16 October 2025 - Hollingworth Lake

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Little Gull, Goldeneye

A fairly typical rather dull but calm October day today with not too much to report at first. I'd taken to walking along the beach near the Pavilion, where recently I'd seen Linnets, but hoping for something a little more exciting. As I walked along, a couple of gulls came past and I raised my binoculars (always checking for Med Gull) and was rather amazed to see an adult Little Gull flying with a Black-headed Gull! I took some hasty shots then put the word out on the WhatsApp group, but couldn't find the Little Gull again when I looked up. Fortunately I walked a little further and it was still present, but ranging quite widely around the lake, currently over by the Bib Knowl dam wall.

I stood watching and it carried on flying in my direction so I was ready with the camera when it came past relatively close by. It then circled round and landed on the far side, among the gulls on the shoreline by the Rowing Club car park. I then was on my phone to update the message, but when I looked up someone had walked onto the shoreline and flushed all the gulls. Unfortunately I didn't see it again.

I think these are the first Little Gull photographs I've ever taken.

A little further round was a female Goldeneye, the first of the autumn.

Little Gull, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 5000

Little Gull-, 1/2500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 6400 (view full size image)

Little Gull-, 1/2500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 6400

Little Gull-, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 5000

Little Gull-, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 5000 (view full size image)

Goldeneye, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 2000