7/8/22 I was not at my best Sunday morning and was only starting to feel human when I heard the Megalert.
The usual feeling of dread and excitement. Grafham Water wasn’t too far and a gull could be mobile but it wasn’t going be a frustrating jigsaw bird giving occasional glimpses in a bush. However what the hell is a Cape Gull? Had some idea that it was related to Kelp but no mention in my books. Googled it and directed to Birdguides which confirmed my suspicions, being the South Africa form of Kelp Gull, as well as confirming that it wasn’t impossible. I won’t waste time here so check the article for more details. I texted Tony that I was interested but maybe wait a while for confirmation. However not long after I had gone out with the dog, Tony texted to say he was on the way but at least dog had been emptied. Picked me early afternoon collecting Richard in Hull and then Geoff at North Cave Wetlands. Geoff has a lot of experience of Cape Gull in West Africa so was useful to have along and even had a large number of images on his phone to show us. The journey down was smooth with a few speed reductions on the A1 but we never came to a standstill. I was unusually confident which proved correct as apart from a report of the Gull flying off high east which was quickly reported as erroneous it stayed constantly on view.
Getting to the Marlow carpark it was a quick walk to the dam wall from where the gull was on the edge close in.
Initially sat down but the bill shape and pattern, and head shape and position of the eye in it was characteristic.
When it did stand up the legs were like no gull I’d seen before. Comparison with a Greylag Goose gave some idea of it’s size appearing bigger and bulky than a Lesser but not the “huge brute” of a Great Black-backed Gull. Also the wings were darker than a Great more comparable to a Baltic which I’ve seen in Finland but not much use here.
Later it went onto the water where it seemed to play with a freshwater mussel. Although a sub-adult the first image shows the bicolour underwing pattern. As we were leaving I saw it in flight sawing a good white trailing edge to the wing.
Hadn’t earlier taken much note of the paler large gulls but when I did discovered they were not Herring Gull but all Yellow-legged.
Also an interestingly dark Lesser Black-backed Gull. The only others gulls I saw were Black-handed.
Also a few Common Terns flying around and two Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper and a few Yellow and Pied Wagtails on the edge.
Getting home late evening I had to take the dog before getting something to eat. Refreshing cool after the heat of Cambridgeshire exasperated by the concrete dam at Grafton Water but a forewarning of what is forecast this week.
More on the Cape Gull including finder on RBA weekly roundup [may need to be a member?].
The Cape Gull was still present Tuesday [9th] but flew south 17.15 and no further sign by dusk. However it was back at Grafton Water early Wednesday [10th] morning. Flew towards the water park at 11:15 then returned late afternoon but rather intermittent and not seen seen again after late afternoon. No records anywhere since.
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