Tuesday 22 September 2009

Gulls Gulls Gulls

I decided to go have have an early morning look at the Thames this morning, and good decision it was too!
First, on the boat pier, I checked the legs of the black-headed gulls as I usually do on the off-chance that one has a rind, and, for the first time, bingo!

colour-ringed gull

colour-ringed gull

A quick search once home told me that it should have been rung in the Netherlands. I have contacted the ringer/coordinator; hopefully, I'll get more info soon.

Sadly, as I was taking these photos, a dead juvenile Herring or Lesser Black-Backed Gull passed by with the tide.

Further along, by Crabtree Wharf, I'm hoping that this is a Yellow-Legged Gull as this would be a patch tick for me. It was roughly a shade of grey darker than a Herring Gull and way lighter than a Lesser Black-Backed on the same pontoon. Bright yellow legs, pale eyes with red orbital ring, fine markings around the eyes.

yellow legged gull



As it flew off, I managed this blurry flight shot:


I noticed afterwards that the afore-mentioned Lesser Black-Blacked on the same pontoon had a weird beak, I think the tip of the upper part might be broken:


And to continue on the injury theme, nearby, this (I think) Lesser Black-Backed juvenile might have looked OK on its right-hand side:



but something looked wrong with its left eye, and it was limping on its left leg, though I could not see any obvious sign of injury:



[Clicking on most of the photos should give you bigger versions]

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