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.

the colour purple

I may be a little obsessed with these birds at the moment? However, the confiding nature of these waders is so compelling - perhaps only the turnstones (Arenaria interpres) of Hill Head strung out along the breakers of its small harbour mouth, are as insouciant of passersby and their pointing cameras.

Yesterday afternoon, I counted 15 purple sandpipers (Calidris maritima), away from their usual feeding / roosting grounds on the foreshore revetments in front of Southsea Castle - having found them further west past the Blue Reef Aquarium close in on the concrete breakers. Today there were 11 - in front of the Castle - and I could not relocate the other four.

yesterday's high water roost site
with a count of 15 purple sandpipers

some of today's 11 purple sandpipers
back at the usual site in front of Southsea Castle