Friday, November 25, 2022
Three days ago, Ardmair was alive with gulls and kittiwakes. Knots of birds were gathering, presumably where fish were shoaling; here, a distant line of yet more gulls can be seen lining the water's edge on Keanchulish Estate while behind me, yet more clustered on the spit and two rocks off-shore.
Guillemots, razorbills, and seals were present, and a single adult gannet was seen. The gulls were great black-backed, herring, common, and black-headed.
Scanning with the bins towards Ben Mor Coigach, I thought I spotted a smaller gull. Almost at once, I lost it - then caught a glimpse again. It was darting about above the loafing gulls among juvenile kittiwakes, but when it disappeared yet again, I began to wonder if I'd merely seen a kittiwake or black-headed gull that was flying beyond the others, thus appearing smaller (yeah, shades of Father Dougal). The trouble was, when I thought I'd got onto it again, by the time I got the camera ready - it had moved on! Only one picture caught it - and I think the dark underwing clinches the ID as little gull.
I wasn't going to bother posting but, confined indoors this morning by wet and windy weather, I did some reading on the web - and learnt from assyntwildlife.org.uk that a little gull was seen yesterday on Loch Inver. That's just up the coast from us, so it's perfectly possible! This is my first little gull in Scotland.
// posted by Christine @ 5:33 AM 
