Thursday, September 24, 2020

Gull I.D. Please

 This gull was on its own up at Lower Gorple the other evening. Phone scoped in poor light on the far bank so not great quality.

I've got it down as a 2nd year Lesser black-backed but could be wrong. Looking in me books, I also had  a little niggling doubt it could be a Caspian gull, can anyone confirm ID please, cheers, Phil



 

6 comments:

David Sutcliffe said...

I'm still puzzling this one as well Phil !

Phil D said...

Cheers Dave,it certainly looks to have a couple of Caspian gull features.

I sent it Nick Tuesday evening but he couldn't view it, so I've sent it DF who's going to have a look with Nick this weekend.

Also waiting on JB to get back to me, hopefully we'll have a definitive answer soon.

heavy birder said...

Phil I still can not play it can you send me a still taken from the video, a side on view.

Cheers Nick D

heavy birder said...

My guess would be second winter yellow-legged gull although I could be wrong, the more you study gulls the harder them seem to get. Don't think Caspian.

Mick C said...

Agree nick

Phil D said...

Thanks chaps, out of curiosity, I put it on Birdforum.net this morning, I've only had one reply so far, this is it....


"hard if not impossible to ID. structure (body and head shape) doesn't strike me as being caspian. i'd call it a smooth patterned 2nd cycle herring gull or possibly a YLG"


...he appears to be in agreement with you Nick, cheers