Killbegs March 1998

Ross Ahmed, Chris Gibbins, Dave Foster & Mike Hunter

A birding holiday devoted to staring at gulls - brilliant! Target bird was the adult Thayer's Gull which eventually revealed itself after a bit of a search. A stupid number of white-wingers provided more than ample back up - 20+ Iceland Gull with numbers of Glaucs not too far behind. I'll never forget staring up and seeing a small flock of Iceland Gulls soaring on a thermal.

Amongst the throng were a vast array of plumages, potentially including gulls from a wide variety of compass points, attracted to the still bustling fishing industry. Several dark-winged Iceland Gulls and pale-winged Herring Gulls threatened to be Kumlien's Gulls and Glaucous x Herring hybrids, while some dark Herring Gulls posed as potential smithsonianus.

An amazing trip to perhaps the best gulling spot in the UK and Ireland. These days, Nimmo's Pier seems to have taken the crown as the top larids spot, but Killybegs will have it's day again. Hope to return soon.