Black headed gulls already in summer plumage??? (1 Viewer)

[Evan Atkinson]

Couldn’t help but notice that the vast majority of the local BHG’s at my school have already gotten the brown summer plumage and it’s not even March yet. Is this unusual? I thought that they get into their breeding plumage in April? Any help appreciated.

Ev

 

[Jon Turner]

Quite a few here too, some misguided souls appear with a full hood in the late autumn, but that's pretty rare.

 

[Richard D]

A lot are on their way down here. Med gulls seem further advanced.

 

[Evan Atkinson]

A lot are on their way down here. Med gulls seem further advanced.

I am fruitlessly scanning for one at my school but the chances of that are very slim. I figure I will see one soon but not here anyways.

 

[pdwinter]

A quick scan along 15 BH Gulls on the roof of the flats opposite gives me 7 with brown hoods!

When there was a Franklin's Gull at Blashford Lakes (Oct/Nov 2014) there were at least 6 BH Gulls (out of 1000s) with brown hoods in the roost so some either lose their hoods late or gain them very early