17th March Kumliens at Rainham

(175) We hear that Dominic Mitchell has located a Kumliens Gull at Rainham yesterday so decide to saty local today and try to find this bird. We make our first stop the Stone Barges (build during the war the secure the route up the Thames into the city of London and now abandoned on the foreshore) On arrival there are gulls everywhere on the bank, on the pier, on the river on the tip and in flight. I quickly home in on a white winged bird sitting on the rocks in the bay and I call it as an Iceland gull and show the lads what I have. As we're looking at the bird PH arrives and asks if we have anything and then goes on to tell me I actually have the Kumliens Gull and describes the dark tail bar and dark wing tips as helpful ID tips. We then locate two more Iceland gulls. (176) At this point Kumliens gull is listed as Iceland Gull but could well be serperated in the futue. We looked for Water Pipit as the guys still need that for the year but no luck today> (he barges are usually a good place for these birds but it helps when the tied's out)
A walk along the foreshore didn't help either and no migrants were picked up either. A good day though in which we learnt something new....."You are always learning with this hobby" and no matter what you know there will always be somebody that knows more about a particular location or bird...that much I have learnt!