Caspian Gull at Harbour Way (26 January 2025)

Sunday 26 January 2025. Recently returned from North East India and with gale force winds and heavy showers I took Otis to Shoreham Fort where I was barely able to keep my binoculars steady and only managed to see 4 Turnstones. Scanning the harbour drew a blank on the Eider (I'd missed it the previous day too, in much nicer weather with Megan, Nessa and Otis). I called in at Harbour Way and was a bit surprised that the tide had fallen enough for there to be a decent number of gulls and the Eider on the exposed mud. May attention was soon drawn to a white headed gull amongst the mainly immature Herring Gulls and quickly ticked off the expected first-winter Caspian Gull features while starting to take loads of photos (170+ in the hour I was there and most from my car sheltering from the rain). I know it's only a gull and a species which has become much more frequent in recent years but it still gives me a buzz seeing one, more so this one as it probably gave me my best views in Sussex. A nice welcome home after a couple of weeks in India. Checking the SOS website there had been first-winters seen in Hastings and the Cuckmere today with one at Goring Gap a couple of days before. Late afternoon the male Ring-necked Parakeet was seen in its usual tree in Middle Road.

Herring and Caspian Gulls with the Eider

Caspian Gull eyeing up the Eider, it may not have seen one before

an early flight view showing its white underwing and legs looking long and thin

showing paler inner primaries

fortunately it soon returned - a classic four coloured gull with clean white head and body, patterned grey mantle, brown covers and black primaries and tail tip

clean white head with a small dark eye 

showing thick black tail tip becoming thin black and white bars

delicate patterning on the mantle

pear shaped head and long thin parallel sided bill giving it a snouty look 

face to face with the Eider

similar body size

comparison with much more uniform, shorter legged Herring Gull of a similar age

a very smart bird even when seen in appalling weather

the Eider was quite smart too