Mixenden and Soil Hill

Paid a visit again to Mixenden res'r this morning. It has been a struggle to find anything there recently though during the morning and early afternoon in the winter months, lots of gulls come in to bathe and preen. There are lots of comings and goings and it's always worth a check. 

This morning was no exception with over 200 gulls on the water, mainly Black-headed along with Common Gulls, 6 Herring Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull. I kept scanning through them and came across a 'different' one. The water was quite choppy at times and with some difficultly wondered if the individual could be a Mediterranean Gull as the bird was around the same size as the B H Gulls around it but showing no black at all on the wing tips, a smudgy dark patch around the eye and a red bill. Watched it for a good while but kept losing it in among the others. Eventually, it flew up. Adult Mediterranean Gull in winter plumage and showing completely white flight feathers and pale grey mantle. It landed with other gulls on the embankment and after a while lost track of it. It was always distant so didn't manage any decent photos. I came away well pleased though.

It seems it didn't stay around as BS gave it a try later in the day and it appears to have moved on.

Also around the site - 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Greylag Geese >SW and 2 Mistle Thrush landed in the plantation.

Short visit onto the summit of Soil Hill. Almost devoid of birds but 2 Skylarks were singing on the top despite the cool, windy conditions.