Sunny tip gulling

Usual routine once again, and not too sure how many more visits to the tip there'll be before all those spring migrants come hurtling in and attention is diverted elsewhere. Well, to be honest, British birding in spring is exceptionally hit and miss so I'm pretty happy to just stick to the gulls for now. Admittedly with the sun shining today, it didn't really feel like tip watching weather but last week's juvenile Iceland Gull was still around, as was the regular leucistic Norwegian-ringed Great Black-backed Gull. Three or four Med Gulls were also bombing about, including a 1st-winter, but gull numbers were down on the previous week.
On the way out of the tip, I stopped off at Wat Tyler Country Park and saw a rather uninspiring 1st-winter Spoonbill, as it roosted in the creek by the marina, along with a Spotted Redshank.

juvenile Iceland Gull, Essex 8th March 2014 - same bird as last weekend

It was also the first time the NTGG were able to get up to the tip this year, a combination of lack of staff on the tip and this winter's bad weather. They managed three catches, with the third including a nice adult Med Gull.