BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="SteveMM" data-source="post: 3526791" data-attributes="member: 130392">Were I reading this thread (and I really hope this is of interest to someone), I would be wondering where the other species are! They are yet to come! The photos above have all been taken at one site, and this is a freshwater site slightly off the coast. Both Vega Gull and Slaty-backed Gull strongly favour the coast, so I'll need to look at them later (I do also have a coastal gull site). Mongolian Gull especially has a marked preference for freshwater sites, and is the main regular at my 'off the coast' site (but scarce at my coastal site). Whilst immatures are currently proving to be scarce, it's much easier to find adults. Despite enormous variation in the appearance of adults (especially in eye and leg colour, but also in size and structure), 'classic' Mongolian Gulls are straightforward to identify at this time of year. They are entirely white-headed, have pale grey mantles, a large amount of black on the wingtip (with two mirrors), a pale grey tongue down the underside of P10 (about half its length, give or take), and have competed their primary moults. They are in peak breeding condition right now (as also evidenced by their very bright bills) and look quite beautifully 'soft'. Attached is a fairly typical adult.Attached: Adult mongolicus (ID'd by completed primary moult, entirely white head, relatively pale mantle, contrasting black wingtip with largely black P10-8 and two mirrors, pale greyish hand (from below), broad white trailing edge, and bright yellow bill).</blockquote>

Verification