After finally connecting with the Oriental Turtle Dove, we all celebrated with a whisky from the Doc’s hip flask at 8:00 am—a perfect start to the day. Our next target was the Slaty-backed Gull at Rainham Marshes. Arriving in London around 10:30 am, it was clear we were late to the party; birders were leaving, including Dan Pointon, who had been searching since first light.
As we set up our scopes and scanned toward the tip, Chris Batty came running past, shouting that the gull was now on Wennington Marsh. A stampede ensued! I rang Dan while sprinting across the marsh; he had just walked back from the site and had no idea the bird had moved. Pushing through the crowd of at least 100 birders, I finally spotted Dan on top of the hill and gave one last sprint. There it was, perfectly still in his scope!
The Slaty-backed Gull sat serenely in the middle of the marsh, preening occasionally and lifting its head to glance around. We were ecstatic—after another frustrating day in January spent scanning in vain, we finally had the bird in the bag. Native to eastern Siberia and northern Japan, this species winters along the coasts of Japan, Korea, and China, making it an exceptionally rare vagrant to Western Europe. Seeing it in the flesh, so far from its normal range, was a truly unforgettable experience.
We enjoyed half an hour of superb views before heading back to the car, whisky in hand once again, to toast the success. Now, all that remained was to wait and see if the BBRC would accept the record.
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