Little gull

Although known to have bred in the Uk a few times this is a bird mainly seen on passage from late summer through to spring. A small, dainty gull it can be seen mainly along coasts and esturies of the Irish and North seas. It can also sometimes be found inland on lakes and reservoirs. The adults are white with black heads and a yellow bill. In flight they have a pale grey upperwing, with no black wingtips, and a very dark grey underwing. The juveniles have a black mark on each wing which forms a 'W' pattern. The bird in the photo below is a juvenile that I watched at crosby Marina, Sept 05.