gulls (2 Viewers)

[lou salomon]

one of hundreds over there...
i'm inclined towards a well advanced caspian gull. such contrasting individuals are not that rare. but they certainly don't look like the ones you like to approach as "typical caspian". in spring birds with such black and white transversal pattern are more common. they look totally different to birsd with little or no replaced coverts: compare these two 1st cycles cachs in march: http://lou.bertalan.de/gulls/m_phi.php?bid=389&grp=cachinnans 2cy january-june , left one a contrasting "zebra", right one with worn old coverts and tertials.
here we got a similarly advanced and bold pattern to the subject gull: http://lou.bertalan.de/gulls/m_phi.php?bid=627&grp=cachinnans 2cy january-june
and http://lou.bertalan.de/gulls/m_phi.php?bid=628&grp=cachinnans 2cy january-june

cheers

 

[tittletattler]

Hetrastrau - December 30th 2011. Sorry for the quality (long shots in poor light).

All Caspians I think although the left hand bird could be a mich. From right to left it is interesting to note an obvious bird on the right, a less obvious bird in the middle (darker underwing) and an even tirckier bird on the left (less obvious amount of grey in the inner primaries and lack of pale tips to the greater coverts).

Cheers, Andy.

 

[tittletattler]

More pics.

Left hand bird, as noted, has scapulars that perhaps fit a YLG better; still a Caspian though, in my view.

Older birds both Caspian although not easy from the pics. 2nd winter bird shows a small pale mirror in P10 (so ruling out nearly all 2nd cy YLG) and the 3rd winter has a large mirror in P10.

Cheers, Andy.

 

[snowcap]

Lou, Andy, those advanced( zebra patterned) Casps are really eye-opening.I wonder what county level committees in the UK would make of one? Using the point scoring system in the latest copy of BB, the bird in post #2138 may not pass muster over here.

 

[Jane Turner]

We'd run away screaming!

 

[tittletattler]

We'd run away screaming!

Not me. I'm rubbing my hands and getting excited.....

OK - it's quite long-billed with only a slight gonydial angle. Long necked. Eye could be called beady, perhaps, but it does appear highish on the head. Scapulars are Ok for Caspian IMO: It has nice, strong, black diamonds atop very thin feather shafts (streaks). Key is that the anchor bases at the end of each feather are very narrow and although these bars are better for YLG, I'd expect them to be stronger on YLG. Look at this Caspian photographed a couple of weeks back near Folkestone:

http://www.freewebs.com/folkestonebirds/2011/caspiangull1.jpg

So I reckon the bird in 2138 is OK for Caspian.

Failing that, just add 'grey inner primaries, pale tipped greater coverts and white axillaries' to the description and the jobs a good'un.

Interestingly I recommended to Brian Small back in 2003, I think, that the BBRC should adopt a balanced scorecard approach for rarity assessment.

Cheers,

Andy.

 

[snowcap]

We'd run away screaming!

I like it Jane!!! Here`s a couple of straightforward( and less stressful!) Iceland Gulls I saw in Cheshire today.The first a lovely demure juv.The second bird perhaps isn`t so straightforward, very worn and creamy coloured with obvious wear to its secondaries, but with a seemingly dark iris and no grey coming through on the mantle, so presumably just an excessively worn 1stw.There were 15,000+ Gulls at Richmond Bank today...awesome!View attachment 362713

View attachment 362714

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Herastrau - January 1st 2012 - A Happy New Year to you all!

 

[lou salomon]

nice cach assembley, cris. the one in pic 4 has a quite a "michoid" bill.

HappY neW YeaR!

 

[Cristian Mihai]

http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/397655/ppuser/54311

 

[lou salomon]

http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/397655/ppuser/54311

that's a 3rd cycle with restricted white - see my comment in the gallery. probably not an eastern bird, but who knows?
any more nice cach pics? any 1st winters?

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Here are some first winter birds (micha and cachi).

 

[lou salomon]

looks like they're all cachis except for the 2nd cycle mich (last pic). nice that again you are taking gull pics, cristian!

 

[Cristian Mihai]

yes lou - the last gull is obviously a 2cy bird (micha).

 

[Cristian Mihai]

January 1st again.

 

[lou salomon]

2nd cycle cach with paler getting iris???

 

[tittletattler]

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=89c9...#cid=89C9F8E482CB4BDD&id=89C9F8E482CB4BDD!405

Can you guys open this link?

If so, I reckon it's a Caspian. But you will see why I'm asking for your help....

Seen two days ago a few miles upriver from me.

A stunning looking bird!

Cheers, Andy.

 

[lou salomon]

i can't.

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Andy, you have to have an account on Windows Live (I presume).

 

[Cristian Mihai]

More pics (January 1st).