Ring-billed Gull

Welney, 27/01/08, James and Simeon

Secretly hoping that I wouldn't have any work to do so that we could spend the day plover watching, Simeon and I arrived at Welney at 2:00. As usual Sarah wasn't there, so after making sure everything had already been done I went over to the observatory for my 'last resort' job - assisting with Guide in the Hide (ie. bird watching!). There was very little at all, so that after about 5mins everybody had seen pretty much everything there was to see!

We were off the hook, so we made a speedy getaway. Unfortunately our tactics were in vain because, once again, no plovers were to be found. Feeling somewhat peeved we thought it might be worth going back to Ten Mile Bank to inspect a flooded field full of gulls. Simeon predicted boredom and failure, and therefore sat in the car keeping warm. As I got out of the car the whole flock took to the air! Perhaps Simeon had been right. Nevertheless I waited impatiently for them to settle, muttering to myself about Simeon being the world's most annoying birding companion. It appeared that most of the big (ie. interesting) gulls had made off, leaving a pile of Black-headed Gulls. Just as I was giving up hope, I struck gold! At the back of the flock stood an adult winter Ring-billed Gull (I could be certain of this thanks to the lack of birds at Welney which had driven me to gen-up on gulls, in particular Ring-billed!). The light wasn't particularly cooperative, but the bill was diagnostic; a lovely bird indeed! I got Simeon out of the car to get a second opinion, and the look on his face made my day! Who wants to see an American Golden Plover anyway?