gulls (5 Viewers)

[Cristian Mihai]

Yes, Caspian Gulls. As a matter of fact, I saw there only some Caspian Gulls and one Pallas's Gull.

 

[davpen]

I'm having a bit of trouble with these, taken in Yorkshire in Sep (5th and 26th, respectively). I took the second to be an HG, but what age? Cheers,

David

 

[lou salomon]

hi david,

1st one is a nice 2cy YLG, a male with that honker of a bill.
the 1cy in pic 2 shows a lot of caspian traits, even structurally - with long wings and legs, belly line is also good for cachi as are the pale underparts and head. same goes for tertials and greater covert pattern. but somehow i have the feeling there's something not right for it - maybe it is a hybrid cachinnans x argentatus from poland or germany. e.g. scapular pattern and bill shape are not so good for caspian gull but more in line with herring.

cheers

 

[davpen]

Many thanks Lou. The paleness of the YLG's grey scaps and median coverts threw me a bit.

David

 

[lou salomon]

http://www.lou.bertalan.de/gulls/m_newest.php

have a look and tell me i got things confused. B
newest 20 pics from my mostly miserable photographic attempt at vadu.

 

[Jane Turner]

Hi Pete,

I like your synopsis although for the reason you've given above, I'd say it is a YLG. I certainly get a lot of YLGs that look like this bird but I reckon away from the core sites, birders would be happier with an individual that looks perfect. Tone looks better for YLG too IMO.

Here's two female types from 2007. Note the sub-adult behind them.

http://www.kentos.org.uk/North West Kent/images/adyellowleggedgulls9-12-7.jpg

The other bird is more difficult and YLGs at this age are sometimes harder to separate from Caspian. As a rule of thumb, I call them YLG.

Cheers,

Andy.

re the "other bird"
lts still here and looking more YLG by the day.. having a gammy leg makes it easy to spot http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=467520&d=1381352346

 

[magpiemick]

This is the only image i have of this bird ....

 

[the wicker man]

Hi

Anyone help me with this... This is a terrible photograph (so please don't laugh!). Holiday in the Camargue August 2012. I was browsing though some pictures I took when my eye was drawn to the gull at the top right of this awful picture of a flock of roosting sandwich terns. The yellowish bill and the faint earspot made me think... The majority of gulls I saw were either black-headed or yellow-legged but could this be slender-billed?

Mike

 

[tittletattler]

This is the only image i have of this bird ....

Hello mate - nice YLG. Taken at Crayford?

 

[Jane Turner]

Hi

Anyone help me with this... This is a terrible photograph (so please don't laugh!). Holiday in the Camargue August 2012. I was browsing though some pictures I took when my eye was drawn to the gull at the top right of this awful picture of a flock of roosting sandwich terns. The yellowish bill and the faint earspot made me think... The majority of gulls I saw were either black-headed or yellow-legged but could this be slender-billed?

Mike

Looks promising to me - yes

 

[magpiemick]

Hello mate - nice YLG. Taken at Crayford?

That was what I originally thought !!

How about the amount of white visable on the underwing ?

And the more I look at it the bill !!

 

[the wicker man]

Looks promising to me - yes

Thanks Jane - still not sure myself. It was a dreary day for the time of year there and blowing a gale too which made looking at stuff a challenge. Wish I'd took more notice of this bird now as I didn't see any other S-b gulls that day. Think the bill looks rather yellowish for black-headed but then again...

Mike

 

[lou salomon]

That was what I originally thought !!

How about the amount of white visable on the underwing ?

And the more I look at it the bill !!

you're absolutely right, mick. such a long tongue almost reaching the mirror cannot possibly be a YLG. shame you have only one pic. but p10 strongly suggests a caspian.

 

[lou salomon]

Hi

Anyone help me with this... This is a terrible photograph (so please don't laugh!). Holiday in the Camargue August 2012. I was browsing though some pictures I took when my eye was drawn to the gull at the top right of this awful picture of a flock of roosting sandwich terns. The yellowish bill and the faint earspot made me think... The majority of gulls I saw were either black-headed or yellow-legged but could this be slender-billed?

Mike

sorry but to me it looks like a 1cy BHG. bill and legs too short.

 

[the wicker man]

sorry but to me it looks like a 1cy BHG. bill and legs too short.

thinking you're right, thanks Lou

 

[Tib78]

My little contribution to this thread.

1cy YLG from Croatia (Split) August 17th 2013

 

[Tib78]

Another 1cy YLG. Same place, same date.

 

[lou salomon]

hi tib :hippy:

it's always good to have a view on details of michas from their core distribution zone, no worries about possible hybrids in young birds which still hang around their breeding grounds.
nice tail patterns and really typical ones.
thanks for the pics.
8-P

 

[tittletattler]

you're absolutely right, mick. such a long tongue almost reaching the mirror cannot possibly be a YLG. shame you have only one pic. but p10 strongly suggests a caspian.

That is not unusual for Yellow-legged Gulls here. I've posted pics here before of YLGs with white tipped P10s.

The structure and leg length all suggest Yellow-legged Gull as does the iris colour. The head shape is all wrong too and it has the typical square, broad, brutish look of a YLG. A Caspian typically has a smaller, domed round head atop a large body.

The legs are also yellow; doesn't always mean YLG, of course, but that's what this bird is.

Cheers,

Andy.

 

[Tib78]

hi tib :hippy:

it's always good to have a view on details of michas from their core distribution zone, no worries about possible hybrids in young birds which still hang around their breeding grounds.
nice tail patterns and really typical ones.
thanks for the pics.
8-P

Most welcome Lou. Feel free to use those pics for website if you want to (and I won't feel offended if you don't).