1st Winter Herring or Yellow Leg? (1 Viewer)

[timmyjones]

Hi,

Saw this bird yesterday at Upton Warren NR, initial thoughts were that it was a Herring Gull but the paler upper parts and all dark bill got me thinking that it could be a Yellow Legged Gull. When in flight an al neat dark tail band was noted. So I rattled off a few poor digiscoping attempts which I'll attach to the bottom here.

Let me know what you think, cheers.

 

[upstarts1979]

Tim what did you see on the wings ie inner primaries

 

[timmyjones]

John I didn't notice anything standing out on the wing when it flew was just a plain brown wing.

 

[HH75]

Hi there,
While it is very difficult to say for sure from these images, I am getting more of a Lesser Black-backed Gull impression from this, to be honest. Some birds can be confusingly similar to Yellow-legged Gull, especially in spring once the partial spring moult has begun: birds can gain a quite white-headed impression.
For me, I would like this to have a few obvious second generation coverts or innermost tertials to be a 'good' Yellow-legged: though I appreciate that some 1st-winter birds can lack these, the majority do attain at least some second generation coverts in the post-juvenile moult in their first autumn. The structure, while there is some overlap, seems to fit Lesser Black-backed better (perhaps a male, as it seems a bit 'bulky', but I would not like to sex a lone gull for certain), the scapulars seem a bit darker-fringed than those of a typical Yellow-legged of this age, and the underparts are perhaps a little on the dark side for this species also. Herring Gull should differ in having shorter primaries, more 'barred' greater coverts, paler scapulars and so on, also there would usually be at least some hint of pale at the bill base by now.
Regards,
Harry

 

[timmyjones]

Hi Harry,

Thanks for a very constructive post! When in flight this bird showed the pale grey of a Herring along the back not the dark grey of Lesser so its defiantly a Herring/Yellow Legged. Thanks for an explanation about what is going on over the back, I think it shall have to go down as a funny Herring Gull. The all dark bill definatly seems good for YLG but the darkness on the underside etc seem to be against it.

Looks like I'll have to keep a better eye out in future and make more detailed notes.