Rufford Gulls - Two Visits

 So far this month, I've had a couple of visits to Rufford, to look at the gulls (1st and 17th).

My visit on the 1st was quite quiet, with c.70 Black-headed Gulls present. Ringed birds were: 280B, 202C, 270C, 298C, 208H and 225H. 13 Goosanders (10 males and 3 females), 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 male Pochard were also seen.

280B

Yesterday's visit was also quite quiet, with c.50 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Herring Gull and 1 Common Gull seen. Ringed birds were: 295A, 280B, 207C, 255C, 258C, 273C, 298C, 200H, 208H, a new bird 224H and 225H.

224H

As you can see, this photo of 224H is quite different from my "normal" ones. It was a rushed shot, that I got just before the bird flew off, but I've kept it, as it looks quite atmospheric! 224H is obviously a 1st winter/2nd calendar year bird (born in 2025), and this is my first sighting since it was ringed at the end of last year. Here's a more "traditional" shot of the same bird.

224H again