gulls (6 Viewers)

[lou salomon]

yes, "our" mate

james photographed it recently too (see his last post on q&a). it's nice to follow moult in such known individuals!

 

[Cristian Mihai]

yes, "our" mate

james photographed it recently too (see his last post on q&a). it's nice to follow moult in such known individuals!

Unfortunately I didn't manage to take a flight shot with it...

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Some michahellis on Dambovita river, February 23rd.

 

[lou salomon]

very nice set of michs, cristian :king:

where's p6 in the first adult bird? - otherwise a classic wing with thick p5 mark, black mark on bill (which doesn't necessarily mean it is a young adult)

2nd is a very pretty and typical 4cy (note still very short p10 tongues and shadowy longish p10 mirror).

3rd - any more shots with this one? it looks like a slightly retaded 3cy - most of them get yellow bills by now!

our friend as well http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=244632&d=1266935711 (how'd you call him, cristian?) has attained a slight yellow tint on upper mandible but he will remain a weirdo - that head plus iris and shape is not "normal" although it has lots of a powerfull male, slightly mishormoned -O) michahellis with such a monstrous head. strange is the combination: a totally off, assymmetric outer primary pattern which one could call "advanced" (caused by accident?) plus retarded bill and iris. legs get yellow by now and colour isn't pale at all. nice to see mister bean back. oB B

 

[Cristian Mihai]

A few more pics with the 3rd bird. I'm not 100 % sure that in the forth pics is the same bird...

 

[lou salomon]

well it's not as retarded as i thought, just bill is black.

 

[tittletattler]

hi steve,

i wouldn't hesitate to call your gull a good caspian. bill and scaps are absolutely perfect for a 3cy cach, it just has a rel. strongly marked tail, but that's well inside variation for casp.
edit: now, after having a second look, there might be some reason for argentatus-genes in it: 1. all coverts are brownish immature, not even median coverts are grey (mc are usually the firsts to get adult grey), 2. the very well marked uppertail- and undertail coverts. now there could be some discussion whether this is within caspian variation or not - actually with so many hybrids around it is hard to prove so, but from my experience variation is huge in caspian (as in other LWHG) especially when it comes to 2-4cy birds. it might be a retarded and well marked pure female caspian (structure, p10-mirror, tertials, bill coloration - everything fits) or it may be a hybrid or backcross, hard to tell.

p.s. a great and well ordered gullery you have on your website, did i mention that yet?

all the best,

Good summing up of the features and what they mean Lou.

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Two more pics with our odd&old friend.

 

[lou salomon]

note his shorter left p10 (the one with the long mirror).

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Another 2cy bird (Herastrau, February 23rd).

 

[lou salomon]

nice 2nd gen inner gc, note also unusually wide tail band with a lot of black on r1-r4.

 

[Cristian Mihai]

A slender 2cy bird.

 

[lou salomon]

nice pontic.

 

[Cristian Mihai]

nice pontic.

probably a female?

 

[lou salomon]

female type, yes.

 

[Cristian Mihai]

A selections of pics with gulls taken on February 23rd in Bucharest:
http://www.talk.gull-research.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=237
http://www.talk.gull-research.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=238
http://www.talk.gull-research.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=239

 

[tittletattler]

A selections of pics with gulls taken on February 23rd in Bucharest:
http://www.talk.gull-research.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=237
http://www.talk.gull-research.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=238
http://www.talk.gull-research.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=239

Is the 2nd bird down an advanced 1st winter YLG that's already moulted a lot of scapulars?

Cheers,

Andy.

Ps - nice shots again, Cristian.

 

[lou salomon]

yes, an advanced 2cy. many 3rd gen scaps. concerning a dark eyed micha - st.aubry has one and this 4cy type: http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=240046&d=1264631838 (january, bucharest, cristian)

 

[tittletattler]

yes, an advanced 2cy. many 3rd gen scaps. concerning a dark eyed micha - st.aubry has one and this 4cy type: http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=240046&d=1264631838 (january, bucharest, cristian)

Thanks Lou.

OK, here's a shot of the black eyed Yellow-legged Gull. Well, the eye appeared to be black even at 60X. In flight the legs were yellow, the tip to P10 was black and it didn't appear to have pale tongues leading towards the tips of the outer primaries.

Cheers,

Andy.

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Is the 2nd bird down an advanced 1st winter YLG that's already moulted a lot of scapulars?

Cheers,

Andy.

Ps - nice shots again, Cristian.

Thank you Andy.
It was probably the last winter session for gull photography. The ice on the lakes is melting, so it will be difficult to spot gulls at acceptable distances.
Also the Common Gulls vanished (they are winter guests here).