www.gull-research.org

For about a week now, there is a 4cy Caspian gull that has accompanied the usual 4cy Yellow-legged gull near the ship lock at Oudenaarde, Belgium. Both have shown sporadicly some long-calls, with the Caspian gull once seen in albatros-posture. I'm not really sure if these birds are male and female. The Caspian looks male, but I wonder about the Yellow-legged.

I'm pretty sure that the Caspian gull is the same as the one that has been found in Kluisbergen some months ago (about 10 km to the southwest), which also had some observations closer to Oudenaarde. Marks are: quite a lot of dark on the wingtips with restricted tongues and limited amount of white on the mirrors, even for a 4cy, marks on the bill and a tiny black marking on one or two central tail feathers.
During the winter of 2010-2011 I had some very similar observations of a 2nd winter at that time. It seems to me that this is the same bird, even though the bird was not very advanced in it's 2nd winter, reminding even of a 1st winter, and turned up almost adult-like now in it's 3rd winter with almost no markings in it's tail.

The 4cy Yelllow-legged gull has also been regular, now for it's 3rd consecutive winter near the ship lock.

The rareness of both species in this region allows to follow individuals, although not with a 100% certainty. Following them is time-consuming but interesting and great fun

Pictures are not of high quality, but I like them anyway.

http://vwgvap.waarnemingen.be/waarneming/view/63914316
http://vwgvap.waarnemingen.be/waarneming/view/63878489

Groeten uit Oudenaarde
Nico

I managed to film 2 albatross long-calls of the caspian gull this noon. 2 times it was followed by a display of the yellow-legged.

http://vwgvap.waarnemingen.be/waarneming/view/63923607#

Groeten uit Oudenaarde
Nico

For my experience only Caspian males show albatrossing.

Indeed. I've been following a presumed female with Thayer's pattern in the neighbourhood and never saw her long-calling in albatross-posture.
Some pictures of that bird on:
http://vwgvap.waarnemingen.be/soort/pho ... d=0&page=4
and
http://vwgvap.waarnemingen.be/soort/pho ... d=0&page=3

I've been searching for this couple about every day now and they both seem to have left. The yellow-legged gull was last noted on 26/3 and the caspian on 2/4, both must have left shortly after these dates.

If it was love, it was not everlasting

We know any combination of interbreeding in LWHG, but I don`t know a proven (and successfull) cach x mich mixing yet. All(?) yellowlegged cach-partners in Eastern Central Europe seem to be argentatus. Correct me please, if I am wrong.

Ronald Klein wrote:We know any combination of interbreeding in LWHG, but I don`t know a proven (and successfull) cach x mich mixing yet. All(?) yellowlegged cach-partners in Eastern Central Europe seem to be argentatus. Correct me please, if I am wrong.

it's true that this combination is the least known and let's say least documented hybrid form in the argentatus group but i think greg has some examples of cach x mich from the polish horror cabinet.

He has actually published on this type of interbreeding already:

Neubauer G., Faber M., Zagalska-Neubauer M. 2010. Yellow-legged Gull in Poland: status and separation from yellow-legged Herring Gull and hybrids. Dutch Birding 32:163-170

adriaens wrote:He has actually published on this type of interbreeding already:

Neubauer G., Faber M., Zagalska-Neubauer M. 2010. Yellow-legged Gull in Poland: status and separation from yellow-legged Herring Gull and hybrids. Dutch Birding 32:163-170

wow, i didn't notice this (but in the same way i don't have 'dutch birding'). i'd really love to see photos of the offspring. any pdfs available?

lou