Sunday 19 December 2010

Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) with leucisme

This adult Black-headed Gull was again seen in Aarhus Harbour on December 19, 2010. It has been seen in the central part of Aarhus Harbour for at least 10 winters.




Common Gull (Larus canus) with white mirror in p10 in 1cy plumage

This 1st winter Common Gull was seen in Grenaa Harbour on December 18, 2010. It has a broad white rounded terminal spot or mirror near the tip of p10.








Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) with leucisme

This leucistic Herring Gull with primary pattern and upperparts ghosting normal colorations was seen in the central section of Aarhus Harbour again on December 19, 2010.

Other photos of the same individual are here including a few comments.








Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) with dark 1cy primary pattern

The wing pattern of this 1st winter Black-headed Gull represents the darker range of the individual variation, but yet clearly within already known variation. It was seen in Grenaa Harbour on December 3, 2010.





Common Gull (Larus canus) with unstreaked head in winter

This adult Common Gull was seen at Aarhus Harbour on December 3, 2010. The snow white ‘summer’ head was striking and highly in contrast to all the other Common Gulls with streaked winter heads.














Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) with extensive dusky 'winter streaking'

This 3rd winter Herring Gull was seen at Fjellerup Strand on the north coast of Djursland on December 18, 2010.

The extensive dusky 'winter streaking' created a striking uniform nicotine shawl which together with the dark tertial centre and rather long primary projection gave some degree of smithsonianus impression.

Could someone provide a link to photos illustrating a similar patterned European Herring Gull?



Monday 13 December 2010

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) with leucisme

This leucistic Herring Gull with primary pattern and upperparts ghosting normal colorations was seen in the central section of Aarhus Harbour on December 12, 2010. All photos were taken by Peter Nielsen.

In some of the photos one can get impression of some Kumlien's Gull impressions due to the round head with darker eye and rather long primary projection, but the overall jizz is somewhat of a flat backed, slender gull with large head, rather strong bill, reduced tertial step, reduced white tertial and scapular crescent and without a short and plump body.

There are two coverts on the left side which looks wet, but in fact show a degree of normal pigmentation and thus appear darker then the remaining upperparts.

New photos of the same individual are here including the standing bird and stretched wing.