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2cy Yellow-legged Gulls, February 20th

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 6:02 pm
by Cristian Mihai
Location: Herastrau Park.

Re: 2cy Yellow-legged Gulls, February 20th

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 7:24 pm
by lou bertalan
salut cristian,

again some interesting individuals here (actually with each of your photo sessions in bucharest):

P2208990mm/P2208986/P2208952mm (first 3 pics) looks like a caspian to me inspite of the slightly hanging gonys, rel. strong curved upper mandible at tip for a caspian, the boldly marked scaps, angular head shape and the apparently tapering tail band (all things that one might associate with mich). but diffuse patterned inner greater coverts with wide pale tips and structure (see bump behind legs) are strong caspian pointers. nice if it was ringed ;); also the more rhomboidal shape of scaps marks, not the thick double anchors of typical YLG are more caspoid.
- one of those 1st winters with mixed characters. other opinions?



P2209047mm looks like a petite female micha despite the plain (prob. 3rd generation) upper scaps.

P2208795mm the GBBG with a 2cy YLG

P2209076mm is another odd bird: well striated head and neck (but pencil thin, not as bold as usually in herring gulls) and then again a very diffuse scpular pattern.

P2209129mm this one at least looks like one would like to see a 2cy YLG in late winter, early spring.

P2209117mm this the one i mentioned in "gulls" (birdforum), 2 more pics here: http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p ... count=1321 and 2 more here: http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p ... count=1318.
note pale base to bill (like in many 1st winter YLG from bucharest) and paler getting iris.

best wishes,

lou

Re: 2cy Yellow-legged Gulls, February 20th

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:59 pm
by Cristian Mihai
Salut Lou and Hi everybody,

I posted three pics with the first bird because it looks odd in my eyes too. But if it is a Caspian, it's an unusual one, at least for me...