Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus L.) Southsea

little gull - Southsea

iPhone record shots of the single little gull seen off Southsea beach (East of South Parade Pier).

Other notable birds seen from Southsea incl. Southsea Castle: 2 x great northern diver (Gavia immer); 3 x shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis); 11 x purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) & 7 x sanderling (Calidris alba).

The previous day (December 15th) 4 x kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) were noted mid Solent via the 09:00 Portsmouth / Fishbourne Car Ferry.

A cracking day on the Farne Islands

Did you spot the "bridled" guillemot (Uria aalge)?

a female eider (Somateria mollissima) shelters
her young from a watchful herring gull
(Larus argentatus)

For an informed discussion of the breeding birds and natural history of the Farne Islands, I would highly recommend that you follow Ed Tooth's blog - Ed is a National Trust Ranger currently working on the islands. Ed's Blog can be found at:

http://occasional-birder.blogspot.co.uk/

Photos 1, 2, 4, 12 and 13 copyright Alison Hogan

Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus L.), Southsea

A probable six little gull along Southsea seafront today