thanks for that thought it might be to good to be true cheers
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Jan 6 1:26 AM, 2013
None of the links worked for me Karl so I looked up your Flickr site
One of the in-flight shots seems to portray the true bill/leg colour best for me (judging other known colour hues of the species), as a paler orange colour (the swimming shot looks heavily lightened, judging by the colour of the primaries at least). Either way, its quite normal for Black-headed Gulls, particularly of this bird's first winter age, to have paler bare part (bill and legs) colouration and everything else about this bird is spot on for that species too.
Slender-billed Gulls are a very different looking bird indeed, especially around the shape of the head, neck and bill. Plus of course they have a pale eye (iris). It's always better considering the commoner options first Karl than the extremely rare ones but it rightly also always pays to ask first too if you're not sure.
Oh, and you might want to double check the identities of your Tree Pipit and female Ring Ouzel photos
Karl Bishop said
Sun Jan 6 1:00 AM, 2013
Hello
the yellow legs and yellow bill with black tip
there where black-headed gulls there as well, thats why it stood out to me (black-headed gulls have red legs and red bill with black tip)
did you look at the pictures from the links i posted ?
cheers
Karl
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Jan 6 12:43 AM, 2013
May I ask what makes you think this bird might be a Slender-billed Gull Karl? What features of it bring you to that identification and more importantly I suppose, why is it not a Black-headed Gull?
Karl Bishop said
Sat Jan 5 4:27 PM, 2013
Hello
Not sure this is the right place to ask for bird ID if not let me know Links below to a 3 photos of a gull on pearsons flash about 1.30 today Im not very good on Gulls (or waders for that matter)
Closest i can find according to collins bird guide is a 1st winter slender-billed gull but thats a rarity........ please correct me if im wrong
thought it might be to good to be true
cheers
One of the in-flight shots seems to portray the true bill/leg colour best for me (judging other known colour hues of the species), as a paler orange colour (the swimming shot looks heavily lightened, judging by the colour of the primaries at least). Either way, its quite normal for Black-headed Gulls, particularly of this bird's first winter age, to have paler bare part (bill and legs) colouration and everything else about this bird is spot on for that species too.
Slender-billed Gulls are a very different looking bird indeed, especially around the shape of the head, neck and bill. Plus of course they have a pale eye (iris). It's always better considering the commoner options first Karl than the extremely rare ones but it rightly also always pays to ask first too if you're not sure.
Oh, and you might want to double check the identities of your Tree Pipit and female Ring Ouzel photos
the yellow legs and yellow bill with black tip
there where black-headed gulls there as well, thats why it stood out to me (black-headed gulls have red legs and red bill with black tip)
did you look at the pictures from the links i posted ?
cheers
Karl
Not sure this is the right place to ask for bird ID if not let me know
Links below to a 3 photos of a gull on pearsons flash about 1.30 today
Im not very good on Gulls (or waders for that matter)
Closest i can find according to collins bird guide is a 1st winter slender-billed gull but thats a rarity........ please correct me if im wrong
http://flic.kr/p/dHTbAm
http://flic.kr/p/dHMJzK#
http://flic.kr/p/dHTbuf
Thanks
New to this ..............this should of gone to the wigan flashes bit
Sorry
-- Edited by karl on Saturday 5th of January 2013 04:30:05 PM