2nd-winter: Hole Haven Creek, Essex - 14th February 2008
The long rear ended appearance is still obvious. The grey under-parts are now more mottled and restricted to the flanks whilst the overall ground colour has whitened, especially on the breast and head.
The bill is pale yellow based and slender and the legs also seem to be taking on a yellow tone. Many of the scapulars have been replaced with darker grey.
all birds of the race graellsii unless otherwise stated
Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus
Second-years
2nd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 7th March 2009
Identified as Lesser Black-backed Gull due to the long wings, dark wing coverts and slaty grey upper-parts and aged as a second-winter on the diffuse wing covert pattern (greater coverts appear nearly completely solidly dark brown), dark centred tertials, incomplete grey 'saddle', mostly pale yellow bill, pale eye and blackish round tipped primaries.
Much of the body and neck streaking has been lost. In general a striking contrasting looking bird.
2nd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 7th February 2009
Very dark slaty grey above with dusky looking wings and heavy streaking and mottling to the head, neck and under-parts.
An inner greater covert has been replaced otherwise the outer feathers become solidly dark brown with the inners whiter. Some central median and lesser coverts have been replaced. The scapulars are a mix of new slate grey feathers and older browner, now fading, feathers with palish tips and dark shaft streaks.
The bill is largely pale yellow and the eye was pale, though from the angle of this image it looks dark.
The legs are pale fleshy pink.
In terms of appearance the looks round headed and not bulky as in Herring Gulls.
2nd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 14th March 2009
The slaty grey upper-parts, long-wings and whitish identify this gull as a Lesser Black-backed.
Aged as a second-winter due to the 'marbled' wing covert pattern, more solidly grey scapulars and bill becoming pale based. A central median covert has been replaced/
An overall contrasting bird looking muddy/dusky above, with heavy hind neck streaking adding to the effect.
The legs are a pale fleshy pink.
2nd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 14th March 2009
An advanced bird compared to the bird above. Here the slaty grey saddle is more developed and the median coverts have been replaced slaty grey creating a broad contrasting band across the wing. A number of Lesser Coverts have also been replaced as have inner greater coverts.
The tertials show dark brown centres with broad white tips.
The bill is mostly pale yellow with a dark tip with the red Gonydeal Spot just beginning to appear. The eye is becoming pale with a red orbital ring.
Also note the attenuated rear end, long primary projection. The primaries are dark brown, not black, and lack white tips eliminating the bird as a third-winter.
2nd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 4th April 2009
There's still a fair amount of streaking around the head and neck however the bird remains contrasting.
- The eye is still dark however the bill is now becoming yellow
- The scapulars are largely next generation slate grey with some brown wash to the bases
- The vast majority of the wing coverts are still first-winter with solid brown centres with pale fringes which gives a plain/uniform wing.
2nd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 11th April 2009
Unlike the previous bird this individuals wing coverts are paler/whiter lending to a more pied-bald impression. The bill is largely dark with pale yellow only at the base and the eye is yet to pale.
There is a lot of dusky streaking around the head and neck.
The scapulars are slate grey though with paler tips and with some feathers showing a dark feather shaft.
2nd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 11th April 2009
Note that the dark broadly white tipped tertials contrast with the mid brown wing coverts and the late grey mantle.
The eye is pale and there is much head and neck streaking.
The most striking aspect of this bird is the extremely long rear end with the black primaries extending well beyond the tip of the black banded tail.
2nd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 11th April 2009
As with the previous bird, above, the long and attenuated rear of this bird is perhaps the most noteable feature.
The eye has become very pale yellow and the orbital ring is bright red.
The bill is mostly pale yellow though with a prominent blackish tip.
- Most of the median coverts show a greyish cast
- One of the inner most greater coverts has been replaced with new grey. Note also a typical Lesser Black-backed Gull feature, the outer greater coverts are largely dark centred with neat fine fringing giving a darker outer edge to the coverts.
2nd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 9th January 2010
Aged as a second-year and not a first-year due to pale eye; marbled, less well defined wing-covert and tertial pattern and new dark grey scapulars appearing. Not aged as a third-year to retained juvenile plain dark brown primaries, limited grey scapulars and mostly still dark bill.
A rather contrasting bird which has not yet replaced many of it scapulars or wing-coverts; note however the fresher replaced grey based/buffy tipped central median coverts.
The greater coverts, though marbled and lacking well defined barring, still has the outer feathers mostly dark forming a dark wedge on the wing.
The head has streaking though this is not excessive but does extend down the hind neck and neck sides.
2nd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 13th March 2010
Primaries are still all blackish, not mirrors or white tips.
This is a contrasting bird that has by this time of year replaced most of its median coverts and inner greater coverts and tertials. The lesser coverts are contrastingly pale brown centred with whitish fringing. There is still a fair amount of winter head streaking and the bill is still mostly dark.
2nd-winter: Private Site, Essex - 13th March 2010
The tail is all blackish and contrasts strongly with the plain unmarked upper-tail coverts.
The upper-wing is dark. The outer primaries are blackish and large mirrors and white tips whilst the inner primaries are browner but show broad white tips. The secondaries are blackish with white tips. The greater coverts are solid dull brown.
The under-wing coverts are dark brown.