A BRACE OF CASPOS

Two 1st winter type Caspos today in wet and windy conditions that brought nothing special to our shores. The birds appeared to be different to our last 1st winter before the new year I think.

The first Caspo. Apart from the usual white headed contrasting against the 'shawl', pear shaped snouty look with longish narrow bill grey mantled with contrasting browner coverts etc etc, this bird had a pale culmen extending to the tip of the bill.

The second 1st winter Caspo. It had a paler, less contrasty look about it than the first bird. I thought it may be a retarded 2nd winter when I first saw it but it's not.

In flight note less of the pale 'window' on the inner primaries compared with Herring Gull.

Paleish underwings but not all Caspos have these. Note the 'snouty' look, which often reminds me of Slender-billed Gull, and the white head contrasting with the neck 'shawl'

Two of the three Little Egret on the south lake