UK Gull sp (1 Viewer)

rmielcarek · Feb 15, 2017

Anyone got any thoughts on this gull currently at Chew Valley Lake, just south of Bristol, and present since the end of October.

It is not that large, about the size of a Lesser Black-backed, and seems to be faithful to a small part of the lake, just off the main picnic site. It tends to sit on the water, on its own, but when the local gulls get fed by the public it comes in low and harries them for scraps. It is quite aggressive.

The 2 photos on the left courtesy of Dave Hughes and the one on the right by Ian Stapp.

I'd already posted this message on the ID forum but have just noticed there is a specialist Gulls forum.

Thanks

Rich M

SteveMM · Feb 17, 2017

rmielcarek said:
Anyone got any thoughts on this gull currently at Chew Valley Lake, just south of Bristol, and present since the end of October.

It is not that large, about the size of a Lesser Black-backed, and seems to be faithful to a small part of the lake, just off the main picnic site. It tends to sit on the water, on its own, but when the local gulls get fed by the public it comes in low and harries them for scraps. It is quite aggressive.

The 2 photos on the left courtesy of Dave Hughes and the one on the right by Ian Stapp.

I'd already posted this message on the ID forum but have just noticed there is a specialist Gulls forum.

Thanks

Rich M

Have not been in the UK for many years, Rich, but as you have no replies I'll chip in with Lesser Black-backed Gull. It's the only thing I can recall being about that dark, and there are traces of yellow in the legs. Much of the apparent 'markings' on the bird look like muck/oil/staining of some sort. Eye, legs, apical spots, and moult don't look to be a million miles away from this (March) bird IMO: http://www.gull-research.org/lbbg2cyb/jzblue2cy4cymarch.html

UK Gull sp (1 Viewer)

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