3rd-Winter: Southend Seafront, Essex - 10th January 2009
The bill is very adult like with the exception of the dark marks near the tip.
The eye is dark on this bird whilst the head and neck streaking is not as extensive as the bird above, appearing more pencil lined.
There are a number of lesser, median and greater coverts yet to be replaced by grey thus giving a rather patchy wing pattern. The inner tertials are new grey with brown white tips whilst the inner feathers still show an obvious brown marbled effect.
The primaries are black with small white tips.
Note the round headed appearance with rather steep forehead.
3rd-Winter: Two Tree Island, Essex - 30th December 2007
A typical 3rd-winter. The primary pattern is limited with only a small small mirror on P10 and small white tips to the remaining primaries. P10 shows a bold white tip and black band which is broader on the inner web.
The primary coverts are brown and there is a scattering of brown feathering across all of the wing feathers; note the dark centred greater coverts.
The is still a residual, broken tail band.
3rd-summer: at Sea, Isles of Scilly - 27th August 2006
A bird in heavy moult.
The most striking feature is the mixture of old and new primary feathers and this is a perfect example of seeing how moult occurs in Herring Gulls.
The outermost primaries, P10-P8 are old,faded and very worn whilst the inner primaries P7-P1 are fresh and newly replaced grey. P7 is still growing, shows a large black tip with obvious white spot and the very tip. P6 has the white tip and a black band.
The secondaries are still retained older faded and worn feathers with the bases uncovered by the loss of the greater coverts. The median and most of the greater coverts are fresher grey as are the greater primary coverts.
This bird shows a very adult like bill and a piercing pale eye.
3rd-Winter: Southend Seafront, Essex - 10th January 2009
The pale eye is striking and there is limited pale grey head and neck streaking. The bill is yellow and adult like with the exception of the dark markings on and above the Gonys.
The 'saddle' is fresh grey with large white tip to the rear scapulars.
There is a mix of new, grey, and old, barred brown, wing coverts and tertials.
The white tail shows dark markings.
The black primaries are short with variable sized white tips, the outer most are not much more than small white spots whilst the inners have larger white tips.
3rd-Winter: Southend Seafront, Essex - 10th January 2009
Virtually all wing coverts have been replaced with exception of a few lesser coverts. This bird could be a 4th-winter based on the limited retained immature feathering in the wing and the lack of any obvious markings in the tail whilst the primary tip spots are relatively large.
3rd-Winter: Two Tree Island, Essex - 30th December 2007
Note the limited wing tip pattern; small size of white primary tip spots. There are dark markings visible on the upper-wing primary coverts whilst the subdued bill colour with dark marks also indicate immaturity. However due to the overall lack of dark marking in the upper wing and in the tail this could actually be a 4th-winter.
The pale eye is piercing.
3rd-Winter: Southend Pier, Essex - 15th January 2005
The eye is pale yellow which stands out against the heavily streaked head and blotched breast. The pattern and extent of the head and breast streaking recalls some winter plumaged American Herring Gulls.
The bill is pale pinkish with an uneven dark band.
The scapulars and mantle feathers are all fresh and unmarked whilst the vast majority of the wing covets have also been replaced. However there s at least one central median coverts which is still immature whilst there is a slight brownish cast to the greater coverts with the odd inner feather yet to be replaced.
The central tertials are still immature with a largely reduced brown marbled pattern. It is also just possible to see some dark markings on the tail.
The primaries are now black with smallish white tips with uneven spacing.
Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
Third-years
3rd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 14th February 2009
A real beast of a bird. Judging by the upper-part colouration and tone this individual is likely to be an argentatus. Aged as a third-year rather than a second based on the black, white tipped primaries. Many of the lesser and median coverts are fresh and an inner greater coverts and central tertials are also replaced new feathers.
However the most striking this about this bird is the head streaking. It is particularly heavy on this bird creaking a strongly streak headed impression. Most of the streaking ends fairly abruption on the breast.
An impressive bird.
3rd-winter:Private Site, Essex - 7th February 2009
Majority of the median coverts have been replaced with most of the lesser coverts also be new grey feathers. Only the central greater coverts have been replaced. A fairly heavily streak headed bird. The size of the bird, the relatively dark bluish upper part tones and the large white tip to P10 indicate that this is an argentatus.
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3rd-winter:Private Site, Essex - 13th March 2010
This bird shows adult like primaries; black with prominent white tips and largish mirrors; but still has largely 2nd generation tertials. The wing coverts are a mix of older whitish and barred 2nd generation feathers and newer grey adult like feathers.
The mantle is fully grey.