Fairburn

I nipped to Fairburn after work yesterday to have a look at the reported Caspian Gull, scanned through the Gulls at the Big Hole with a couple of local birders and soon found a couple of Yellow Legged with the Black Headed, Common, Herring and Lesser Black Backs then we got onto an interesting looking Gull with some good features for Caspian, long legs and wings, dark eye, darker mantle than nearby Herring Gulls plus very aggressive behaviour and the locals confirmed it was the bird they had been watching the day before and most people had been happy with, however it certainly wasn’t a classic individual and I was a bit concerned over the length of its bill but then again it might be a female or maybe just a big long legged Yellow Legged, certainly merits a bit more investigation. Fairly quiet otherwise although I bumped into a young Wood Mouse, I don’t think it was very well it never opened its eyes properly and was very lethargic, allowed me to pick it up although after I put it back down it eventually perked up a bit and headed back into the undergrowth, there were also a few Dragons about but they didn’t pose. Called in at the Quarry at Tadcaster on the way home, brief views of the male Peregrine as it came in and flew to the far end.

putative Caspian

with Yellow Legged

Emerald Damselfly

young Wood Mouse

Comma showing where it gets its name from