Gull ID - Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire (1 Viewer)

[BenjiS]

I'm afraid I didn't get a picture but just want to check I was correct with my ID with it being Yellow Legged Gull
I was standing about 10-15m away but the main ID features I picked up were:

Yellow legs
Similar size to Crows foraging nearby
Light grey back

Sorry for not having a picture but I didn't have a camera on me, and YLG would be a lifer for me!

 

[wheatearlp]

With that description I wouldn't want to say one way or the other. Sorry.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Don’t think it is provable. What shade of yellow were the legs? Any other gulls nearby as comparison?

 

[aeshna5]

Probably more likely a Lesser Black-back, but with no photo, no one can give a definitive ID.

 

[BenjiS]

Probably more likely a Lesser Black-back, but with no photo, no one can give a definitive ID.

The reason I didn't think it was a lesser black-backed was due to the light grey wings/back.

Don’t think it is provable. What shade of yellow were the legs? Any other gulls nearby as comparison?

Clearly yellow (I could quite easily see that they were yellow from 10-15meters away) There were no gulls nearby, but as I said, similar size to crows nearby - definitely looked like a big gull (easily bigger than a Black-Headed gull IMO

Sorry - I realised it would be difficult, thanks all for taking the time to try and help!

 

[Butty]

As others have said, just not enough in your description to get anywhere near an ID, I'm afraid. Specifically...

light grey wings/back

Impossible to use this without some reference or comparison.

Clearly yellow (I could quite easily see that they were yellow from 10-15meters

Unfortunately, yellow-legged gull isn't the only yellow-legged gull - if you see what I mean. Your field guide will show this.

similar size to crows nearby - definitely looked like a big gull

Size isn't useful. Lesser black-backed gull is a big gull.

 

[01101001]

Cheers. I like the idea of writing down a description of a gull's plumage instead of photographing it--this way I could learn the feather tracts and niceties of gull ID much faster.