LITTLE GULLS at Stewartby this evening

Having done my WeBS this morning at Brogborough (nothing of note there) I returned to Brog and Stewartby late this afternoon to see if any skuas had got as far as Bedfordshire. About a dozen Bonxies were seen to enter Cambs from the Wash this afternoon, heading SW, so I was quite hopeful.

Brogborough Lake was much as this morning with nothing of note apart from 2 Grey Wagtails heading west. Stewartby Lake, however, was a little better with a rapidly increasing gull roost containing around 40 LBB, 6 GBB and several thousand BHG which contained a 1w MEDITERRANEAN GULL. At around 6pm the first of three adult LITTLE GULLS was noted, with two more in the next few minutes. I held out for a skua but had to concede defeat as by that stage I was totally soaked through to the skin and my Cocker Spaniel, Luna, looked more like a drowned rat than a dog! 

The Little Gulls were still flying round with BHG’s when I left at 1820h - even in the failing light their crisp black underwings stood out a mile as they energetically chased up and down with the BHG’s.

Stuart Elsom