First-winter Yellow-legged Gulls are still showing up at Shawell A5 Lagoons, Leicestershire.
I may be seeing more 1st-year birds just because I've got my eye in, but it would appear that more of them are using the site this year than last.
The one above was present about a week ago. The typical features are on show: a shortish chunky black bill; a whitish head with streaking around the eye and on the crown; second generation mantle and scapular feathers with thick dark edges; dark brown coverts with a few new lesser coverts and darker brown tertials with white fringing on the tips.
The bird above is featured in the short video below. One off photos can give a bird a different impression to moving images, so its good to study videos as well as stills.
I saw a second one on Wednesday dinner time, which I judged to be more robust with a different greater covert pattern.
I may be seeing more 1st-year birds just because I've got my eye in, but it would appear that more of them are using the site this year than last.
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| First-winter Yellow-legged Gull |
The one above was present about a week ago. The typical features are on show: a shortish chunky black bill; a whitish head with streaking around the eye and on the crown; second generation mantle and scapular feathers with thick dark edges; dark brown coverts with a few new lesser coverts and darker brown tertials with white fringing on the tips.
The bird above is featured in the short video below. One off photos can give a bird a different impression to moving images, so its good to study videos as well as stills.
First winter Yellow-legged Gull
I saw a second one on Wednesday dinner time, which I judged to be more robust with a different greater covert pattern.
 |
| First-winter Yellow-legged Gull |