Gulls!

From Hanson hide 4 Redshanks on a newly appeared island, many Coot, Gadwall and Pochard, along with a few Tufted duck, Teal and Shoveler. On the islands from the VC this morning 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Dunlin, a Turnstone, a Barnacle Goose, and 2 Egyptian Geese among the Canada Geese. Over the lake a steady trickle of Sand Martins.

Late afternoon I joined Mick and Richard on the beach, where a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull among the Herring and Great Black Backed Gulls had been attracted by the fish offal and popcorn. Offshore just a handful of Sandwich Terns, a single Oystercatcher flew west and a single Gannet flew east. Just before I arrived a mixed flock of c30 Dunlin and Sanderling alighted on the beach before moving west. 

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

 A split second before wipe out!

 Taking on a Great Black-backed Gull

 Herring Gull TU3.T on the beach at Dungeness this afternoon. It's hind claw is trapped inside the colour ring making walking very difficult and probably painful. The left leg is slightly emaciated, maybe this caused the hind claw to get trapped or the trapped claw is the reason for the emaciation I have no idea. I photographed the same gull in December 2012, it was fine then. I have seen several North Thames coloured ringed gulls now, where the colour ring has slipped down over the foot impeding the bird in walking.

TU3.T Dungeness December 2012