[CJW]

Me and two other Manx birders watched this gull for 'a good while' and are a little perplexed by it. Could it be a Heuglin's? Size-wise it wasn't much, if at all, bigger than a Herring Gull ( I have several more shots of the bird including one of it with a Hering Gull) and the bill hasn't got the depth of a GBB. Nor did it have the sheer 'presence' of a GBB. Perhaps it is only a runt GBB. I should stress that none of the observers (including myself) are great gull fans!

[Andrew]

All I can say is the eye patch makes it look like a Heuglin's.

[Eddie]

Are those yellow legs? If so it would suggest that it is not a regular GBB.

Eddie

[CJW]

No the legs were a pale flesh colour as in GBB - it was just the small size of the bird and it's bill (small being a comparative term here!), that made me wonder. I've had one Email so far from an 'eminent' gull watcher who has suggested that it may be Heuglin's. (I won't name him as he wasn't sure). Another said how much it reminded him of Yellow-footed, but that would be asking too much

[Mark D]

I think this is a 3rd winter GBB, still showing brown in the wing coverts, immature bill markings. This image appears to be in strong sunlight which will account for the mantle colour not looking dark as they normally do. The bill depth isn't a problem, it's still pretty big, and could belong to a female.

Mark

[CJW]

And the fact that it was the same size as a Herring Gull?

[Mark D]

the size is not a problem, female GBB's are smaller than the males and there is some over lap with individual male Herring Gulls.
i like gull watching and have seen some eye-opening size differences between males and females of the same species. This is not just in GBB and Herring, but is more prominent in the larger gulls.

[CJW]

Interesting, thanks Mark. So it was a GBB then?