... it gave some reasonably close fly-by views as it commuted between the headlands on either side of the bay ... and some rather more distant views as it flew round just off either headland ... it became very easy to pick out even at long range with its strikingly white mantle and inner wing and surprisingly dark outer wing ...
... when it flew towards the beach in the bay the impressively large orange bill looked almost incongruous ...
Back in Cumbria and the Workington / Flimby flock of Mediterranean Gulls which still had an unusually high count of 28 birds in mid-November had finally dropped to a single adult by the start of December ...
A look at St Helen's Beach which often holds Mediterranean Gulls ... and the cupboard was bare ... but the mix of muddy sand, rock and seaweed there can pull in other species ... a strange looking Carrion Crow with extensive white in the wing flew lazily by ...
... and the waders which are often quite diverse included some very attractive Golden Plovers ... just lit up a little in the weak winter sun ...
... in the fading light a couple of adult Whooper Swans winged their way south just offshore ... always an inspiring sight to see birds like this on the move ...
The wintering Barnacle Geese in the Anthorn / Cardurnock area of The Solway had included a Todd's Canada Goose which eluded me on several visits with the Barnacle Goose flock sometimes in inaccessible undulating ground and sometimes dispersing widely ... the search did provide quite a bit of interest though ... and some lovely views ...
... the three leucistic Barnacle Geese that have frequented the Solway in recent winters were present and remaining close together ... on another occasion there was a different and much whiter leucistic Barnacle Goose ... and then another atypical Barnacle Goose with a strikingly pale mantle but with otherwise normal plumage was among the flock ...
... and a bird with a superficial resemblance to a dark morph Snow Goose mingled among the Barnacle Geese ...
... both the bill and legs had a pink / grey mottled pattern suggestive of mixed parentage with presumably Barnacle Goose and, judging by the small bill, possibly Ross's Goose being in the mix ...
... it was not made particularly welcome by the other birds ...
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