Another Iceland

I found this second-winter Iceland Gull at CEGB yesterday evening, which made getting freezing cold worthwhile. When I got out of my car in the fading light, I thought "Do I really need a camera? Probably not, but you never know..." The pic is ropey, but it is better than nowt, methinks (and not that bad for 1/25s, ISO200 and miles away in the dark!). I really went there to see Med Gulls, but found none.
Here is the caption I wrote for the PBC Gallery.

"Thousands of gulls, predominantly Black-headed, come down to the water of the 'Teardrop Lake' of CEGB Reservoir in the Fletton/Hampton area of Peterborough in the fading light of evening. This one shone like a beacon from the masses. It is much paler and purer white than the rather creamy-brown first-winter Iceland Gull that has been seen at Dogsthorpe Star Pit since 12.3.06, and also seems to have a less-butch bill and a gentler expression. This CEGB bird is a second-winter, with only light streaking, pale grey feathering in the scapulars and a much more contrasting black-tipped pale bill (and doubtless a pale eye). All would be visible on this shot, if only it hadn't been such poor light! This bird was probably the one seen distantly by Brian Stone at Eye Tip on 14.3.06. This shot was taken on 15.3.06."

In the last couple of years we have been getting more Iceland Gulls locally and they have been lingering well into the spring. I think last year, there was one into May at Flag Fen (Ice would make a cool bird-race bird!).
Canon Powershot A95 though Kowa TSN-823 + 32xWLER