I spent the early part of the evening at Shawell again this Wednesday. Once again it was quite productive with a respectable total of nine colour rings being read including three from Norway.
No Caspian Gulls this week, so far, but at least 13 different Yellow-legged Gulls. At least half a dozen were juvenile or first-winter types. The one in the photos below was quite a brute and offered me plenty of wing flap opportunities to photograph. This isn't easy digiscoping, but I did manage to get a few open wing images.
Take a look at the gull in the image below and tell me what it is please. It stood out amongst a gathering of juvenile Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls. It had moulted many of its mantle and scapular feathers, which none of the other juveniles, apart from some of the young Yellow-legged Gulls, had. Also it had a fine bill and long spindly legs. Its advanced state of moult was similar to some of the Yellow-legged Gulls but its jizz (recognisable characters) does not seem to match. Structurally it looks a little like a Caspian Gull, but its plumage doesn't seem right? It appeared slightly more elongated than the other nearby young gulls.
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| J148E Second-calender Year Lesser Black-backed Gull (intermedius) |
No Caspian Gulls this week, so far, but at least 13 different Yellow-legged Gulls. At least half a dozen were juvenile or first-winter types. The one in the photos below was quite a brute and offered me plenty of wing flap opportunities to photograph. This isn't easy digiscoping, but I did manage to get a few open wing images.
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| Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull |
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| Typical Underwing Pattern of 1CY Yellow-legged Gull and also Tail Pattern |
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| Quite a Size Difference |
Take a look at the gull in the image below and tell me what it is please. It stood out amongst a gathering of juvenile Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls. It had moulted many of its mantle and scapular feathers, which none of the other juveniles, apart from some of the young Yellow-legged Gulls, had. Also it had a fine bill and long spindly legs. Its advanced state of moult was similar to some of the Yellow-legged Gulls but its jizz (recognisable characters) does not seem to match. Structurally it looks a little like a Caspian Gull, but its plumage doesn't seem right? It appeared slightly more elongated than the other nearby young gulls.
