Saturday 2 March 2013

Back to British gulling again

It didn't take me long to shift from the Thayer's and Glaucous-winged Gulls of California back to Caspian Gulls. On the tip today there were three of these beasts from the east, all 1st-winters, including a large, well-marked and showy bird that seemed to want to be an albatross at times when long calling, as well as generally just being agressive towards whatever got in its way: -





The other two birds were not quite as showy, and were less well-marked on the scapulars with one bird having much fresher, retained tertials too. There was also this guy, a Herring Gull (potentially a 2nd-winter on bare part colouration) lacking pretty much all of its pigmentation: -
And then, having been watching the Mew Gulls in Golden Gate Park exactly a week ago, closer than usual scruting was given to Common Gulls. Lots of variation in size, structure and moult. Here are a couple of proper retards: -
1st-winter

2nd-winter

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