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Large gull, W Yorks, 27/02/20 (1 Viewer)

davpen

Well-known member
This gull, seen today in W Yorkshire, had me considering the possibility that it might be a 3cy michahellis. Reasons included the combination of clean grey mantle, scaps, and some of the median coverts, and maybe the advanced bill colouration.

Am I barking up the wrong tree?

Cheers,

Dave
 

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This gull, seen today in W Yorkshire, had me considering the possibility that it might be a 3cy michahellis. Reasons included the combination of clean grey mantle, scaps, and some of the median coverts, and maybe the advanced bill colouration.

Am I barking up the wrong tree?

Cheers,

Dave

I see that everyone has avoided this thread!

I'll give this a 'michahellis' vote. :t:

That should hopefully flush out some more opinion.
 
Thanks TT!

I don't mind admitting I haven't got much of a feel for YLG ID, so any more opinions would be welcome.
 
If it was in Northumbs it'd be a Herring Gull :-O

AKAIK, in Britain, Yellow-legged Gulls can only be found by reaching Mornington Crescent 3:)
 
Like Andy, I'm also struggling to disagree with 3cy YLGull. Scarce in Yorks at this time of year, but no doubt under-recorded because they're not generally expected outside the mid-summer to late autumn 'window'. The dark iris, while not diagnostic, seems more the norm for 2nd winter YLG than in Herring Gull, which are usually pale at this age.
 
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Cheers Steve. Viewing the photos at 100%, I could convince myself that the orbital ring is at least mid-orange too (and maybe darker), though of course that's not diagnostic either.
 
First pic straight out of camera, cropped and enlarged. Orbital ring looks reddish here.

As Steve says, michahellis is quite scarce in Yorks in Feb, so I'd still be interested to hear any arguments why it might be just a Herring.

Dave
 

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As Steve says, michahellis is quite scarce in Yorks in Feb, so I'd still be interested to hear any arguments why it might be just a Herring.
In Northumbs, the main confusion (what the great majority of 'michahellis claims' get accepted as) is Herring x LBB hybrids - I'd suspect that's what this bird needs to be compared against, rather than pure Herring.
 
Thanks Nutcracker. Can't say I'd considered the LBB hybrid option, but will do so.
 
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