Aberrant Black Head...

Dave Helliar picked up on this aberrant black headed gull, which he'd spotted at Chard res on the evening of 25th September as it passed through on its way to wash and roost. A visit yesterday evening paid off as it dropped in again for about 15 minutes before departing south, presumably towards Axemouth? It looks pretty much like a normal 1st winter BHG but it's incredibly small, not too much bigger than a little gull in fact. There have been records of birds like this before but I've no idea how frequently they occur in normal populations - certainly the first one any of us has seen.

Standing on its own it's hard to judge the size...

...but when closer to other BHGs it stands out.
Just a mini version: R. Harris

Dave was lucky enough to see a 2nd summer little gull earlier in the week too. Obviously a few gulls moving through the area at the moment.