1st winter from Austria

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WolfgangSchweighofer
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1st winter from Austria

Post by WolfgangSchweighofer » Sun Feb 14, 2010 9:54 pm

Good evening,
today I had a 1st winter LBBG on ice (river Donau) near Krems. I noticed it because of structurally features, I´m not experienced with this plumage, looks rather pale to me and different to Michal´s bird from Poland. What´s about the subspecies?
In the right a classical 1st winter YLG.

Wolfgang
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Ruud Altenburg
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Re: 1st winter from Austria

Post by Ruud Altenburg » Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:20 am

Hallo Wolfgang

have you completely excluded Caspian Gull, because structurally it's more in line with that species... Cheers

Ruud

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WolfgangSchweighofer
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Re: 1st winter from Austria

Post by WolfgangSchweighofer » Mon Feb 15, 2010 6:10 pm

This day I have seen hundreds of CG. If this one is a CG too, it would be a very strange one for me :?
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Ruud Altenburg
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Re: 1st winter from Austria

Post by Ruud Altenburg » Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:40 pm

A double wing bar (median and greater coverts) is not something I expect to see in a LBBG. Normally a LBBG should look (much) darker than a YLG, not paler!

lou bertalan
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Re: 1st winter from Austria

Post by lou bertalan » Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:10 pm

hi wolfgang,

a rather well marked female caspian gull would get my vote too. a similarly dark bird hang around here some weeks ago. caspian traits are the scapular pattern (more linear, less transversal), several 2nd gen. lesser coverts, some innner greater coverts, pale tips to median and greater coverts forming the double bar mentioned by ruud, bill shape, length of legs, bump behind legs, pale head with strong hindneck streaking (often more extensive in daark individuals), while the smudge in front of the eye got to be staining with dirt.

all the best,

lou

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WolfgangSchweighofer
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Re: 1st winter from Austria

Post by WolfgangSchweighofer » Wed Feb 17, 2010 5:02 pm

Hi Ruud and Lou,
thanks for explaination and correction. I had picked out the bird very promptly because of it´s jizz, tiny bill etc.
But okay, the pattern (and moult) of the upperpart plumage fits well for Caspian.
So no LBBG this winter, but a few of them in last years. Like this one exactly 5 years earlier (13-2-2005) in Wörth - so it´s possible...
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Ruud Altenburg
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Re: 1st winter from Austria

Post by Ruud Altenburg » Wed Feb 17, 2010 8:52 pm

Was something wrong with the wing or was it actively moulting?!

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WolfgangSchweighofer
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Re: 1st winter from Austria

Post by WolfgangSchweighofer » Wed Feb 17, 2010 9:17 pm

For me the bird has old primaries and the new ones are just growing. Looked strange for me in February but at that time there was nobody to ask...

Ruud Altenburg
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Re: 1st winter from Austria

Post by Ruud Altenburg » Wed Feb 17, 2010 9:38 pm

It's pretty normal for fuscus but not in Austria!

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italianbirder
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Re: 1st winter from Austria

Post by italianbirder » Wed Feb 17, 2010 9:38 pm

I would agree for a Baltic Gull in the last photo...
Menotti Passarella
Italy
http://gabbianigulls.blogspot.com/

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