The Ivory Gull is a bird of the High Arctic and is a rare visitor to the UK. Its breeding areas are on the arctic islands of Spitzbergen, Novaya Zemla and Frans Josef Land. Outside of the breeding season it is found on the edge of the pack ice and the drift ice zone. The images here are of a juvenile bird which was found near Ayr in December 2006, the gloomy light condition making photography difficult.
There is a sad footnote to these images - the gull remained in the Ayrshire district for a while being relocated at Troon and then near Irvine. Latterly it was seen to be looking unwell and was taken into care but died a few days later.