1st-winter progressing towards 1st-summer plumage: Westcliff Seafront, Essex - 22nd March 2008
This transitional bird shows new second generation inner greater coverts, seen as pale grey with darker brown anchor markings, compared with the still brown barred inner coverts. The 'saddle' is pale grey with similar pattern as the inner greater coverts. The bird is becoming paler, whiter in the head and body whilst the bill is becoming paler based. The primaries are still juvenile as indicated by the pointed tips.
1st-summer: Westcliff Seafront, Essex - 25th June 2006
By mid summer immature Herring Gulls can look rather manky with heavy wear on the feather fringes. The overall 1st-winter plumage has been lost. Most of the greater coverts are missing revealing the darker brown secondaries beneath whilst those that are still present show a boldly barred pattern. Majority of the tertial are also replaced, note the anchor marching with transverse bar though at least one outer juvenile tertial remains; plain brown with white tip. An overall scruffy looking bird.
1st-summer: Westcliff Seafront, Essex - 14th August 2005
This bird is a couple of months further along in its moult the one above. The bill has become predominately pale with a dark subterminal band. The greater and median coverts have lost the obvious barring and appear more marbled as do the tips of the tertials, The primaries have been replaced, they now haw rounded edges with noticeably pale tips. Head streaking is similar to that of a 1st-winter and the over all appearance is of a paler bird than a typical 1st-winter.
In addition the eye is becoming paler indicating this bird is now close to 2nd-winter plumage.
1st-Winter: Private Site, Essex - 7th February 2009
This albino bird could easily be identified as an Iceland Gull is seen at range however on close inspection there are dark feathers around the base of the neck and neck sides and a around the throat. The undertail coverts and tail were as normal 1st-winter Herring Gull. Note the lack of normal 1st-winter colour to the bill, completely washed out pale pink. Structure also fits with Herring Gull rather than any of the large white-winged gulls.
1st-Winter:Private Site, Essex - 7th February 2009
Same bird as above. Note the completely white unmarked wings which contrasts with the normal 1st-winter rump, upper-tail covers and tail pattern. Feather wear is evident on the outer primaries.
Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
First-years
1st-Winter: Private Site, Essex - 11th April 2009
The most obvious feature of this bird are the pale primaries which look faded rather than being of hybrid origin. The wing coverts and tertials are also paler than normal though retaining normal patterning, albeit being rather abraded. It's not impossible to rule out hybrid influence, most likely Glaucous Gull, however structure and general appearance and plumage characters seem to be against it.
1st-Winter:Private Site, Essex - 15th August 2009
This bird, the same that was present at the same site in February and March 2009, has replaced its flight feathers and quite remarkably has replaced P10 on the left wing with a jet black feather and not a white one!.
Other plumage characters remain the same, the first year tail pattern though now a little faded and the half collare, also faded and less obvious. The pale pinkish bill is clearly large. In this shot the barred axillaries can be seen though only some of this feather group are 'normal'
1st-Winter:Private Site, Essex - 15th August 2009
Same bird as above. Here the underwing can be seen clearly and it is obvious there is a no corresponding darker feathers on the left wing, the axillaries are plain white and there is no double spots in the underwing coverts. This is a very unusual albino.
.JPG)
2nd-Winter: Private Site, Essex - 30th August 2010
Although now into's its second year I have kept this bird here for continuity.
The tail is faded however note the interesting goings on in the outer primaries on the right wing. P10 is now completely white which was completely black a year ago whilst P9 has a brown narrow outer web and P8 is completely faded brown as opposed to white.
2nd-Winter: Private Site, Essex - 30th August 2010
Although now into's its second year I have kept this bird here for continuity.
Same bird.
1st-Winter: Private Site, Essex - 11th December 2010
Is this just a pale winged Herring Gull or are there Glaucous Gull genes at work. The primaries are overall pale brown with whitish tips and fringes whilst the tertials are milky and the wing coverts extensively white with widely spaced dark bars.
The milky brown under-parts come to a fairly abrupt stop at the legs and the rear belly and under-tail coverts are whitish with extensive barring.