Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus

The ready availability of food at the Harewood Whin/Rufforth Tip (which attracted up to 10,000 gulls at times) is a major factor in the increase in records during the 21st century.
The closure of the tip has led to a reduction in records; there were no Glaucous Gulls in 2019, which was the first blank year since 2010. There was an average of eight records per year from 2015 to 2017, but just one record per year between 2018 and 2020. There were again no records in 2021 and 2022.

Scarce winter visitor

Black-headed, Caspian, Glaucous and Herring Gulls, Rufforth Feb 2016 © Tim Jones
Black-headed, Caspian, Glaucous and Herring Gulls, Rufforth Feb 2016 © Tim Jones

Records
2020: Wheldrake Ings, 21st February. 1st-winter bird appeared in the gull roost
2018: Wheldrake Ings, 2nd and 8th February. two 1st winters
2018: Rufforth (same bird at Wheldrake Ings & Bank Island during January), 2nd & 21st January. 1st-winter