Arctic visitor

I couldn't resist travelling to see the first-winter ROSS'S GULL that was found just before Christmas in Esbjerg Harbour, western Jylland. Ross's Gull is a very rare visitor from the Arctic sea ice with only 9 previous records in Denmark (there are around 90+ records in the UK where it is almost annual, although very difficult to connect with on the mainland). With a fair weather forecast I caught the train from Copenhagen at 0630 to ensure I was there just after first light and the bird did not disappoint. No doubt lured by my lunch of rye bread and cheese, this bird was unbelievably tame and in the company of a maximum of 10 birders at any one time (how refreshing). It favoured a small fresh water puddle on one of the quays and, apart from the odd show-flight around the harbour, spent the best part of 4 hours in this small area, often walking to within a few feet of enchanted birders and photographers. Several times it called a sort of tern-like "eek". It is a small gull (about Little Gull size) but with longer wings, an elongated tail and a clear white trailing edge to the wing (lacking the dark secondary bar of first winter Little Gulls). It really is the holy grail of gulls for most European birders. Number 181.