Well, I survived another Christmas and to be fair I actually did enjoy it somewhat this year. However Christmas Day itself remains one of my least favourite days of the year and the over-consumption, excessiveness and wastage at Christmas combined with the disruption it causes and the over-excited frenzy it induces in people jars my soul but the sentiment behind it all does warm my heart. I guess I just have to find my own way through it all while trying to remember what it actually is all about and while it is a time of hope and joy and thankfulness it is also a time of poignancy and sadness.
Anyway, the New Year has begun and with the day off on New Year's Day we had our usual walk around Plymouth Hoe. It was grey and windy following a day of constant rain on New Year's Eve but at least it remained dry on our walk.
The Little Grebe was a no show on Sutton Harbour and the Turnstones had disappeared too but there were lots of Gulls milling around including a large feeding flock in The Cattewater swirling over the water in the strong wind.
I scanned through them and was pleased to find a 1st winter Common Gull amongst the Herring Gulls and Black-headed Gulls but even better was a very smart 1st winter Little Gull feeding close in off Duttons Cafe and giving some great views.
It was flying into the wind and out towards the breakwater before doubling back to start again, regularly dipping down to pick at the waters surface and looking tiny amongst the other Gulls but standing out with its distinctive upperwing markings.
The worlds smallest Gull and great to see alongside Great Black-backed Gulls, the worlds largest Gull, which were hunkered down on the nearby pontoons.
There was no sign of Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone or Great Northern Diver on the rest of our walk but a Gannet, a Guillemot and 3 adult Common Gulls were found in The Sound and a quick look around Beaumont Park before heading indoors revealed very little, probably not helped by a Sparrowhawk buzzing over the treetops just as I arrived.
A total of 24 bird species seen, 2 less than last years New Year's Plymouth Hoe walk, but a beauty of a Little Gull has started the year off very well.
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