This unusual opportunity to experience an adult Sabine’s Gull in summer plumage, in the English deep mid-winter was one that grabbed my imagination once I saw pictures of the bird online. My birding colleague Ewan had been to see what became a popular national draw last weekend, and not wanting to let a cold, clear weather week pass without a meaningful outing of some kind I contacted him to see if he might be going back for more. He often does and yes he was – cue my first twitch of 2023.

In the absence of birding interest within my preferred range I have been concentrating on decorating and DIY in recent months, as well as thinking about the money with no special purpose in mind following last year’s return to part-time employment. An exception was an attempt at a long-term straggler / lifer, the Olive-backed Pipit at Exmouth in Devon that I dipped on the winter solstice (21st Dec), the day it either moved on or was had by a cat or Sparrowhawk. But possibly there is still only so much staying at home I can do, and hence we met just outside Oxford at 9am for a welcome hitting of the road.

Our quest (pictured above) was a circumpolar Artic breeder that is widely acknowledged as one of the more attractive small Gulls. Most national birds are observed on autumn migration from far-northern Canada and Greenland down the British west coat to Atlantic wintering grounds off south-west Africa, and many of those are juveniles. Sometimes they turn up inland, and my only previous record was at Startops Reservoir, Herts in 2012 (below, left). Today’s bird arrived on the south coast on 10th, and has been kept in situ since by a copious unnatural food source laid on by the togger batteries it soon attracted.

As we got out of the car on the north shore of Langstone Harbour (SU708049) just before 11am, a group of birders walked off the sea wall away to our left saying the Sabine’s Gull had just gone past. Then it flew back over my own head so that was an immediate connect, which was a relief after the four hours spent dipping in Devon. We walked back along the sea wall, and after a short distance found it sitting close in on a shingle beach, and so my first images were gained (below right).

The bird favours a lagoon on an area of flooded fields called South Moor (pictured below) that has been created by a breach in the sea wall. A local told us there has been a long running dispute over responsibility for repairing the breach itself so this piece of good saline habitat prevails. People scanning the harbour itself were calling Great Northern Diver, Red-breasted Merganser, Black-necked Grebe, Long-tailed Duck and Velvet Scoter; but those were all a long way off and just tiny specks to me. As ever I felt no interest in showing any prowess at trying to identify birds at such a distance.

For our next four hours on-site the Gull would go out from and back to this location, alternately flying offshore, feeding, preening or just sitting on the ground. Some birders kept saying it didn’t look well but it seemed OK to us. I was pleased to see it finding sustenance for itself as I have misgivings over vagrant birds becoming too reliant on unnatural food sources. Fortunately today’s gathering appeared mainly to be birders with cameras rather than toggers, though one example of the latter who I recognised gave himself away by asking; “Which Gull is it then?”

The Sabine’s was throughout unconcerned about it’s human audience. That confiding quality is what has made the bird so popular and it lived up to its reputation a number of times at around 20 – 30 metres (below left) so that even I could gain acceptable images. The reasons why it remains in summer plumage are not fully understood, but the worn nature of some flight feathers (below right) suggest a delaying of moult from last season. The vagrant is presumed to be storm blown from a mid-Atlantic migration path.

After going back to the car for a sandwich break and to scope the harbour waters we returned around 2pm for more. One photo-birder now broke up three smoked Mackerel fillets and spread them around the Sabine’s favoured patch, and the next time it flew in it scoffed the lot. Maybe it hadn’t been finding much to eat through the morning after all, it certainly seemed ravenous now. Mopping up the last few scraps brought our subject to within 12 metres of the assembled lenses in overdrive, and so my own best image that leads this post was also obtained.

Not surprisingly the now rather bloated Gull became less active thereafter, settling down to digest its feast for around 30 minutes before absenting itself for longer periods than previously. I don’t know what the suitability of smoked fish is for wild birds but presume the provider knew what he was doing. Three whole fillets nonetheless seemed rather a lot, especially as some birders present were by then yet to lunch, and the resident Black-headed Gulls showed no interest.

For myself the most attractive feature of this dainty Gull is the mask, with it’s black border appearing almost as a collar, set off by the red orbital eye-ring and yellow-tipped bill. The upper wing pattern is also remarkable with two triangular areas of contrasting black and white offsetting a central grey area. As is my wont I am avoiding conventional plumage topography here. Today’s bird had a Tern-like habit of hovering quite frequently, so despite my ancient equipment I could gain reasonable flight studies (below).

This was a superb bird that provided an as rewarding day out. After such a long and at times intense period of alternative pursuits I was glad to be birding again, and now as pleased to be writing and picture editing once more. 2022 with its exorbitant petrol prices, health issues and renewed part-time employment to meet cost of living increases, produced just two lifers nationally and one abroad; compared with nine lifers nationally and four British list additions in 2021. What I do in the coming calendar year will as always depend on the accessibility of things new, different or at least evolved; since I prefer not to bird or observe other wildlife repetitively or for its own sake. There has to be purpose to it all and today’s exercise offered a fulfilling start to another year.