Monday 12 October 2009

Appleford - 10.10.09






Just one of the Red Kites in and around the field and 5 photos of the Azorean Gull showing different bits of plumage and the dark head and strange bill.

The journey home took at while longer than usual as I took a detour to the village of Appleford in Oxfordshire in the hopes of adding another lifer to the list. Once I found somewhere to park and once the slowest level crossing in the world had lifted I ran to a small pool next to the local tip and almost immediately got onto the bird. There infront of me was an adult AZOREAN YELLOW-LEGGED GULL. Its dark heavily flecked head, strange shaped and coloured bill and pale eye giving it a quite evil look about it. But just as I was about to get a photo of it it took off and flew to a nearby field. 5 minutes later and I was watching it again from a footpath next to the field. It was with large flock of other gulls but was quite easily picked out while it preened. I managed a few photos but as usual with ditance and heat haze they aren't great!

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