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Gull ID (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Brian Stone
- Start date
Michael Frankis
conehead
Gurrkk!! what a set!
I'll hazard a guess at:
1 Great Black-back (preening back left)
2 intermedius Lesser Black-backs (front left, and centre back)
5 graellsii Lesser Black-backs (left edge in front of preening bird, and all four at right)
1 michahellis Yellow-legged Gull (centre, nibbling top left flank) - not definite, not much useful detail visible!
1 argenteus Herring Gull (really pale bird just left of centre)
Michael
I'll hazard a guess at:
1 Great Black-back (preening back left)
2 intermedius Lesser Black-backs (front left, and centre back)
5 graellsii Lesser Black-backs (left edge in front of preening bird, and all four at right)
1 michahellis Yellow-legged Gull (centre, nibbling top left flank) - not definite, not much useful detail visible!
1 argenteus Herring Gull (really pale bird just left of centre)
Michael
Joern Lehmhus
Well-known member
My gods, I should have more trust in my gull-Identification abilities
-thats exactly what I would have guessed, but it seemed me a bit of a lucky shot to have them all on the spot
especially the one in the middle, I would also assume this being a michahellis, but not much details to be sure
Pitty I did not post earlier...could have been the first time to be the first
If that is going to be right i will nevertheless happily dance through the rest of the day!!!
Joern
-thats exactly what I would have guessed, but it seemed me a bit of a lucky shot to have them all on the spot
especially the one in the middle, I would also assume this being a michahellis, but not much details to be sure
Pitty I did not post earlier...could have been the first time to be the first
If that is going to be right i will nevertheless happily dance through the rest of the day!!!
Joern
Michael Frankis
conehead
Hi Joern,
I guess there is a little bit of birder psychology in here too - I reckon the photo was only taken because the michahellis YLG was there, and that is why it is in the middle of the pic. The others are all incidental, but when Brian saw he had so many different gulls, thought it would make a good competition . . .
Correct, Brian? o
Michael
I guess there is a little bit of birder psychology in here too - I reckon the photo was only taken because the michahellis YLG was there, and that is why it is in the middle of the pic. The others are all incidental, but when Brian saw he had so many different gulls, thought it would make a good competition . . .
Correct, Brian? o
Michael
Brian Stone
A Stone chatting
Not far off Michael. I did think it might make an interesting group to chew over. Glad to see we all agree on the others but I disagree about the bird in the middle. It is a bit unfair and I don't think you can get to the race from the picture because the all important wingtips are barely visible.
In fact I think it is an argentatus (Northern) Herring Gull. It didn't show its legs (wouldn't be conclusive anyway) and I may be wrong but I believe I saw enough as it was preening (e.g. extensive white in the wingtips) to be sure.
Another view is attached. This is not much more helpful - none of my pics was showed the wingtips well - but it is interesting how one of the graellsii appears to have got darker and one of the intermedius paler! Oh, and one got _much_ younger.
If anyone has anything to add on the "one in the middle" I'd be interested.
Brian
In fact I think it is an argentatus (Northern) Herring Gull. It didn't show its legs (wouldn't be conclusive anyway) and I may be wrong but I believe I saw enough as it was preening (e.g. extensive white in the wingtips) to be sure.
Another view is attached. This is not much more helpful - none of my pics was showed the wingtips well - but it is interesting how one of the graellsii appears to have got darker and one of the intermedius paler! Oh, and one got _much_ younger.
If anyone has anything to add on the "one in the middle" I'd be interested.
Brian
Attachments
Michael Frankis
conehead
Hi Brian,
I did actually think of suggesting argentatus HG, but decided against (a) because of the lack of heavy head streaking (the ones I see up here are usually very heavily streaked), and (b) the date - September strikes me as a bit early for them (particularly so far south!), while very typical for michahellis. But I could easily be wrong!
Michael
I did actually think of suggesting argentatus HG, but decided against (a) because of the lack of heavy head streaking (the ones I see up here are usually very heavily streaked), and (b) the date - September strikes me as a bit early for them (particularly so far south!), while very typical for michahellis. But I could easily be wrong!
Michael
Joern Lehmhus
Well-known member
Hi Brian, Hi Michael
That was also my impression: if this were an argentatus herring gull shouldn´t there be more head streaking then?
But to me it looks as white as the head of the GBBG on the same pic; that was one reason for me to think michahellis, together with that mantle colour.
Joern
That was also my impression: if this were an argentatus herring gull shouldn´t there be more head streaking then?
But to me it looks as white as the head of the GBBG on the same pic; that was one reason for me to think michahellis, together with that mantle colour.
Joern
Michael Frankis
conehead
Hi Mark,
Yes it is big compared to the graellsii LBBs, but so would a michahellis YLG be. It doesn't strike me as any much larger than the argenteus HG behind it
Michael
Yes it is big compared to the graellsii LBBs, but so would a michahellis YLG be. It doesn't strike me as any much larger than the argenteus HG behind it
Michael
As far as I can see (2nd pic) this bird has only replaced three, possibly four, inner primaries, a moult schedule consistent with a late moulter from northern latitudes, and therefore argentatus.
Some immature argentatus remain in Britain throughout the summer and although the peak arrival of adults occurs here in late autumn some are certainly back by late August. The development of head streaking probably coincides with wing moult timing so a bird which is till in the early stages of primary moult may not be expected to have yet developed a full winter head pattern.
On the first pic the underside of p10 is visible and shows a fully white tip, also suggrestive of argentatus.
Spud
Some immature argentatus remain in Britain throughout the summer and although the peak arrival of adults occurs here in late autumn some are certainly back by late August. The development of head streaking probably coincides with wing moult timing so a bird which is till in the early stages of primary moult may not be expected to have yet developed a full winter head pattern.
On the first pic the underside of p10 is visible and shows a fully white tip, also suggrestive of argentatus.
Spud
Brian Stone
A Stone chatting
Astonished you managed to get that from the pic Spud! I really thought it was a tall order to be conclusive from the pics. In the field the bird didn't look at all long winged and I have already mentioned the primary pattern. To be honest I never gave it much of a look after that on the day. This is just one of a whole series of pics I took of a group of gulls to practice digiscoping. It was just chance that this mildly interesting bird ended up in the middle of a couple of the pics.
Hope it was useful anyway.
Hope it was useful anyway.
