After a thoroughly cold, miserable and unrewarding birding wise around Dungeness today, news of of a spanking summer plumaged Laughing Gull nearby at Hastings found by Dave Rowlands was to good to miss. David Walker kindly picked me up en route. Half an hour later we were watching the the superb Laughing Gull on the beach behind the Basketball Court. Next to the court today's fish catch was being gutted and the Laughing Gull was in attendance grabbing scraps with Herring Gulls and Great Black Backed Gulls. Minutes after we arrived a group of young men arrived to use the court, 5 Herring Gulls trapped inside the enclosed court started panicking as these grown men cowered and screamed in fear of the Gulls. One of the Herring Gulls got itself entangled with the netting, David Walker quickly freed it and let it go on the beach, while I and another birder shepherded the remaining Gulls out. In the short time we were distracted from the Laughing Gull it disappeared, as far as I am aware it didn't reappear this evening. I think an early morning look at The Patch is in order tomorrow!!
Superb summer plumaged Laughing Gull
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