CASPIAN GULL in Stewartby roost

Bank Holiday Monday 31 August

I arrived at Stewartby Lake c7.05pm to join Keith Owen who promptly drew my attention to a white headed young gull in an otherwise rather pathetic roost. Long medium thick slightly droopy black bill, medium grey mantle emerging, streaking extending up the hindneck, clean white head, blotchy brown wings etc etc – all pointing very obviously on pattern and jizz to Caspian Gull. We aged it as juvenile moulting in to first winter plumage, e.g. the new primaries were only stubby length and the area of grey to the mantle was clearly fresh. Only the second in Beds this year, c.f. SCB’s GLE fully juvenile bird earlier this month.

Also present were 3 Black Terns – KRO said there had been four earlier. A Kingfisher flew past us calling, some Sand Martins were low over the lake and around the shores were 4 Little Egrets and 3 Grey Herons. More interestingly, in the half hour I was present, Common Terns (25) out-numbered Lesser Black-backs (21). Some 100 or so B H Gulls were in the roost but no Common Gulls. The only other gulls present were a juvenile Herring Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

MJP