Common Gulls

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 I have been avoiding this ! Gull ID is a nightmare! Apart from the fact the gulls are mostly black and white things - the plumage varies from summer to winter, and a gull in its first winter is different from a gull in its second winter which might be different again from a full adult. 

However, on the (often wet or flooded) pasture land that we can see from the house there are frequently flocks of gulls. At this time of the year these gulls are mostly Common Gulls (otherwise known as mew gulls). These birds are not "common" in the sense that they are commonly found, but are common in the sense that they are found on grassland or "commons".


I have found it difficult to get good close up photos because as soon as they see you coming they are off! The next photo shows a common gull with a lapwing and a starling which gives an idea of scale. (Lapwing and starling are often feeding at the same place and time as the common gulls).

Common gulls have greenish legs and a yellow bill and the adults have a white flash or "mirror" on their wing tips. We often see flocks of 200 to 300 in the winter time.

Diary Notes
A lovely sunny spring day today with a full moon last night.
Camera traps last night revealed a badger, a fox, and recorded tawny owl on the sound track. I have been  eagerly awaiting the first wildflowers of the year and had a report of the first lesser celandine of the season in flower yesterday in a sheltered spot along the lane.




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