gulls (1 Viewer)

[lou salomon]

i'm pretty sure, both birds in pic one (post 538) are caspian gulls and it looks as they are a pair. it is in july in the mid of danube delta where rarely ad. YLG are seen (only a few on large lakes and the main danube branches) - but apart from likelihood, right bird is definitive a caspian. left bird looks larger with hefty and long bill - a male, not unlike many other caspian males i have seen and photographed. notice leg colour: a dull yellowish-fleshy something. ad YLG at this time of year (almost?) never show a pinkish or colourless tingue. this is in the breeding area of caspian gull, strange enough but very few YLG are present there (in the core delta) in summer.

all the best

 

[lou salomon]

btw. large male caspians do not only have a strong bill, they can have triangular nostrils and an extended orbital bare skin in front of the eye, remember this:

 

[lou salomon]

see you again at mid september, i'm off into the vicinity of JANJ to study baltic gull, baltic herring gull and GBBG. after that again danube delta where i might take some more shots of 'ponticus'

 

[lou salomon]

who's this youngster?

was pretty naive or let's say tame, let me came as close as 2 m.
front and a hind part.

 

[lou salomon]

1000+ med gulls on a fresh ploughed field near the black sea coast today. and many caspians...a bit of a hard time with the young chlidonias-species...gull-billed terns feed their young with big grashoppers and lizzards....let's see if we get to see pallas's gull tomorrow

B

 

[Dryocopus]

Ok for all you gull experts what do you make of this bird?

 

[JANJ]

Hi Drocopus.

Your gull looks like a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull. Rather heavy bill, males are even bigger-billed, short primary projection (past the tail) and small looking eye.

JanJ

 

[Dryocopus]

Thanks Jan -
(now for the arguments with my friends!)
:t:

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Some pics taken today September 4th.
First, a slender 2cy YL Gull?

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Second, some pics with 3cy/4cy and adult birds.
#1 the right hand bird - 4cy?
#2 a thin bill
#3 and #5 (the same bird?) a long bill
#4 a 3cy male and an adult female?

Cristian

 

[luke]

Hi Lou.

Some examles from illustrations made by Lars Jonsson. (with Kodak Grey Scale)
Note the variation in Caspian

JanJ

The michahellis atlantis wing tip picture from this post looks rather like this bird photographed at usk reservoir in Mid Wales?

http://www.brecknockbirds.co.uk/images/gallery/ylgull.jpg

Any thoughts?

 

[lou salomon]

another 2 piccies of the youngster from #544. compare with dryocopus's juvenile!

 

[lou salomon]

cristian,
good to see details in early autumn michahellises:

# 549: yes, a 2cy, note how important it is to age it before concluding by the strong inner primary window that it looks argentatus like (2nd gen. primaries in all LWHG show a stronger window than 1st gen. ones!) - since the rest of the bird looks quite dark.

post 550:
1. aging is tentative, esp. in older immatures but yes, it looks like a 4cy type.

2. overgrown upper mandible

3. is not too long billed for YLG. looks like a different ind. than 5. see dark markings on lower mandible in 5. (prob. subadult/4-5cy-type). note that michahellis can have a similarly colourless inner bill as cachinnans in early september (in both 3. and 5.)

4. probably 4cy male with retarded bill and ad female

i've seen quite some yellow-legged gulls in bucharest 2 days ago but none really close, a pity...on the other hand i've taken a few pics of caspian gulls in sfantu gheorghe, danube delta, see next post. thanks for sharing yours and a pity we didn't meet!

4.

 

[lou salomon]

cachinnans from danube delta

a few pics i could manage to take on 2. and 3. september in the village

 

[lou salomon]

a few more

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Nice pics Lou. About the YL Gulls in Bucharest - it's hard to take good pics in the city. Next time you'll have to go on Dambovita at the border of the town. Is the best place for large gulls during the summer. In winter there are some more places: parks like Tineretului or Herastrau.

Cristian

 

[Rich Bonser]

Thought I'd share some shots of a presumed adult Mediterranean x Black-headed Gull that I saw at Burnham lagoon, Dingle on 5th September. Interesting to note the structure as well as plumage detail. Still in primary moult so as the winter progresses one can only assume the black in the primaries will become more extensive.

Cheers and good birding

Rich

 

[JANJ]

Hello Lou.

Back now? How was Gotland?

Nice Caspians - especially the third image in # 554, showing the pattern very well just because it´s out of focus. The dark brown base to the greater coverts with pale tips ending with the blackish secondaries.

JanJ

 

[lou salomon]

hej jan!

gotland was fine. not so much birding with two little children but quite enough. the majority of baltic gulls seemd to have left the island, i saw rel. few of them and couldn't photograph them. the best think was a very nice terek sandpiper in best light and at close distance. learning it's call was also good.
the young gull from post 552 is from the same place. it was pretty small!

about half of the GBBGs present had a yellowish tingue on the legs! quite many of the herring gulls also, none with really bright yellow as in michahellis but it was after breeding time. no spotted cachi or micha. 3 x arctic skua etc...

some gull pics from gotland:

1-3. see wing pattern, structure, moult and bare part colours (especially strong pigmented iris!) in a herring gull from klintehamn
4-5. juvenile (see tertial pattern) and ad HG at klintehamn harbour

 

[lou salomon]

Thought I'd share some shots of a presumed adult Mediterranean x Black-headed Gull that I saw at Burnham lagoon, Dingle on 5th September. Interesting to note the structure as well as plumage detail. Still in primary moult so as the winter progresses one can only assume the black in the primaries will become more extensive.

Cheers and good birding

Rich

hi rich and thanks for sharing.

except for a slightly weak looking bill (esp. in pic 1) and a bit rounder head shape i can't see much detail to discount a 2nd winter med gull but i'm sure you have noticed more in the field. did you see the underside of the wings? how rare are MG X BHG hybrids in britain?

all the best,