The afternoon in Newfoundland

I've made it to St.John's, Newfoundland. Wintering home of Kumlien's Gulls. And it couldn't have been easier - with a direct flight from London of a shade under 5 hours, a small hassle free airport and then a 10 minute drive down to where the action is...

This is a trip I've thought about doing for several years, and Richard S and I decided to bite the bullet this year. I've only had a couple of hours of birding this afternoon and only been to one place - Quidi Vidi Lake - but it already has a nice feel to it. Slightly Irish with a bit of Scandinavia thrown in, along with that rugged Atlantic influence that always gets me going. A bit of a bizarre collection of birds too - the common aythya being Tufted Duck and then a swarm of Black Ducks, Mallards and inbetweeners, some showy Pintail and American Wigeons, a lone American Coot, a couple of Double-crested Cormorants, a single Ring-billed Gull and then lots of Kumlien's Gulls and American Herring Gulls. So here are a handful of pics from this afternoon, that'll inevitably get upgraded as the trip goes on...

Kumlien's Gulls Quidi Vidi Lake, St. John's, Newfoundland 11th Feb 2017

So far, all the Kumlien's Gulls seen were mid range birds - nothing alarming and to be honest, what I expected. Tomorrow's targets? Black-headed Gull and Common Gull. Among other things. 

Black Duck Quidi Vidi Lake, St. John's, Newfoundland 11th Feb 2017