Untickable Views

This post is a brief appendix to yesterday's, in order to cover something I left out of that account because it would have got in the way of the narrative. I mentioned yesterday that I've managed a photographic record (however bad) of every Caspian Gull I've seen. Well, that may not be true...

Within just a few minutes of the 2nd-winter bird departing I was joined by Marcus and Phil, and eventually our number grew to seven. It was the first time in ages that I've stood with a bunch of other birders, and obviously it is very different to birding solo. Although there is of course the chatting and the not looking properly at times, the added fire-power of seven pairs of eyes means very little escapes notice. For example, it wasn't me who spotted the Yellow-legged Gull on the mere but, like everyone else, I benefitted from those extra eyes.

By this time the weather had cleared. The wind was still quite strong, but the rain had stopped. Away west along the beach a gang of gulls had been gathering. I'd run a scope across them once or twice, but at 4-500m range, with a haze of fine spray in the air and not the best lighting, I had struggled. While I was photographing the YLG a shout went up: a Caspian Gull candidate in the beach flock! I'll be candid. Although I got on the bird I didn't see anything like enough to count it. It had a long bill with a prominently hooked upper mandible - slightly deformed even - so was easy to pick out. But it was preening constantly while I watched it, and most of the bird was masked by other gulls too. Very unsatisfying. At that range, with those views, I couldn't do anything with it...

Collectively we decided to approach closer, and began to do so. But before we'd gone more than a few yards, someone further along the beach unfortunately spooked the flock and they all went up. I don't know if anyone managed to pick it up in flight, but I certainly didn't.

So anyway, that was that.

Caspian Gull is still a local rarity in Devon and Dorset, requiring a description. Even my lamentably low standards demand a full(ish) suite of characters. Unfortunately, based on my views there wasn't enough even to start a description, so I definitely couldn't count it.

As an habitually solo birder it is very rare that I need to worry about what someone else thinks a bird's identity is, but when in company it can happen. And when it does there is a handy catch-all expression for such situations...

Untickable views.

And those are the kind I had. Which means I'm not worried that there is no photo, and my unbroken record of happy pixels is therefore maintained. Obviously this is of...er...paramount importance. Even so, I'm a bit disappointed I couldn't clinch it. A two-Casp day would have been rather special.