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gulls (1 Viewer)

Cristian Mihai said:
Hi Lou,

Pics are taken on Colentina river in the area called Straulesti (on the way to Mogosoaia).
BTW, I visited this area for the first time this winter on December 30th (together with Chris Gibbins), but we didn't manage to take pics.
Click to expand...

whished i had been with you...8-P

today just a young tatty argentatus flying along the river in stuttgart (which is in southwestern germany, so hg isn't common). couldn't take pics.:eat:
what do you say about chris' new pics on his blog - some adult michs worth to be looked closer at.
http://chrisgibbins-gullsbirds.blogspot.com/2011/01/eastern-michahellis.html
http://chrisgibbins-gullsbirds.blogspot.com/2011/01/primary-pattern-of-adult-eastern.html
B :)B :)B :)
 
Yes, I had seen them - for me nothing new. For someone from the Western part of the Europe, some strange birds...


A female type 2cy michahellis - Herastrau, January 2nd.
 

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lou salomon said:
happy new year, pete,

1. is a 3cy (2nd winter/cycle) herring gull. probably a pure one, with a malcoloured bill and a dark iris. those crisp GC ain't good for caspian as you said, neither is the tertial pattern with many undulations at their edge, usually almost black centered in typical cach at this age. lesser and median coverts also better for HG and usually scattered with new grey ones in caspian (especially medians).

2. hard to tell. looks very dark mantled. small apical spots (primary tips) and dark mark on bill suggest a subadult: 4cy or 5cy, if an argentatus herring gull rather a 5cy (4th cycle). smudge around eye reminds of michahellis but most YLG indeed have yellow legs at this age (few exceptions); there is a small p10 mirror, also good for mich together with the often cited angular big head (which i don't give too much emphasis at). so it's either a hybrid (argentatus x fuscus?), argentatus x michahellis? or a weird 4-5cy michahellis or a weird 5cy argentatus. nice choosing...i really wouldn't like to make a 100% ID...let's post it on gull-research-talk?

cheers
Click to expand...

Hi - Could well be some Caspian in both birds although I suppose it's more likely that they are both within the range of 'Herring Gull variation'. 2nd bird is dark though and high chested.

Cheers,

Andy.
 
Cristian Mihai said:
Interesting bird. The underwing looks pretty dark in the pic taken in Holland.
Click to expand...

Thanks Pete - I've sent him an email.

Cristian - in the field, I could see this bird had a very pale underwing. Also note the mirror on the underside of P10. Be interesting to see what it was rung as but to my eyes, it's a Caspian.

I'll let you guys know what responses I get.

Cheers,

Andy.
 
Hi all,

Maarten Van Kleinwee has now updated the 'flickr' page above with the ringing info. This bird was rung as a pullus in a Caspian Gull colony in Poland in May 2009. Also, thanks for the email Maarten, much appreciated.

Regards,

Andy Lawson.
 
"Cristian - in the field, I could see this bird had a very pale underwing. Also note the mirror on the underside of P10. Be interesting to see what it was rung as but to my eyes, it's a Caspian."

I had no doubt that is a Caspian, Andy. But I just remarked that it had a pretty dark underwing when it was younger.
 
Cristian Mihai said:
"Cristian - in the field, I could see this bird had a very pale underwing. Also note the mirror on the underside of P10. Be interesting to see what it was rung as but to my eyes, it's a Caspian."

I had no doubt that is a Caspian, Andy. But I just remarked that it had a pretty dark underwing when it was younger.
Click to expand...

Hi Cristian,

No worries. I think the ID as a 1st winter could be questionned as the bird is quite mottled on the underparts, the bill is fairly short and the head is quite big. Also, the inner primaries are very grey indeed and perhaps closer to Herring?

My biggest concern was that the bird could have mixed parentage but it appears that it was rung in a pure Caspian colony.

But had this bird been seen further north or west of London in its 1st winter plumage (without a ring), then would it have been 'extreme' or 'classic' enough for acceptance?

Cheers,

Andy.
 
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Lots of large Gulls were present on my local patch in NW Britain today in very snowy conditions.I picked up what I thought was an adult Iceland Gull in flight( gleaming white underside to primaries etc.)It landed on the lake at some distance from me and I was astonished to see it had charcoal toned markings in the primaries.It appeared to have a dark iris, but on closer inspection it was light brown coloured.It had an all white tip to p10 which joined the pale inner web and p9 had a large white subterminal mirror which also joined the pale inner web.There was a thin dark subterminal band on p5.The underside of the folded primaries were clean white.The legs and feet were an impressive raspberry pink.It was very dark around the eye and the nape and neck sides had a golden brown wash of streaks.
It was with Herring Gulls, both Argentatus and Argenteus and was clearly paler mantled than all the Argentatus, also longer winged, smaller headed etcView attachment 302293.I`ve seen quite a few Kumlien`s Gulls before and this bird was very reminiscent of those, but are the markings in the primaries too dark? Hybrid?
Any comments welcome, apologies for the rather poor pic(poor light, snow etc),

cheers, Pete.
 
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hi pete,

personally i don't have experience with such birds but head alone leaves a massive herring gull impression. the thing is - i thought northern argentatus with "thayeri-pattern", like e.g. this one: http://cyberbirding.uib.no/gull/hg/ad_02.php where darker mantled than the average argenteus.
at least fom this view bill appears much too massive for any iceland gully type, black distribution seems in the range of thayers but again bill and head looks too large for me. so i'd speculate about some hybrid origin, mabe with glaucous? but both hyperboreus and argentatus have short primary projections - but your bird looks rel. long winged.
those apical spots are immense - or is it just the standard photo effect that enlarges white portions? sorry, can't ID it with certainty. but with a p5 mark i think herring gull at least got to be envolved.

cheers
 
Some pics taken in Tineretului - January 9th. All Yellow-legged Gulls. From the left to the right: 3cy; adult + 2cy; 2cy; same bird in the last two pics - 4/5cy?
 

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