Caspian Gull - moulting first-year to second-year, Undisclosed location, Essex 11th November 2010
Aged as second-winter as now showing replaced median and lesser coverts and inner greater covert and scapulars. The greater coverts are also rather marbled and diffuse.
Primary tips are rounded, not pointed as in retained juvenile primaries.
Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans
Second-years: Page 2
Caspian Gull - mounting first-year to second-year, Undisclosed location, Essex 18th December 2010
More advanced than the previous bird showing nearly fully replaced median coverts, appearing as a grey band across the wing, and scapulars, now approaching the grey saddled effect.
The lesser coverts are faded with remnant dark centres whilst the greater coverts are fairly solid brown with marbled edges and paler tips, the unner greater coverts and inner tertials have been replaced.
The bill is mostly pale with dark band extending along the culmen. Note also on the underside of P10 a small mirror.
Caspian Gull - second-year, Undisclosed location, Essex 19th February 2011
Another great 2nd-winter.
There are scattered replaced median and Lesser coverts creating a mixed wing pattern whilst the inner most greater coverts are the only ones to have been replaced of the feather group. The rest of the greater coverts are marbled brown.
Note also the clean white and small head with small dark eye forward in the face and the long slender pale bill.
The typical bulging rear belly is also visible,
Caspian Gull - second-year, Undisclosed location, Essex March 2011
Second-winters are probably the best of the Caspian gull ages.
Most of the wing coverts are worn and faded appearing as white with darker central streaks. The greater coverts are darker on the outer feathers forming a diffuse 'wedge'. As can be seen on both side of the bird there are scattered new next generation pale grayer feathers. The overall impression is of a large pale whitish bird.
Note the classic Caspian Gull jizz which was evident even at distance..
The bird appears in the next two images.
Caspian Gull - second-year, Undisclosed location, Essex early November 2011
A small and petite individual so presumably a female. Some key features that identify this bird as a Caspian Gull can be seen:
- The hanging rear belly is obvious
- The full chest and long 'kinked' neck
- Fine hind-neck streaking
- Small head with low sloping forehead
- Long, slender bill
The legs are on the pink side and seem rather thick however as the bird is already on the small side this can be accounted for.
There is a lot of wear in the wing coverts, the medians and lesser are mostly washed, faded white whilst fresh next generation pale grey scapulars are begining to appear.
WINTER BIRDS: continued
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Caspian Gull - second-year, Undisclosed location, Essex 31st December 2011
An pale looking gulls which has replaced a number of median coverts whilst the greater coverts show the more typical marbled pattern typical of gulls of this age though retaining the more solidly dark pattern of the outer feathers.
SUMMER BIRDS
Caspian Gull - second-year, Undisclosed location, Essex May 2011
Note how faded the wing coverts and tertials are on this bird but with some fresh median coverts starting to show through. All of the typical structural features are present along with fine pencil line neck streaking.
Caspian Gull - second-year, Undisclosed location, Essex July 2011
The same bird above and in the next image. An interesting bird that has replaced many scapulars but not yet dropped it's outer primaries, retained faded brown feathers.
