Leaving Greenock about 3:20 this afternoon, noticed three Carrion Crows on the ground outside the Cruise Liner terminal gate attacking what I thought was a Brown Rat. On getting out of the car to investigate, the victim turned out to be a Woodcock. The crows had been pecking at its head and had dislodged quie a few feathers. However the bird was quite lively and appeared unharmed. I therefore picked it up and placed it in a dense flowerbed nearby. The crows were still hanging about and several Herring Gulls were also circling overhead, their raucous calls adding to the general malee. However I hoped the Woodcock would stay hidden until dark.
Arriving at the SECC a short time later, I immediately noticed two tern-sized gulls perched side by side on a piece of metal projecting out of the Clyde. The features which struck me were noticeably short legs (giving the impression of the stance of Arctic rather than Common Tern), hunched posture, black smudging on the head and black bill (although the distance and lack of optics meant I couldn't be sure). One of the birds took off and circled around, showing dark grey underwings and a disproportionately-short, square tail (appearing almost tail-less from some angles). Might be worth checking to see if any Little Gulls turn up over the next few days.
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