February sees a large number of gulls visiting Little Marlow Gravel Pit. There are some present all day but the numbers really build in the hour or so before dark. At this time of year the large number of Black-headed Gulls is often easily beaten by Common Gulls, as they presumably stop off in the area before heading north to their breeding grounds.
The photos were taken well before sunset as the light rapidly goes. Birds were still coming in when I left. Unfortunately no scarce species identified this evening. There are a few Jackdaws mixed in also. They roost on the main island.
Click on the photos below to enlarge.
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| The north side of the sand spit is covered by mainly Common and Black-headed Gulls |
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| Four of five species of gulls in here (at least!) but nut too many large gulls. Perhaps a few hundred. |
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| Seen a few days earlier, this Black-headed Gull was wearing a colour ring "White X9V1". It was ringed as a 3rd Cal year bird on 27th May 2016 at RIETHER WERDER, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, North-Eastern Germany. The map below shows the location in the Baltic Sea. |
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| The breeding site is a large colony on an island. |
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