Monday 31 December 2007

Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea), 1cy, 30.12.2007, Esbjerg Harbor

Found by Ole Zoltan Göller (OZG).





Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides), 1cy, 30.12.2007, Havneby, Rømø

Den unge Hvidvinget Måge ved muslingefabrikken i Havneby på Rømø var et passende ekstra krydderi på en smuk mågedag. Som det fremgår af billederne var fuglen relativt kraftigt proportioneret og havde desuden en for arten forholdsvis stor størrelse sammenlignet med de få Sølvmåger den kort tid rastede sammen med på vaden nord for havnen. Proportioner og størrelsen indikerer, at det formentlig er en han. Fyrværkeri fik pludselig mågerne på vingerne og den Hvidvingede fløj som den eneste mod vest ind over skoven i retning mod Lakolk Strand og Sønderstrand.





Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans), ad, 30.12.2007, Lakolk Strand, Rømø (#1)

This is the first of today’s five different Caspian Gulls at Lakolk on Rømø where four were photo documented and the other three to be seen here, here and here.

Characters in favor of cachinnans are the relative long thin bill without pronounced gonys angle, the black spot above the red gonys area, the relative small and dark eye in a pure snowy white head, the slightly darker upperparts than on nearby argentatus and the good cachinnans jizz with a high push up breast, small head, flat back and slender elongated rear with long primary projection. Additionally the small white apical spots are good for cachinnans as is the all white tip of p10.

Seen on location but without documentation was pale yellowish and relative long thin legs (seen when the bird was standing), broad black band on p5 and classic grey tongues on outer primaries surrounded by a black cachinnans boomerang (created by the black primary markings seen from underneath when flying off).




Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans), ad, 30.12.2007, Lakolk Strand, Rømø (#2)

This is the second of today’s five different Caspian Gulls at Lakolk on Rømø where four were photo documented and the other three to be seen here, here and here.

Characters in favor of cachinnans are the relative long thin bill without pronounced gonys angle, the black spot above the red gonys area, the relative small and darkish eye in a pure snowy white head, the slightly darker upperparts than on nearby argentatus and the good cachinnans jizz with a push up breast, small head, flat back and slender elongated rear with long primary projection. Additionally the small white apical spots are good for cachinnans as is the all white tip of p10.

Seen on location but without documentation was pale yellowish and relative long thin legs (seen when the bird was standing), broad black band on p5 and classic grey tongues on outer primaries surrounded by a black cachinnans boomerang (created by the black primary markings seen from underneath when flying off).



Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans), ad, 30.12.2007, Lakolk Strand, Rømø (#3)

This is the third of today’s five different Caspian Gulls at Lakolk on Rømø where four were photo documented and the other three to be seen here, here and here.

Characters in favor of cachinnans are the relative long thin bill without pronounced gonys angle and a black spot above the red gonys area, the relative small and darkish eye in a pure snowy white head, the slightly darker upperparts than on nearby argentatus and the good cachinnans jizz with a push up breast, small head, flat back and slender elongated rear with long primary projection. Additionally the small white apical spots are good for cachinnans as is the all white tip of p10. On the yawning gull the bare part colour in the opened bill is spot on cachinnans being orangey-yellow at the base of the mandibles where the colour is typical blood red in michahellis and light pink in argentatus.

Seen on location but without documentation was pale yellowish and relative long thin legs (seen when the bird was standing), broad black band on p5 and classic grey tongues on outer primaries surrounded by a black cachinnans boomerang (created by the black primary markings seen from underneath when flying off).



Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans), 4cy, 30.12.2007, Lakolk Strand, Rømø

This is the fourth of today’s five different Caspian Gulls at Lakolk on Rømø where four were photo documented and the other three to be seen here, here and here.

Except for the immature looking bill with red gonys spot just about to develop and large dark subterminal band this could well be an adult female. Characters in favor of cachinnans are the relative long thin bill without pronounced gonys angle, the relative small and darkish eye in a all white head and the good cachinnans jizz with a push up breast, small head and slender elongated rear with long primary projection. Additionally the small white apical spots are good for cachinnans.

Seen on location but without documentation was pale yellowish and relative long thin legs (seen when the bird was standing), broad black band on p5 and black spot even on p4, all white tip of p10 and classic grey tongues on outer primaries surrounded by a black cachinnans boomerang (created by the black primary markings seen from underneath when flying off).


Saturday 29 December 2007

Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans), 4cy, 23.12.2007, Stubbe Sø

Vel vidende at billederne er i en udpræget dogmekvalitet. Men ikke desto mindre fornemmes og ses flere afgørende detaljer. Bestemmelsen bygger på følgende karakterer mv. med kun nogle synlige på billederne. Fuglen var i vinterdragt med nakkeboa, havde hvidt hoved, slank og lang hals, langstrakt hoved og slank krop med langstrakt profil bagtil med smal og lang hånd. Desuden var ryg mørkere end hos Sølvmåger omkring og den sorte tegning i hånden dannede en boomerang set nedefra grundet sort ind til p4 og grå tunger ud i hånden på inderste faner, hvide spidser på yderste svingfjer små, hvidt spejl afsnøret fra hvid spids på p10. Liggende på vandet gav fuglen associationer til Tyndnæbbet Måge grundet slank og langstrakt profil både fortil og bagtil, fuglen badede meget og baskede hyppigt med vinger, hvor vinger virkede smalle og lange, specielt synes jeg ældre Kaspisk sammenlignet med Sølvmåge typisk giver indtryk af at have en meget smal hånd.






