Caspian Gull - 1st winter, Hole Haven Creek
7th February 2008
This is a particularly easy bird to identify; note the clean strikingly white head, long and low sloping forehead, long, slender all dark bill with the basal third only partially paler grey, the white ground colour, heavie streaking around the lower hind neck, the pale grey scapulars with dark shafts and whitish tips and fringes, the solid dark brown wing coverts with fine pale fringes and tips, the really dark tertials with barely noticeable pale tips; black tail band and strikingly white tail base and the long, thin pasty coloured legs.
.jpg)
Caspian Gull - 1st winter, Hole Haven Creek
7th February 2008
The same bird as above but viewed from the other side. The same features as detailed above are apparant but also note the replaced inner median coverts. Compare also with the 1st-winter Herring Gull to the left of frame and the difference are readily apparent.
.jpg)
Caspian Gulls are being found in the UK with increasing regularity with Hole Haven Creek at the West end of Canvey Island and just south west of Pitsea landfill being the site in Essex, and one of the best sites in the UK, to look for the species. Best times here are from late October through to late March. Time is needed to spent here to stand a chance of locating any Caspian Gulls amongst the huge flocks that gather in the creek and adjacent fields whilst getting the tides and weather right also play a strong factor in scoring. To date in excess of 60 individuals have been found here by myself and a dedicated few. A sample of images are replicated here.
Another good site to look at locally is Paglesham Lagoon with birds coming in from Barling Tip, located on the south side of the River Roach, to bathe and preen. Around 30 or more birds have been seen here including most of Essex's records of juveniles in mid summer. However this site has now been neglected somewhat with the on going success with Hole Haven Creek.
.jpg)
Caspian Gull - 1st winter, Hole Haven Creek
4th March 2008
Clean white head with long, low sloping forehead with small beady eye forward in the face
The pale grey 'saddle' with darker transverse bars, feather shafts, anchor and paler whitish tips
The tertials are very dark, solid brown with white restricted to the tips with extension down the fringe extremely limited
Solid mid brown wing coverts, no barring, with obvious pale fringes and tips, especially to the median and greater coverts, even more especially the greater coverts, to create to obvious pale bars across the folded wing
The white ground colour to the body with only a little pale grey mottling
Very long pale pasty pink legs
Long slender bill with tapered tip and very little in the way of a Gonydeal angle. This bird has a predominantly pale horn coloured bill with dark subterminal band (most 1st year Casps will still have a predominantly dark bill).
The high chest giving the 'holding its breath' appearance
Caspian Gull - 1st winter, Hole Haven Creek 16th February 2008
A small and delicate individual, probably a female;
The head is completely unmarked white ensuring that the small beady eye clearly stands out
The basal two thirds of the parallel sided bill are pale
The wing coverts are typically patterned
A feature of Caspians when seen on the water is they tend to hold their wings up and away from the waters surface creating an almost banana effect
Caspian Gull - 1st winter, Hole Haven Creek
16th February 2008
Same bird as in the previous image; note that this second image is included as it was taken in flatter light than the sun enriched image above.
Caspian Gull - 1st winter, Hole Haven Creek 5th January 2008
A not so 'classic' an individual but all the characteristic's are there. note the followinbg;
Long slender all dark bill with slightly tapering tip and limited Gonydeal angle
Overall white looking head, though not as clean as on other 1st winters of the spcies
General pale whitish ground colour though this bird has quite a lot of grey mottling below though still within range of Caspian Gull.
The scapulars are a little more well marked than typical Caspian Gull and is similar to that seen on michahellis
The wing coverts rule out Herring Gull and have the Caspian pale 'double wing bar' created by pale tips to the rather solid median and greater coverts.
The dark brown tertials are solid with white tips extending only about a third of the way down the outer web
The structure of the bird is quite bulky and perhaps reminiscent of michahellis but is within range of larger male Caspians
Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans
First-years : page 1