Comments on: Ivory Gull: A Birdwatcher’s Holy Grail

By: Ian R Morrison

Ian R Morrison — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 08:20:22 +0000

I saw one in Scotland; on the Isle of Skye in1976. It was with a large group of other gulls on a remote shoreline and stood slightly apart from the others. It looked like a white dove beside the others but closer inspection showed that it was indeed an ivory gull.

By: Melanie Penson

Melanie Penson — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 11:10:53 +0000

I am lucky enough to have seen 3 in the UK: Suffolk in 1999, Blackrock Sands in North Wales in 2002 (feeding on the blubber of a dead porpoise and totally oblivious to us only feet away) and the Pattrington Haven bird in 2013.

By: David Morgan

David Morgan — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 13:29:33 +0000

I saw an Ivory Gull in Patrington Haven, Yorkshire, England on the banks of the River Humber. This was around 2012(? I don’thave my birding records available). The bird had black spots on its wings, first winter plumage.

By: Lynn Herbert

Lynn Herbert — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 08:07:58 +0000

I saw an ivory gull in June 2022 when on a Hurtigruten expedition cruise in Svalbard. We were cruising round floating ice in the zodiacs when one of the birdwatchers spotted it. We watched it for a few minutes before it flew away. I didn’t manage to photograph it but I can still see it in my mind’s eye – a rare beauty!