We spent a couple of hours looking through the Gulls at Westing seeing two first cycle Iceland Gulls. We then tried Uyeasound where we again saw what I thought was a second-winter Kumlien's Gull on the 14th. Today, alongside other Gulls it looked uncomfortably large, leaving me wondering whether it is an Iceland-type Gull at all?
First cycle Iceland Gull at Westing
argentatus Herring Gull at Westing
This third cycle Gull looked quite interesting (to me!) by virtue of its dark iris, bubblegum pink legs/feet, pale head contrasting with a dark hindneck/shawl, broad white trailing edge to its secondaries extending onto its inner primaries, an albeit tiny amount of black on p5, white tongue tips to p7 & p6 (and effectively p5), mirrors on p9 & p10, blackish primary coverts and a few ink spots on its tail albeit the pinkish bloom to the basal two-thirds of its bill felt very typical of the ssp. Very many thanks to all those who have commented on its identity and freely shared their insights into the variation shown by argentatus.
Second cycle Herring Gull at Westing
A dark individual presumably an argenteus originating from the Faeroes or Iceland.
Common Gulls at Westing
Second cycle Kumlien's Gull at Uyeasound
A few more pics of it here
