Tufty comes up trumps...

I've been trying to catch up with red squirrels on the I-O-W for some time now, with no luck. Today that luck changed when I saw two together on the east side of the Island:

Red squirrel: Roger Harris

Red squirrel: Roger Harris

Other than that, it's been fairly quiet - just the obligatory meds, all in summer plumage and looking very smart, if only from a distance...

Mediterranean gull: Roger Harris

Also looked for and found these 'yellow' legged gulls on the Island again this year. Odd birds - clearly not michahellis but with distinctly yellowish/pink legs? Personally I think it may be down to something they are eating. There were two like this in and around the Seaview Wildlife Park near Ryde, which coincidentally is home to a large wildfowl collection including flamingos. They sell food to feed the birds and it could be that the gulls are picking this up too and effecting their pigmentation.