Yellow-legged Gulls have arrived in London

July starts to feel slightly autumnal. The Black-headed Gulls have been piling through this week, including quite a few juveniles, and there seems to be generally a lot more gulls in London by the day. I managed to squeeze in an hour or so at the O2 on Thursday evening, where there were four Yellow-legged Gulls which included this pretty nice looking juvenile: -

juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Greenwich O2, London 6th July 2017

Meanwhile back in Rotherhithe the same afternoon, there was a first-summer on the River Thames and an adult on Greenland Dock that showed quite nicely too: -

adult Yellow-legged Gull Greenland Dock, Rotherhithe, London 6th July 2017

Having managed to get myself out of bed yesterday morning, I just caught a bit of mud on the rising tide in Rotherhithe and managed two second-summers by the Hilton Hotel: -

second-summer Yellow-legged Gulls Rotherhithe, London 8th July 2017

While today, I headed to Thames Barrier Park with Jamie and Dante, and it seemed that the Yellow-legged Gull summer party was now in full flow with a total of 13 birds - 4 juveniles, 5 first-summers, a second-summer, two near-adults and an adult! Really enjoyable midsummer gulling just a few miles from home. 

juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls (above 6 photos) Thames Barrier Park, London 9th July 2017

1st-summer Yellow-legged Gulls (above 3 photos) Thames Barrier Park, London 9th July 2017

near-adult Yellow-legged Gull Thames Barrier Park, London 9th July 2017

second-summer Yellow-legged Gull Thames Barrier Park, London 9th July 2017

And back in Rotherhithe, the same adult Yellow-legged Gull was on Greenland Dock again. So that is that, another weekend gone and just two more weeks of school left.