1st winter from Austria

[WolfgangSchweighofer]

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

[Ruud Altenburg]

Hallo Wolfgang

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

Ruud

[WolfgangSchweighofer]

This day I have seen hundreds of CG. If this one is a CG too, it would be a very strange one for me

[Ruud Altenburg]

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]

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

[WolfgangSchweighofer]

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...

[Ruud Altenburg]

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

[WolfgangSchweighofer]

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]

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

[italianbirder]

I would agree for a Baltic Gull in the last photo...