Gull at Cheltenham Today (1 Viewer)

AlanR

Bird photographer

• Jun 26, 2007

• #1

I have only just realised that the gulls in Cheltenham are probably Lesser Black-backed rather than Great Black-backed. Then today the floods gave me the opportunity to get very close to a couple of gulls at a nearby school paying field - see attached pictures.
They look like Yellow-legged as the backs are quite a light grey and the legs are yellow.
Could they be Yellow-legged Gulls in this area (after recent heavy rains)?
Alan

 

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Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Jun 26, 2007

• #2

They are Lesser Black-backs. GBBG is more or less restricted to the coast.

http://www.geocities.com/birdgang/Glasgow/june2.jpg

Here are some LBBG - they have nice yellow legs!

 

timwootton

Well-known member

• Jun 27, 2007

• #3

They are lesser black-backed gulls. The very strong sunlight is giving them the appearance of pale grey backs (yellow-legged), but the shadowed areas show them to be black-backed. Super images, too.

 

AlanR

Bird photographer

• Jun 27, 2007

• #4

OK, thanks for replies.
I thought Y-L was a bit optimistic.
Alan

 

G

grahamB

Well-known member

• Jun 28, 2007

• #5

AlanR said:

I thought Y-L was a bit optimistic.
Alan

Click to expand...

Not really- YL Gulls are seen quite regularly in Gloucs. But there are a LOT more LBBs and HGs (and even GBBs) to confuse us! Look at 'sightings' page here http://www.birder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ for local info. (Most YLG sightings relate to Slimbridge but I reckon that's because it is so intesively watched).
Graham

 

luke

A Welsh birder in Dorset!

• Jun 29, 2007

• #6

'Five Yellow-legged Gulls were seen over high tide roost this morning (2 Adults, 1 3rd summer, 2 2nd summers). Slimbridge is one of the best sites in the whole of the UK for Yellow-legged Gulls, they start to build in numbers from June and can be seen until October. The peaktime for Yellow-legged Gulls at Slimbridge is at the end of July and early August, when up to 60 birds can be seen.'

copied from the slimbridge sightings page at:
http://www.wwt.org.uk/news/213/sightings.html

 

caroleanne

Active member

• Jun 29, 2007

• #7

Heres a good tip i sometime use for the commoner species(although it doesnt always work, only mainly on adults) GB pink legs, LB yellow legs, HG pink legs, BH yellow legs. The leg colours alternative as the gulls go down in size. To remember the first colour just think of the huge greater black-backed with girly pink legs!