30th November 2012

Ol’ Andy Deighton set the ball rolling t’other day. He found a loverly adult Caspian Gull. The new ‘spot’ for loafing is on waste ground in the middle of the former industrial heartland. You have to negotiate looking through metal fencing or (for short- arsed me) stand tiptoe on nearby wall. But its worth it.

This afternoon amoung the argies’ (argentatus) of all ages – some no doubt from Varanger, a few highlights could be found:

Adult Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull, Neepsend, Sheffield, 30.11.12. This bird also had nice long white tongue on p10 and just looked gorgeous. A wee video of the same bird having a good burp:

2nd winter Caspian Gull

All the plumage is bang -on including little pale mirror on p10. It just looks incredibly short-legged. The belly feathering is somewhat droopy-looking. Any challenges on the ID?

2nd winter Caspian Gull, Neepsend, Sheffield, 30.11.12.

1st winter Yellow-legged Gull

I think these are still largely overlooked, inland, in the UK, in winter… Can you see why it is one?

1st winter Yellow-legged Gull, Neepsend, Sheffield, 30.11.12.

update 2.12.12. As some folk questioned the identity of the 1st winter michahelis above, here a video of the same bird. 3 more showing various aspects of the bird on the same channel on YouTube

JNA5 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Adult intermedius LBB Gull. This guy’s an old friend.  Now over 13 years old, hatched in southern Norway in 1999. Read more about him/her here

Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull – JX261

Juvenile GBB Gull ring number JX261 photographed at Neepsend, Sheffield on 3oth Nov. 2012, but from where?…

Fast track Update

Thanks to very swift response from Morten Helberg (also a collaborator on the Arctic Gullfest) we know this juv. GBB Gull was ringed on 6th August 2012 and has traveled 2206 km to reach urban Sheffield. See Morten’s comments below.  It was ringed here. Scroll back on the map to see where it is. Very cool.