Horsehay and Candles, 6th Feb 2014

Back from work and straight to the crematorium, but not many gulls! A 2w mich was the best I could muster, but then it became apparent the nearby Granville tip was closed. So a hop across town, and a glance at Horsehay Pool in the rain, and for once there were gulls to look at. A couple of big flushes off the tip meant birds kept turning over, and it wasn't long before the gleaming white head of a smart 2w Caspian Gull materialised amongst the bathing gulls. Unfortunately it lingered for less than two minutes before heading back towards the tip, but was followed by a couple of shiny ad michs before everything was put up by a heron.

very white underwing and a cheeky P10 mirror

I moved to the field opposite the tip, and amongst c600 large it was disappointing not to get more views of the cach, but a different 2w caught my eye. Oddly young-looking, with a mainly brown mantle of plain scaps with dark centres, and a nice Glaucy bill, it rang a few smithish bells, but the underparts and head were a bit pale. Eventually it flew, and a bit of video revealed a good dark tail and well-barred rump, so who knows?