Thursday 15 September 2011

1cy Caspian Gull again

I popped in to Dogsthorpe Tip on the way back from Grafham this morning; although there was again a lack of tipping activity and therefore gulls, there were still a couple of hundred birds on the pool. Amongst them, on the very same spit as where I first saw it as a fresh juvenile back on 17th August, was the 1cy Caspian Gull again.

It's fascinating to see how much it has moulted since then (see pics here). As well as the head and body already appearing much paler, note the rapid scapular moult since August, most prominent in the second photo below. The third image is just another showing upperwing pattern; shame I couldn't capture it with the wings at a slightly higher angle to reveal fully that wonderfully pale underwing.

A 1st-w Yellow-legged Gull was also present today.



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