On Saturday I visited Newhaven Harbour and was delighted to see the
Great Northern Diver showing fairly close inshore. I then went straight to the Cuckmere and this time went to avoid the gull flocks to endure some proper birding. Even with this revelation I still couldn't get away from the Caspian Gulls as a first-winter was having a wash in the river. There was little about and so I cracked and checked the gull flocks on the west side finding three
Caspian Gulls, with two first-winters again different from birds seen in the last few days. A third-winter was also present and of course the one along the river.
Friday 20th December - an afternoon visit to the Cuckmere produced a large gull flock and within were a minimum of eight
Caspian Gulls, seven of which were different from the six seen yesterday.
Thursday 19th December - an afternoon visit to the Cuckmere produced six
Caspian Gulls, viewing in what were appalling conditions. It was interesting to note my first second-winters of the period. There were some dodgy gulls within the flock, most of which I presume had some form of Caspian parentage, whilst one looked like it had some Glaucous parentage.
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| The head of a Great Northern Diver |
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| 1w Caspian Gull (21/12) |
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1w Caspian Gull (21/12)
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| 1w Caspian Gull (20/12) |
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| 1w Caspian Gull (20/12) |
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| 2w Caspian Gull (20/12) |
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This 3w Caspian Gull was spotted flying
in from the north where it circled twice and
carried on south.
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| A huge 2w Caspian Gull (19/12) |
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| 1w Caspian Gull (19/12) |
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| 2w Caspian Gull in flight (19/12) |
