Caspian Gull at Brooklands (08 March 2025)

We visit Brooklands once or twice a month. I've seen a few nice birds there over the years but we go more because its an easy place for a dog walk than in the expectation of seeing anything unexpected. That changed today when scanning the gulls, as I always do, I noticed what appeared to be a longer necked, whiter headed bird in amongst them. A telescope is rather an encumbrance at Brooklands so I rarely take one. On this occasion I wished I had a telescope but a bridge camera is sometimes an adequate substitute as proved to be the case today. Those on the raft are definitely my best Sussex Caspian Gull photos.

interesting looking long-necked, whiter headed gull but too far away to see much detail 

zooming in on hastily taken images confirmed the long neck and cleaner whiter head and also revealed tertials, coverts and mantle that one would expect of a swimming Caspian as well as a long thin bill 

it swam over to the raft where its long legs were revealed and when I returned home further cropping showed finer feather detail

small head and eyes

typical head and bill no longer solidly black

It almost fell off the raft showing a thick band and fine streaking on the tail

its upper wing pattern with venetian blinds on the inner primaries and distinct white tips to the secondaries and greater coverts

and a gleaming white underwing

Shoreham area (01-07 March)

Saturday 01 March. Southwick Canal/Lockgates with Megan and Otis: distant male Eider, no Dartford Warbler.

Sunday 02 March. Steepdown with Megan and Otis: Red Kite, Buzzard (heard), Green Woodpecker, 3+ Skylarks, Song Thrush, Meadow Pipit, 10 Linnets and 7 Corn and a Reed Bunting. Crown Road: 2 Stock Doves.

Stock Dove in our front garden

Monday 03 March. Cissbury with Megan and Otis: Red Kite, Buzzard, Green (heard) and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Skylark, 2 Chaffinches and 2 Yellowhammers.

Buzzard at Cissbury

Tuesday 04 March. Mile Oak/Truleigh Hill circuit with Otis: Stock Dove, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Buzzard, Little Owl, Kestrel, 20 Skylarks, Chiffchaff, Stonechat, 7 Meadow Pipits, 20 Linnets, 2 Goldfinches and 55 Corn Buntings.

Little Owl on the Downs

Wednesday 05 March. Mill Hill in thick fog with Megan and Otis: Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Great Tits, 3 Song Thrushes and 7 Blackbirds.

Thursday 06 March. Widewater, 07:30-09:25, light SE, moderate visibility: Brent Goose 384E, Shelduck 3E, 8 Great Crested Grebes, Dunlin 25 W, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Red-throated Diver. Boardwalk/Fort with Megan and Otis: Brent Goose 79E, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Oystercatchers, 5 Cormorants and a Raven. Crown Road: Raven (same or it's partner) flying NW. New Monks Country Park with Otis: Little Grebe (heard), Grey Heron, Barn Owl, 21 Skylarks, Cetti's Warbler (heard) and 30 Goldfinches.

Brent Goose flocks passing Widewater (92 above and 77, 58, 68, 44 and 45 below)

Oystercatchers on patrol

three Continental Cormorants on marker buoys at Shoreham Fort

 

Raven on nest

Barn Owl at New Monks Park

Friday 07 March. Beeding Hill/Mile Oak/Truleigh Hill circuit with DB and Otis: 4 Stock Doves, an adult Mediterranean and 150+ Common Gulls, 2 Red Kites, 3 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, 2 Ravens, 25 Skylarks, 3 Redwing, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, 10 Linnets, 6 Goldfinches, 4 Corn and the Cirl Bunting.

Cirl Bunting at Mile Oak

DB and Otis

Saturday 08 March. Widewater, 06:20-08:20, light ESE, clear: flying east were 64 Brent Geese, 6 Shoveler, 14 Pintail, 13 Teal, 34 Common Scoter, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, a Fulmar and 51 Gannets. On the sea were 12 Red-breasted Mergansers 5 Great Crested Grebes and a Red-throated Diver. Brooklands with Megan and Otis where a first-winter (2CY) Caspian Gull was a nice find. Also Little Grebe (heard), Kestrel, Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard) and Cetti's Warbler (one seen and another heard). Park Avenue: Green Woodpecker (heard).