York Area Kittiwake

Time for a dutiful trip over the Pennines to "the Mother's"...via York University! I arrived around 10...at the wrong site (East) as I'd not paid enough attention to the info'. In my defence, most bird news does tend to come out of this site. After collecting a parking ticket by some "jobs-worth"...I was only there 10 minutes, mainly to ask directions. No sign of the chap on my return...surprise, surprise!

I re-located to the main site and it was now beginning to puzzle me as I know the enclosed man-made lakes here well? Not wanting to double my fine I parked "off-campus" and walked my pal back through the site to Wentworth College Lake. The place was deserted...except for traffic wardens apparently! I wasn't confident. Plenty of feral Geese and Mallards as expected but not much else.

A Kittiwake...here?

A couple of Herring Gulls raised my hopes...a notch...BUT my confidence was draining. The "lake" was crescent shaped with a handy footpath, so I gave it one last chance (yes, that old chestnut).I'd had enough as I had to get over to Lancs. I retraced my steps back towards the main road. 

A smaller Gull...distant under a bridge?!

Distinctively marked, it had to be my York Area Tick. After a touch of stealthy maneuvering, I managed a couple of closer pics...

Juv Kittiwake

All's well that ends well...except for the fine of course. I'll have to get the old thunderer out when I get home to see what my York Area total is? Stiil keen after Birding the area more on than off for 34 years. It's one more than before though!

Never ceases to amaze me where birds will turn up...