Sabine's Gull

Back in my main birding days, I used to really enjoy a good sea-watch and the two occasions I had previously seen this pelagic gull species were a highlight. On both occasions, the birds had been juveniles seen in flight at distance whilst I was perched on the edge of a cliff in north Wales in unpleasant weather condition. So when I became interested in photography there was a selection of species that I had always wanted to get some images. Sabine's Gull was one of those targets. I, therefore, could'nt resist a trip to see an adult at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire, last month.The bird had been blown in as a result of severe weather a few days before, and was associating with a Grey Phalarope (images of which I showed in an earlier post). Unbelievably the bird was completely oblivious to human presence and was extremely obliging. It was a challenging subject; constantly on the move feeding on very choppy water in cloudy conditions but I am pleased with the results below, especially that they give the impression of being on open water rather than a reservoir. A fabulous bird and a fabulous encounter with this gull normally found in the open ocean. Click on the images to see a larger version.