Pale-b Brents

 

This darkish Lesser Black-backed Gull is possibly an intermedius. Compare with the colour of the Great Black-backed Gull on the right.

Off Mudbank this evening, after work - 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese in with c270+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 16 Black-tailed Godwits, 5 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 6 Dunlin, 1 Greenshank, 1 Shoveler and a first-winter Mediterranean Gull. The Wigeon flock was big, and I didn't attempt to count them, but there must have been well in excess of 1000 birds. Nearby 5 Sandwich Terns, 35+ Great Black-backed Gulls and 15 Turnstones were off Shelly Beach, and a Great Northern Diver was off the seafront.

Yesterday selected counts included 11 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Redshank, 2 Teal, 280+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 71 Shelduck. A single Golden Plover was the only bird of note on Orcombe.