Updated January 12th 2019.
Saturday July 22nd 2017 I found a second calendar-year gull at Cotesbach tip that had replaced all of its primary feathers. This is something not recorded in either graellsii or intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but is common in Baltic Gull Larus fuscus fuscus. The mantle and scapulars are too pale for a Baltic Gull. Heuglin's Gull is worth considering as they have been recorded with a full set of second generation primaries during summer of their second calendar-year. However, it is less common to see Heuglin's Gulls with new primaries than Baltic Gulls at this time in their second calendar-year. Or, possibly it is a very interesting gull just outside of our current knowledge range and so should remain un-identified? One regular contributor on Facebook's WP Gull Group said if he had to chose he would go for Heughlin's Gull. I was concerned about the complete set of fresh primaries, but check this out from the core range of Heughlin's in Russia
Heughlin's Gull doesn't yet have a full criteria to help identify extralimital examples.
Since 2014 and during the spring and summer months I have been searching through the first-summer Lesser Black-backed Gulls looking for fresh black primary feathers. I struck lucky in July 2015 when I spotted a first-summer Baltic Gull at the landfill site, which has been now been accepted by the BBRC.
 |
| New Looking Primaries |
 |
| Second Generation Tail Feathers (Retrices) |
 |
| Open Wing Showing Second Generation Secondaries |
 |
| Another View of The Second Generation Secondaries (note the neat unworn white tips and edges to the secondaries) |