Hi, know I'm getting to be a pest with ID's, but would like to be sure that when I say we have lesser black-backed gulls that they are just that and not 'something else'. I know very little about sea birds, waders etc, but am keen to learn. I live in the north west so don't think that they are yellow legged gulls (who thinks up these names lol)
I have a fairly close up of one on our garage roof and then a picture of a couple of them on a neighbour's roof alongside a black-headed gull for size comparison.
Thanks!
Cheers Deb
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Debz The close up was taken through the window so might have affected the colour.
The close up was taken through the window so might have affected the colour.
You might be right about the colour, on second thoughts.
:-)
Seriously thinking about trying harder!
Gull IDs are a minefield. I normally stick to just calling them all seagulls :-) but I'll take a guess at Herring gull for the close up.
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Hi,
I agree with Galatas with herring gull for No.1. It has a pale grey back and wings.
The roof top ones I would say are black headed gull on the left and two lesser black backed gulls. For the latter, the backs are a mid charcoal grey rather than jet black, and the birds don't look overly huge compared with the BHG.
The close up is the same bird as one on the roof, I'm pretty sure - it definitely had yellow legs anyway. They tend to come on my garage roof then fly up to the neighbour's rooftop. The close up was taken through the window so might have affected the colour. The larger gulls (always two of them) are hanging around with some of the black headed gulls and appear regularly.
Well, the two large birds on the roof definately look to be lesser black-backed gulls to me. The colour of the back of the bird in close up suggests herring gull, if you are sure that they are the same bird, then perhaps it's just the light or something. But in that case I can't give a definative ID.
Hi-
LBB has a red orbital eye ring- Herring has a yellow
nuff said?
S
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Sorry - know not of what you speak.
I'll go for LBB Gull
Pete
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Jackdaw I agree with Galatas with herring gull for No.1. It has a pale grey back and wings. The roof top ones I would say are black headed gull on the left and two lesser black backed gulls. For the latter, the backs are a mid charcoal grey rather than jet black, and the birds don't look overly huge compared with the BHG.
The back would be even paler on an argenteus Herring Gull (the subspecies likely to be seen in the UK at this time of year).
JackdawSorry - know not of what you speak.
The "orbital ring" that seymouraves speaks of is the narrow ring around the eye. This can actually be an orangey-red colour on Herring Gulls, but the deep red colour in this case, in combination with the shade of the back, makes the gull in the close up a Lesser Black-backed Gull.
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