Out on a fishing boat yesterday, a few interesting bits and pieces in the channel. Up to 15 wintering Bonxies around the boat, one carried colour rings (so awaiting some feedback on this bird as to where it was ringed); see photo - left leg double white, right leg red over white. There were far more large gulls foraging around the boat than normal, mostly Herring, Great and Lesser Black-backs and good numbers of Kittiwakes. Fulmar numbers have picked up again and there was one dark phase ( a 'dark' as opposed to a 'double dark'). Best bird was a cracking dark morph 1w Pomarine Skua, though sadly I have no photos as it disappeared soon as I waved a camera!Below photos of unringed Bonxie and 'dark' Fulmar.
