I came back at 5:30pm...

Pictured here with Herring, Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls for comparison...and Cormorants!

Away from the gulls I saw four Little Stint, five Curlew Sands and a Ruff on Black Hole Marsh today, and a Bar-tailed Godwit on the Estuary. Loads of Snipe about too, many showing well in the rain but others flying around having been disturbed by this chap...

Not a gull!  Never known an autumn on the Axe when Marsh Harriers have been as ever-present as they have been this year

Don't worry, as long as I can avoid gulls for the next day or two, the blog post that was supposed to be here will come - I have quite a lot to tell you all about so I can't leave it much longer!  Thanks for reading... if anyone still is!