Over the years I have seen reports of sometimes large numbers of 'white-wingers' in Ullapool Harbour ... now was the time to seek at least a taste of that ... recent reports were however not encouraging with the last report of Iceland Gull being three days ago and no Glaucous Gull reports within the last week ...
Wednesday afternoon was the first chance to look around the harbour ... there seemed to be very few gulls around in the brisk wind, certainly fewer than ten ... some white primaries were soon apparent on a bird that was flying circuits behind a large boat and occasionally performing a wider circle ...
... a lovely adult Iceland Gull, an age group I rarely see in the North of England ...
... as it circled it gave nice views from time to time although it never perched up ...
The river mouth proved unproductive with only Herring Gulls and a few Great Black-backed Gulls loafing on a shingle bar ...
Thursday morning dawned with the wind less severe and a number of gulls were perched on the ferry terminal ... mostly hunkered down on a concrete slab but one bird was perched up on an exposed mast ...
... the adult Iceland Gull looking magnificent against the dark hillside ... and then performed some circuits of the harbour to give close views ...
... after another unproductive visit to the river mouth I checked it again late in the afternoon and there amoung the Herring Gulls was a juvenile Iceland Gull ...
Friday morning saw a very calm Loch Broom and there was a buzz around the harbour with some fishing boat activity .... as I walked past the ferry terminal two gulls were foraging in a waste skip ... one was the juvenile Iceland Gull ... it perched nicely as I viewed it from the entrance to the no-go area of the terminal ...
... it flew off toward the harbour, landing by a capstan ...
... occasionally flying around ...
... superb birds !
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