Glaucous Gull, 2nd winter, Private Site, Essex 7th February 2009
Bird aged as 2nd-winter based on pale eyes. The wing coverts and tertials lack an discernable patterning whilst the scapulars are also plain and uniform.
Glaucous Gull, 2nd winter, Private Site, Essex 7th February 2009
Same bird as in previous image however here it shares centre stage with a 1st-winter Caspian Gull (left). This is only the second time I have ever managed to get both of these species in the same frame, click here for the other time.
Glaucous Gull - Larus hyperboreus
Second-years
Second-winter, Nimmo's Pier, Galway, Ireland February 2009
Photographed with Canon 1D MkIII with Canon 500mm F4 Prime Lens
Aged as second-winter due to pale eye and still very much first-winter type bill, and diffuse markings in the wing. I suspect this would have been a well marked bird when it was a juvenile. Primary projection is short.
Glaucous Gull, advanced 2nd winter or retarded 3rd-winter, Private Site, Essex 16th January 2010
A few median coverts have been replaced with grey and only the inner most greater coverts also replaced. The scapulars are not yet fully replaced thus looks a little patchy. In addition the bill pattern is as expected for a second-winter plumage, still looking as in first-winter plumages.