This afternoon we took a brief excursion to the pork pie capital of England – Melton Mowbray, though not on this occasion for ‘growlers’ but for the ‘resident’ Ring-billed Gull, a rare larid  from North America.  Similar to our own Common Gull but paler on the back and, on adult birds, a prominent black band on the thicker yellow bill.  This particular bird was a ‘first summer’ bird, with heavy flecking on the head, nape and ‘shoulders’.

A nice bird in a highly unlikely location and a welcome addition to the year list.