Excitement as rare gull spotted at reservoir again

An extremely rare bird has been spotted at a reservoir in Cambridgeshire.

A kelp gull was seen at Grafham Water, near Huntingdon, on Tuesday.

The seabird first appeared at the reservoir two years ago and was briefly spotted last summer. Kelp gulls are usually found in the southern hemisphere and coastal areas of West Africa.

Anglian Water manages the reservoir and a spokesperson said it was "delighted" about the sighting.

Matthew Rodgers, a keen birdwatcher since the 1970s, managed to photograph the gull on Tuesday.

"This bird was actually here two years go and briefly turned up last year just for one morning," he said.

"We were hoping it might call in again at Grafham and sure enough it has."

Adult kelp gulls have black backs and wings, and very little white in the flight feathers.

When the species was first spotted at Grafham Water in 2022, the British Bird Rarities Committee said it was "one of the more amazing records to reach Britain".

Grafham Water is England's third largest reservoir and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Mr Rodgers said he expected more birdwatchers to visit the reservoir at the weekend.

"It's very important we keep trying to catch up with it," he added.

"It's a difficult place to see because it's a vast reservoir but I think there's a good chance I'll see it again."

The British Bird Rarities Committee, one of two organisations that can verify the identification, was approached for comment.

An Anglian Water spokesperson said: “We’re delighted to learn that the kelp gull has returned once again to Grafham Water this summer – especially since it’s a rare species not often spotted in the northern hemisphere.

"They’re just one part of the amazing and diverse wildlife which appears throughout the different seasons at our park, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and we look forward to hearing from our visitors about the latest sightings of this rare breed.”

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