Monday 10 December 2007

Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus), 1cy, 8.12.2007, Skagen Harbor

Hele dagen blev brugt i Skagen Havn, hvor mågerne blev grundigt gennemgået. Sidst på eftermiddagen kom Gråmågen ind og stillede sig kort tid på den lange mole øst for Fiskerihavnen. Solen var gået ned, hvorfor lyset var stærkt aftagende som det fremgår af billedet. Fuglen er sandsynligvis samme som har holdt til i Skagensområdet i længere tid.

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis), ad, 30.10.2007, Aarhus East Harbor

This Yellow-legged Gull has fine needle-thin winter streaks in head centered especially around the eyes, heavy bill with strong colours and red gonys spot reaching lower edge of upper mandible, red orbital ring and warm yellowish iris, strong head profile, warm yellow legs, darker upperparts than argentatus in direct comparison, slender and long-winged appearance with elongated body profile. There is a black band crossing p5 seen on location but without documentation and p10 has a small black spot on outer edge where the white mirror normally is isolated from the white apical spot. P10 has also black extending fare down the feather towards the primary coverts on the underwing without the grey tongue on the inner web which suites just michahellis perfect. P9 is the longest primary on the folded wing because p10 is not yet fully grown. The fresh primaries have smaller white apical spots than the average argentatus and the tip of p6 extends further beyond the longest tertials than seen on most argentatus adding to the long-winged appearance of this species.





Sunday 9 December 2007

Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans), ad, 9.12.2007, Kjul Strand, Hirtshals

This Caspian Gull has relative long pale yellowish legs. Most often when seeing cachinnans the thinner legs and the longer tibia compared to argentatus is quite obvious. The eye is relative dark and when seen at some distance due to colour and small size it stood out in contrast to argentatus. The bill is relative long and without pronounced gonys angle. It has a good cachinnans jizz with high push up breast and long slim elongated rear. Additionally the upperparts are slightly darker than nearby argentatus.

In flight the hand is slender and when seen from underneath the black primary markings create a classic cachinnans boomerang because of the extensive grey tongues, black reaching p5 with a broad black band and p10 has all white outer tip. The white apical spots are all relative small.




Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), 3cy, 9.12.2007, Kjul Strand, Hirtshals

Comments on ID at birdforum






Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 3cy

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), 3cy, 26.1.2008, Aarhus East Harbor, 1 photo


Friday 7 December 2007

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis), ad, 28.11.2007, Aarhus East Harbor

This Yellow-legged Gull has fine needle-thin winter streaks in a rather whitish head, heavy bill with strong colours and red gonys spot reaching lower edge of upper mandible, yellowish iris, strong and round head profile on swimming bird, darker upperparts than argentatus in direct comparison, slender and long-winged appearance with elongated body profile. The fresh primaries have smaller white apical spots than the average argentatus and the tip of p6 extends further beyond the longest tertials than seen on most argentatus and p10 is the longest primary on folded wing adding to the long-winged appearance of this species.

It is only the second record of Yellow-legged Gull in Aarhus Harbor this autumn and the same individual was most likely relocated and photo documented by Stephan Skaarup Lund (SSL) on December 1 on the East Harbor and Rune Sø Neergaard together with Erik Dylmer (EDY) on December 6 near DLG also on the East Harbor with photos to be seen here og here.

Note that in some of the photos there is also another local rarity with a potential 3rd winter Western Lesser Black-backed Gull (L. f. graellsii) which was found on the site November 27 by Rune Sø Neergaard (RSN).






Thursday 6 December 2007

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis), 1cy, 24.8.2007, Hassensør, Ebeltoft

En sjælden dragt i Jylland. Fuglen fouragerede på kysten og kunne med håndkikkert nydes i lang tid på relativ kort afstand. Fuglen blev fotograferet og dokumenteret med 100mm objektiv.

Fuglen er en juvenil Middelhavssølvmåge og ret klassisk med hensyn til proportioner og dragtdetaljer. Den aktuelle fjerdragt kan give associationer til samme aldersklasse hos såvel Sildemåge (L. fuscus graelsii/intermedius) som Kaspisk Måge (L. cachinnans) om end flere karakterer taler direkte imod. Hoved og næb er lige lovligt kraftigt til en Sildemåge. På den flyvende fugl ses på vingeoversiden et svagt lysere vindue i de inderste håndsvingfjer i kraft af deres grå tunger på inderste fjerfaner. Hos juvenil Sildemåge er oversiden af vingen mere ensfarvet og mørkere uden lyst panel i de inderste håndsvingfjer. For fuldstændighedens skyld kan tilføjes, at juvenil Kaspisk Måge har tydeligt større udbredt lyst panel i de inderste håndsvingfjer og ofte er en anelse lysere i overvingen, eftersom fjerene bleges og slides hurtigere end hos Sildemåge.

Det er værd at bemærke, at fuglen har relativt lys hals og hoved med mørk maske omkring øjnene. Halen er overvejende lys med et rimeligt skarpt afsat mørkt halebånd yderst, der giver associationer i retning af ung Stormmåge. Fuglen var langt overvejende i juvenil dragt med undtagelse af ganske få fjer fortil på ryggen, hvilke var fældet og erstattet med en nyere generation.





Fuglen kunne nærstuderes i længere til, mens den fouragerede på stranden og jeg forsøgte at dokumentere den med kameraet i min mobiltelefon igennem håndkikkert. Det blev noget lort. Til sidst fik en hundelufter mågerne til at flyve ud på vandet, hvorefter jeg blot for at have lidt dokumentation for en sjælden dragt i Jylland tog de viste billeder med mit objektiv til makrofotografering.