So far…
Up to 4 different Caspian Gulls (2 adults, a 2nd winter and now a 1st winter) are in the Sheffield area. They are often loafing on a cleared industrial site only 15 minutes walk (4 minutes drive) from my house. So it’s quite a wee Christmas cachinnans fest. Here are 3 of them:
1st winter Caspian Gull (in the middle), Neepsend, Sheffield, 17th December 2012
and showing a nice white underwing:
1st winter Caspian Gull, Neepsend, Sheffield, 17th December 2012
Adult Caspian Gull, Neepsend, Sheffield, 17th December 2012 (above 2 photos by Andy Deighton). How different same bird can appear in different views.
Video of same bird:
Adult Caspian Gull (pause video to see details when wing spreads, far side), Neepsend, Sheffield, 17th December 2012
2nd winter Caspian Gull, Neepsend, Sheffield, 15th December 2012
and one I saw the other day that smelt a bit like 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull michahellis)- at least enough to make me look carefully for more details. Unfortunately it was at the back of the flock and stayed sat down, so no other details seen (e.g. wing and tail). I got few seconds of video and left it.
What do you think?
Dark mask, stubby bill with a (more or less) pronounced gonys, tertial pattern and that call look a lot better for mich than for cach but I would also like to exclude Herring from the balticuum…
should read -that complicated pattern on the new scapulars look a lot better for mich-
haste, never leads to anything…
Pim
I agree with Pim for his suggestion on Yellow-legged, also with a good headshape for that sp. We are not able to see the pattern on the outer greater coverts. However, the impression of barred scapulars and the covert pattern together with short looking primary projection and perhaps the pattern of the edge of the lower tertial gves impression of Herring. Wouldn’t it be nice to see some more of this gull, streached wing.