Two gulls

Headed east with Vicky and Luna, but minus kids, for a walk along Flamborough Cliffs. Decompression, seaviews and the chance of a migrant bird or two was the order of the day. Sand Martins cruised for insects on the updraft at South Landing, whilst Whitethroats sang from swaying briars, in their typically jaunty fashion. With an easterly breeze, it felt promising, though the weather was perhaps a bit too nice.

A little further along, I noticed a white-winger flying past at eye-level- a Glaucous Gull - nice! This wasn't quite what I was expecting, but given how scarce they are in the York area these days, this was a treat. It flapped steadily east towards the lighthouse, so I put out the news and smiled contentedly. 

Not much else happened to interupt our walk, apart from a pair of Grey Partridges nervously sneaking through the Gorse Field. 

During a coffee at the Headland Cafe, I checked the birdnews and was astonished to see that an adult Bonaparte's Gull had been found at Hornsea Mere, only a hop, skip and a drive down the Holderness Coast. Vicky seemed happy to potter down there on our way home, so after completing our walk, off we went - twitch on! 20 minutes before we arrived, the news came that the Bonies had disappeared, but I assumed this meant it had just gone behind Swan Island or something, so we held firm and soon pulled into the car park at Kirkholme Point. As I jumped out of the car I realised that for some reason I had forgotten to bring my scope - doh! The gull was still missing, so I did my best to help the crowd by binning any gull close enough to ID. I wasn't helping much! Fortunately, I recognised the friendly faces of the Bempton Massive - Dave Aitken and Will Scott, and once the gull had been relocated, they both generously let me have boot-filling looks through their scopes. Thanks lads. 

I could see the bird through my bins - just about - on the edge of the Black-headed Gull-flock, loafing about in a diminutive way, with small black bill and upperparts a shade darker grey. A smart bird and an unexpected Yorkshire tick to boot. Only the fourth I have seen in the UK, this is a species I like to refamiliarise myself with as one day I might pull one out of the Wheldrake gull roost...here's hoping!

 I pointed and shot my bridge camera in the right direction and caught the Bonies here, front right.