A bonapartes gull was recently spotted at our Carr Vale Nature reserve on the outskirts of Bolsover in Derbyshire.
These birds are incredibly rare in the UK, and this is the first time that this American visitor has been seen at Carr Vale, and only the seventh time it has ever been seen in the county!
(C) Sean Nixon
Local birder Mark Beavers, who made the sighting, said "I noticed an interesting gull on the middle flash standing next to a black-headed gull, but clearly smaller and not a little gull. I was chuffed with the pomerine skua that visited on the 17th but this is infinitely better.”
Bonapartes gulls breed in Canada and Alaska and spend the winter in Southern Canada and America. This one was certainly a long way from home but a beautiful sighting for Derbyshire!
Carr Vale is a wetland reserve that is a great place for birdwatching. The mixture of open water, marsh, wet and dry grassland, scrub and trees attracts a rich variety of birds throughout the year.
If you would like to try and catch a glimpse of these scarce visitors visitors or visit Carr Vale, you can find more information about the reserve here www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/carr-vale-flash.
