white-wingers

Noticed a lot more large gulls hanging around at Long Strand this morning so went down for a closer look. Hadn't been there long before a huge adult glaucous gull came in and started throwing its weight about. Didn't get any close shots of it but then encountered what was almost certainly the same bird chewing on a long-dead seal (?) on Owenahincha beach this lunchtime.

Ravenous beast

mmmm Lunch

More exciting was a first winter kumlien's gull which was mixing it with the herring gulls at Long Strand this morning. Sadly, it too didn't come that close but got a couple of snaps on a fly-by.

kumlien's ahoy

Sadly, they'll all be blown away in tomorrow gales!

bonus glauc

Dodged out between deluges of rain to scope the lake for storm-flung vagrants and was quite surprised to see a soggy looking glaucous gull having a bath (75). On closer inspection, it may have been oiled on the breast I think, as it looks dirty on the awesome record shot!

Soggy glauc - bonus!

White-wingers are never guaranteed at Galley - I'd expect to get one or other in a year, but getting both is trickier. Will probably have to wait till later in the winter for an Iceland moving through - fingers crossed!