Yellow-legged Gull? Strathclyde Loch, Scotland (1 Viewer)

[GavCha]

Found this gull today at Strathclyde Loch, which was obviously darker than the Herring Gulls and lighter than the LBBG's around and had yellow legs. Im assuming it to be a sub-adult Yellow-legged Gull?

Any comments greatly appreciated!

Gavin

 

[lou salomon]

hm, it really does not look like a YLG on jizz. but i see LBBG and HG in "it's eyes". female YLG can have such weak bills (1st pic) but are usually smaller headed.
2nd pics shows us only the extent of black in rectrices for a 3rd cycle alternate (4cy, 3rd summer) large grey mantled gull which can vary in all sp.
in 3rd pic i dislike headshape, eyes, bill shape and especially amount of brown coverts for a michahellis. this looks much more like in a herring gull! a YLG usually has black on p4 at least at this age.
4th pic shows the ghosty mirror and a very short tongue on p10 (ventral view).
if not a pure HG it's rather a HG LBBG hybrid of some sort.

cheers

 

[tittletattler]

hm, it really does not look like a YLG on jizz. but i see LBBG and HG in "it's eyes". female YLG can have such weak bills (1st pic) but are usually smaller headed.
2nd pics shows us only the extent of black in rectrices for a 3rd cycle alternate (4cy, 3rd summer) large grey mantled gull which can vary in all sp.
in 3rd pic i dislike headshape, eyes, bill shape and especially amount of brown coverts for a michahellis. this looks much more like in a herring gull! a YLG usually has black on p4 at least at this age.
4th pic shows the ghosty mirror and a very short tongue on p10 (ventral view).
if not a pure HG it's rather a HG LBBG hybrid of some sort.

cheers

I need to take a longer look at this bird but, that said, to me it's either a YLG or a hybrid.

 

[lou salomon]

any more takers? peter, jan, ies?

 

[GavCha]

Thanks for your comments lou and tittletattler. I had a horrible feeling hybrid might come up, would be my second in a few months.

If this was a pure Herring Gull, do I assume it to be an Argentatus given the darker mantle?

Any other thoughts from others?

 

[lou salomon]

may well be a nominate argentatus due to darkness.

 

[lalows2]

One of those baltic yellowed legged argentatus HGs formerly known as 'omissus'?

Cheers

Davo