Friday 29 November 2013

Azorean Gulls and something else?

It's looking like this weekend will be the first one for a long while where I'm going to be able to go birding locally in London. So get ready for some gulls fingers crossed. In the meantime, what with work being totally manic, it's only been tonight where I've had some time to sort out some shots from the Azores. So, as is always the case when I'm out there, I papped a load of true atlantis Yellow-legged Gulls (Azorean Gulls). All the shots below were taken on Sao Miguel at Vila Franca do Campo on 26th October 2013.
1cy

1cy

2cy
2cy
2cy
3cy

adult

adult
And on the Sunday evening in Ponta Delgada, with Lee Gregory (whose photo is below - thanks!), this really interesting bird was observed which to my eye is a standard 1st-winter michahellis: -
It looks rather slight in appearance compared to the Atlantic Gulls, with much more overall paler plumage especially on its underparts, a lack of those extensive chocolate brown bases to the greater-coverts while interestingly the legs are more bubblegum pink and lack those obvious 'shin pads' that all first cycle Azorean Gulls show.

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