Iceland gull

There can't be too many birds whose name is as mis-leading as the iceland gull.  Well perhaps the herring gull could be added to the mis-leading names list, I mean most herring gulls live inland, in and around humans, usually on rubbish tips, living off everything and anything the human has decided to discard.  Most herring gulls don't survive on a diet of herrings, in fact there are good reasons to believe that some may rarely if ever dine on herrings!

Now, back to the iceland gull, a gull that doesn't actually breed in Iceland, it breeds in Greenland and Canada.  This has been a very good winter for iceland gulls in Ireland.  We can usually expect sightings throughout most winters, but this year reports have been more numerous than any winter I can remember.

I've seen them at Soldiers Point, Port Oriel, Gormanstown, Rogerstown, Swords, Bray......... like I said, they have been quite numerous this winter, and because of their pale appearance, they really stand out in a crowd.

Last Friday I took advantage of the stretch in the evenings and took a trip out to Swords.  There have been two first winter icelands associating with the other gulls out there for at least a few weeks now.  When I got there the two birds were on show, however by the time I got out of the car and geared up one of them had flown much further down the estuary, leaving just one at close quarters.

1st winter iceland gull, Swords

Across the estuary on the South side two little gulls were also on show, an adult and first winter.  By six thirty the light had gone and it was off home.