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)

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis), ad female, 28.7.2009, Lakolk Strand, Rømø (#2)

This Yellow-legged Gull has a typical female-like bill with strong colours, red orbital ring and yellowish iris, 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 and with a small black spot on outer edge, both p5 and p6 are missing, p7, p8, p9 and p10 has not yet been shed allowing us to view the large amount of black on these feathers and the isolated mirror only on p10.







Flight photos belongs to Rune Sø Neergaard (c)

Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans), ad, 28.7.2009, Lakolk Strand, Rømø

This big male-type Caspian Gull has relative long legs with longer tibia compared to argentatus. The small darkish eye is situated closer to the flat forehead than in argentatus and the colour is relative dark with a slight green peppering in the iris. The bill is relative long and without pronounced gonys angle. It has a good cachinnans jizz with high push up breast, flat belly slightly dropped behind legs and long elongated slim rear. Additionally the upperparts are slightly darker than nearby argentatus. P5 has been shed during moult, but the amount of black on p10 is spot on for chachinnans with all white feather tip and grey tongue extensive on especially inner web. The white apical spots are all extreme small due to wear.


Note the adult Yellow-legged Gull just behind to the right of the Caspian Gull in the two photos above and the two just belove. Look at the differnces in bill length and structure with the long, sleder bill of cachinnans in contrast to the strong and heavy bill in michahellis

Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus), 2cy, 24.7.2009, Hou, Nordjylland

Found by Rune Sø Neergaard (RSN).

Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus), 2cy, 26.5.2009, Skærsø Engsø