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Odd Caspian in Varna, Bulgaria. January 28th, 2010.

Cheers!
Gabi

hi gabi

that's a beautiful female of a dark type caspian gull with plain pattern. i have come across (mostly by fopllowing up recent pics) quite a few of these pretty dark types during the past winter, but this one's really a beauty with its plain costume. note rusty tone of juvenile coverts contrasting to the cold grey in 2nd gen. MC, inner GC and scaps. these fully black centered scapulars (rhomboidal/diamond shape) seem to be typical of these types. also underparts look fully moulted 2nd gen grey contrasting to white head.

this one's from stuttgart, jan 2010:
download/file.php?id=672
download/file.php?id=673
download/file.php?id=674

thanks for showing

lou

Hi Lou!

Interestingly, this bird had a very dark underwing, but the final jizz obviously points to cachinnans. I didn't expect to find such a high amount of Caspians in Bulgaria. The aim of my trip (to check variations among pure cachinanns) is totally acomplished.

Cheers!!
Gabi

"I didn't expect to find such a high amount of Caspians in Bulgaria"

I'm not surprised about this - the western coast of the Black Sea is a good location for Caspian Gulls during the winter.

And during spring or autumn?

even better, as most of them migrate further south. however hey gather near/in lagoons for night roost and can be surprisingly scarce even in the main migration months (march/april, september/october) at the coast itself in bulgaria or at the romanian black sea coast south of constanta. in lagoons i have found roosts of >5000 though (september).

Lou,

I'm going to ask you for the best places in Spring and Autumn to photograph Caspians at close range (just like in Varna, this winter)

I travel to Bulgaria twice a year, and want to take the most of my trips. But I need close distances for my Canon 100-400mm, My next trip is expected in June or September.

I hope you and other members can help me, because I found scarce info about gulls in Bulgaria.


Cheers and many thanks!
Gabi

Nice to see a bird here being called cachinnans and showing a large eye, where the ID bird of Albert Cama is dismissed as cachinnans because of its large eye...
Any chance this bird above may be from barabensis/ heuglini grounds?

Theo

Theo Muusse wrote:Nice to see a bird here being called cachinnans and showing a large eye, where the ID bird of Albert Cama is dismissed as cachinnans because of its large eye...
Any chance this bird above may be from barabensis/ heuglini grounds?

Theo

That was my thought to. However, seems a bit on the pale side on the second (or third) generation scapulars for either ssp and probably to advanced for heuglini.

Jan