Viking or pure Glaucous?

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Peter Stronach
Posts:1
Joined:Mon Sep 26, 2016 12:57 pm
Viking or pure Glaucous?

Post by Peter Stronach » Tue Sep 27, 2016 8:27 pm

Hi all,

just wondering whether you could give opinions on the attached photos. This is a 2CY gull that has been reported as a Glaucous Gull and has been at Ullapool on the west coast of Scotland since the 2015/16 winter and is still present. The new scapulars, the bill pattern and the breast feathering seem strange to me, and I was wondering whether it is a Viking Gull?.

All photos are taken this year and are dated so you can see the progression, thanks for any help,

Peter Stronach
Attachments
april 18th andy williams.jpg
april 18th andy williams.jpg (69.7KiB)Viewed 11894 times
april 18th andy williams..jpg
april 18th andy williams..jpg (52.25KiB)Viewed 11894 times
april 18th andy williams...jpg
april 18th andy williams...jpg (45.41KiB)Viewed 11894 times
march 23rd richard rafe.jpg
march 23rd richard rafe.jpg (67.77KiB)Viewed 11894 times
july 2nd richard rafe.jpg
july 2nd richard rafe.jpg (176.87KiB)Viewed 11894 times
feb 21st andy williams.jpg
feb 21st andy williams.jpg (811.13KiB)Viewed 11894 times
august 29th steve percival.jpg
august 29th steve percival.jpg (525.5KiB)Viewed 11894 times
april 23rd colin bushell.jpg
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april 23rd colin bushell..jpg
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marsmuusse
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Joined:Sun Sep 27, 2009 12:43 pm

Re: Viking or pure Glaucous?

Post by marsmuusse » Tue Jan 17, 2017 3:33 pm

Hi Peter,

I opted for pure Glaucous at the very first glance of the first image, due to the overall plumage colour and small beady eye centrally placed in the head. However, I don't think it is pure. The dividing line on the bill is rather blurry and the pattern plus extent of moulted 2nd gen scaps recalls Herring. Also there seems to be a bit too much patterning on the primaries, although this is variable in Glaucous and darker birds are all over the web.

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