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Great Black-backed Gull, Vlissingen - harbour

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:29:59 +0100

Great Black-backed Gull, Vlissingen - harbour

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:27:51 +0100

Iceland Gull, Neeltje Jans - strand

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:03:08 +0100

Iceland Gull, Katwijk

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:01:24 +0100

Iceland Gull, Den Haag - De Stede

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:00:01 +0100

Iceland Gull, Biezelingsche Ham

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:40:08 +0100

Interesting plumage to ageing, but I guess it's a 4th winter / 5cy. In most respect it looks like a full adult, there's only some pale brown wash on the upper-wing coverts and two dark bars at the undertail-coverts. The underwing-coverts are complete white and unmarked. Note the black marks of oil at p9 & p10 in the left wing.

Iceland Gull, Brouwersdam

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:20:00 +0100

Probably a female, note the small bill. Typical for this age are the pale brownish wash at the upperwing-coverts, primary-coverts, primaries and the rectrices. The underwing-coverts (especially the lesser coverts) are brownish colored. The neck, breast and flanks are faintly dark-mottled. And the dull greenish bill shows a typical black subterminal band and lacks red of the gonys-spot.

Caspian Gull, Westkapelle - sea dike

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:41:47 +0100

Foraging on the beach during sand supplention, in the same group as this typical 1cy Caspian Gull.

Caspian Gull, Westkapelle - sea dike

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:29:17 +0100

In every respect a very typical and beautiful 1cy Caspian Gull. This bird has replaced nearly all scapulars to second generation feathers, all other coverts are still juvenile. The coverts are white-edged and show hardly any barring. The median and especially the greater coverts have white tips. The under-wing coverts become very white coloured. The inner five primaries of the long wing have a pale inner and a dark outer web, in a spread wing creating a "Venetian blind", Also note the pale "apical spots" on the outer webs of P2-3.

Herring Gull, Westkapelle - sea dike

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:06:24 +0100

2nd winter herring gull, showing lots of characters of Smithsonian Gull (Larus smithsonianus). Present at Westkapelle briefly on the morning of the 25th October. Pim Wolf and I saw this bird under very poor conditions (rain, low clouds, more rain, no light etc..). The bird loafed in a large group of Herring Gulls (both argenteus and argentatus of various age groups), Lesser and Greater Black-backed Gulls and a few Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls. After a time we lost the bird in the large group of gulls and we did not see it again today, despite a lot of searching!. Personally I think it's a good candidate for smitsonianus, according to this table and the article written by Pat Lonergan & Killian Mullarney, this individual reaches a nice score of features!

1. The dense brownish colouration on the lower hindneck and upper mantle, extending onto the underparts. Note that the colouration in the neck looks like a dark solid brown shawl.
2. The tertials are very dark centred with only a white top and no white markings along the edges.
3. Undertail-coverts, nicely barred, could be slightly denser and more regular for a "classic" bird.
4. Uppertail-coverts, not seen.
5. The pattern of the bill resembling to that of immature Glaucous Gull. The base is flesh-pinkish coloured with a black tip.
6. No mirror(s) on outer primaries.
7. Underwing; again, we did not see that today.
8. most of the greater coverts are uniform dark brownish without any clear barring.
9. T6 (r6) is completely dark, even the outer web.

Yellow-legged Gull, Westkapelle - sea dike

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:14:44 +0100

Yellow-legged Gull, Westkapelle - sea dike

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:06:57 +0100

A lot of scapulars are replaced by second generation feathers, the wing-coverts and tertials are all still juvenile. Note the dark marked shins and some unclear pink markings on the bill.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Westkapelle - sea dike

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:42:55 +0100

Overview of some adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls ringed by Norman van Swelm. The first picture (red E738) is taken on 30 August 2007. The second picture (green ECKS) is taken on 2 September 2009. The third picture (yellow E864) is taken on 6 October 2009. The fourth picture (green EV62) is taken on 22 October 2008. The fifth picture (orange E739) is taken on 26 October 2007. And the last picture (orange E186) is taken on 3 November 2007.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Westkapelle - sea dike

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:32:24 +0100

Interesting individual, presumed intermedius. Note the adult like bill pattern, some dark black scapulars & greater coverts and the second generation tail feathers. Also the legs have a yellowish hue and note the well marked under-wing pattern. The primary moult is not fast as well, only p1-2 are moulted to second generation primaries, p3 is absent and the worn p4-p10 are still present.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Westkapelle - sea dike

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:21:08 +0100

4/5cy Lesser Black-backed Gull with some traces of oil on the head. Doesn't look like a full adult by the black on the gonys and dull yellow leg color.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Westkapelle - sea dike

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:08:01 +0100

Ringed in United Kingdom. Primary p1-2 are new, pP3-4 are missing and p5-p10 are still old.

Caspian Gull, Barneveld - Landfill

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:20:26 +0100

Caught and ringed as 1cy in 2008 in Denmark, in 2009 seen in Harderwijk and now at the dump of Barneveld. The dull yellowish bill become adult-like with traces of red on the gonys. Some wing coverts shows brown immature markings. On the flight pictures note the dark markings in the rectrices. The alula feathers and greater primary coverts are well dark brown marked. Unlike adult Caspian Gulls the top of p10 is not complete white but the mirror is separated by a black subterminal band. And also there is a small mirror on p9.

Herring Gull, Barneveld - Landfill

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:09:21 +0100

Pictures of a contrastingly patterned argentatus from Estland. Note the missing p1 in the left wing. A few inner greater coverts and upper tertials are recently replaced by new third generation feathers. The tail is complete moulted to second generation. The new scapulars are not plain adult-like grey as in most argenteus, but the scapulars are moulted to third generation feathers which strongly resemble the second generation feathers. Consequently, 3cy argentatus may look very delayed in their moult, compared to argenteus in mixed groups and they can sometimes be mistaken for 2cy birds. The bill is immature pink colored with a broad black band on the gonys which a bit reminiscent to the bill pattern shown by Glaucous Gulls.

Herring Gull, Barneveld - Landfill

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:42:50 +0100

Pictures of an adult Baltic Herring Gull from Finland. On the first picture note the head and bill shape, the fine dark streaked head and the pale yellowish leg color. On the second and last picture note the primary pattern which show a combination of features to exclude adult Yellow-legged Gulls; The white of the tip on p10 merges with the mirror and the subterminal band is nearly complete absent, only a small black spot on the edge of the inner web and near the shaft of the outer web. P5 lacks a black subterminal band, only some black on the inner web. The black on the outer primaries is very reduced both on upper as underside, especially on p6-p9 which show large grey tongues.

Great Black-backed Gull, Westkapelle - sea dike

iesmeulmeester@solcon.nl(Ies Meulmeester) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:18:11 +0100

A 1cy Great Black-backed Gull from Norway in complete fresh juvenile plumage.