Mute
Swan 1 1w
Kumlien’s Gull 1 2w Roedean Pitch and Putt Course.
Tiny pale greenish tip to bill with broad black subterminal band and pale green
base. Bill appeared quite small and narrow. Eye often looked dark but scrutiny
in strong light revealed a pale yellowish iris. Head small and rounded
primarily white but with some feint narrow brownish streaks. Head somewhat
suggestive of Ring-billed Gull at times. Neck white contrasting with
brown-washed underparts. Mantle grey with just one dark strek seen and hence
advanced for a 2w. Wing coverts bleached white with brown centers to the
coverts. Upper tertials bleached white but covered tertial barred brown with
wavy lines. Primaries principally white but with subtle grey centers to what
appeared P8 to P10. Appeared very long winged with projection beyond tail
considerably longer than bill. Upper surface of tail appeared unbleached and
quite brown. In flight the most striking feature was the dark upper surface to
the tail that was easily the darkest area of the bird – appeared as a very
broad dark tail band with the entire tail feathers dark. At times the tail
appeared silvery and sometimes the darkness was ‘lost’. Rump pale and appeared
white-centred. Upperwings appeared quite white but with a subtle grey wash to
the secondaries and outermost four primaries contrasting with the whiter inner
primaries. Ex. Starling c.300
