still poor on the gull front; down the cuckmere today there were 5 yellow-legs (4 1st-winters which is a good count) and what was surely a herring x lbbg hybrid. the highlight of the day was seeing a delightful group of 6 razorbills at sovereign harbour - i saw a report of these birds yesterday but wasn't expecting them to be inside the marina, i actually heard them before i saw them which was funny (calling to each other lots when the group split up amongst the yachts). there was also a kingfisher in the marina and a common seal in the outer harbour as well as a black redstart on the rooftops

the gull below looked like an argie but had way too much black in the primaries (head/bill not right either), in flight there was also a touch of lbbg jizz. the ringed gbbg also in these pics is from normandy, note also the 1st-winter ylg in the background

a comparison of upper primary pattern between caspian and yellow-legged

an adult yellow-legged gull at west rise. recent days have seen the flood gates open for gull passage but the caspos seem not to be coming through in the numbers seen in recent years. forecasters say we're in for a cold spell after xmas so let's hope that livens the birding up a bit.

i'm into argies nearly as much as caspo's. lade sands has gotta be the best place on the channel coast to see em and there were a load there yesterday which included a colour ringed bird that was trapped at pitsea landfill site, essex, on 6th December. check out the p10 pattern on the left hand bird below!

an adult caspian gull at west rise and 3 water pipits, approx 30 gadwall and 130 teal