Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis), ad male, 28.7.2009, Lakolk Strand, Rømø (#1)

This Yellow-legged Gull has a typical heavy bill with strong colours and red gonys spot reaching lower edge of upper mandible, red orbital ring and yellowish iris, warm yellow legs, darker upperparts with more saturated blue grey tone than on argentatus in direct comparison, slender, long-legged and long-winged appearance with elongated body profile. On the opened wing the four inner most primaries are all new generation feathers with p4 still grown, both p5 and p6 are missing, p7, p8, p9 and p10 has not yet been shed luckily allowing us to view the large amount of black on these feathers and the isolated mirror only on p10 with the tip completely worn off. On the underwing the classic darker ash grey tone on the primaries is apparent especially on the renewed feathers giving a stronger contrast to the white coverts.






Flight photos belongs to Rune Sø Neergaard (c)