Mediterranean Gull

 Mediterranean Gull, Dunkirk, 14th April 2024 © Tony Martin.

'...a pair of med gulls at Dunkirk - possibly the pair that bred here last year, though a third adult was also present, so who knows what's what? This pair were displaying and nest-scraping, so I'm hopeful they'll stay, though I've see this behaviour in previous seasons, only for them to disappear before egg-laying.

 One thing intrigued me with what I presume is the female - the smaller bird. She had a yellow tip to the bill, which is more obvious in the photo where she's looking at the camera. I can't find any reference in the literature to this possibly being a sexual difference. If so, I think I'd have spotted this in previous years, but it's only really visible in good light at reasonably close quarters, so I may have missed it.' TM