Thursday 23 July 2015

juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls - July photos

So since the last update, it’s been more of the same. On Sunday morning, I had a pretty impressive count of four Yellow-legged Gulls by my flat in Rotherhithe – an adult and three juveniles. I then headed off to Dungeness and spent an enjoyable afternoon with Mick S and Richard S by the fishing boats – 5 Yellow-legged Gulls (an adult and 4 juveniles) and a first-summer Mediterranean Gull the highlights. Having finished for the summer on Tuesday, baiting the local seagulls (that incidentally haven’t attacked me despite all the media hysteria) today and yesterday produced a single Yellow-legged Gull on both days. I also headed to Greenwich yesterday where on the mud by the O2 there were yet more Yellow-legged Gulls – eight in total (two adults, a first-summer and five juveniles). This included an intriguing juvenile, with easily the palest underwing I’d ever seen on the species: -



juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Greenwich 22nd July 2015 - the underwing is most atypical for the species but the tail pattern, tailing off in broadness on the outer rectrices, and chequered greater-coverts are both pro-michahellis features along with the notching on the lower scapulars.
Anyway, some of you may be relieved by what I’m going to say now. There’ll be no gull focused posts for a few weeks as I’m heading off for a bit – but for those of you who’ve enjoyed the juvenile Yellow-legged Gull season here are a few of the highlights since 1st July: -

juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Greenwich 1st July 2015 - first of the season (above two images)
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Greenwich 4th July 2015 
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Dungeness 5th July 2015 - note the dark underwing and barred axillaries
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Dungeness 5th July 2015
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Dungeness 5th July 2015
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Rotherhithe 7th July 2015
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Rotherhithe 8th July 2015 - note the more heavily barred tail compared to the image above; a way of trying to note different individuals on a daily basis
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Greenwich 11th July 2015
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Greenwich 12th July 2015 - a fairly pale looking individual
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Greenwich 12th July 2015
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Greenwich 18th July 2015
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Rotherhithe 18th July 2015
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Rotherhithe 18th July 2015
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Dungeness 19th July 2015
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Dungeness 19th July 2015
juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Dungeness 19th July 2015

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