10th-11th February 2018 - Newlyn, Cornwall
A nice selection of Arctic/white-winged gulls in west Cornwall recently provided just the excuse for a rare trip to the far west and a visit to old mate and the gulls' best-friend Martin Elliott. Much time was spent at the fish dock at Newlyn Harbour where MTE has been feeding the gulls daily; no Kumlien's this weekend but a couple of Glaucous and one Iceland gave ludicrously close views. A few half-decent photos resulted.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5brf-Yv88kZZG2kOD4mgp3_jMNMiumOzh_GK6qNdiHzzZ5XNME0sXadxPpmQaUY3-uIF3qALLIpdtotKmTndi7P-ncsOHLq-jcHJNllMB98OSv7GomFbV-dN6TuYf7NRIUTVCrcre_M/s640/DSC_7044.jpg) |
Glaucous Gull 1st winter - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
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Glaucous Gull 1st winter - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTeCjTaKOQkn8ePrfvhZsJj012V8YTQKRKwdVqEh7Zx6QlosnBl_T8bN2wzHZo8wOZDiJcIUh0xw2ukS8PtKbulADQ1Pu4TQHMPzGP2zwXRIKkK3YJ900lOOBTage9NIpdNfAKiRFOvU/s640/DSC_7092.jpg) |
Glaucous Gull 1st winter - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVKbnW2_AHqvoAtmdO7WUDoODSbiZScxGdCtxv3WE9sAKaN68mz8bR0sxG4AYTT6JFMeARbOvipNq2xZzQm5Yyucl1ecnNANMhjayElJjteO5_qUtZ1GERooir4jZzfKH6xDpS7Wbmg0/s640/DSC_7117.jpg) |
Glaucous Gull 1st winter - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7ibE2rs8jrzrPjp_cxQ8i4Lr48QGfYAr2Ip5GNdI93a8hinzLtrZhA5AjEXbXxmhhhZLM_r2LhsTy_b1CsQBYQegc-JNsmN1bDGIyh-Cp9ckEq9p_YtSHf6Atu3FkVgLswHtm9yTk3A/s640/DSC_7273.jpg) |
Glaucous Gull 1st winter - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall | | | |
All photos above of the same bird, a big beast of a gull - see below for how it deals with a Greater Black-backed. A pale and washed out individual - many relatively dark and biscuity still in February. Unusually for Glaucous, a few scapulars replaced already so a 1st winter, technically not a juvenile. Goes by the name of 'Boris' apparently.
A second Glaucous was also present, 2nd calendar year also but showing no signs of post-juvenile moult so technically still a juvenile.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHzfsqk3RiIzmRpj-9VEz_hd7RsCFQ8LPMQ9-xR2JOrUVFG_3jd4Efec98cURcSXZSWj5one0SzzE2EMLCeBschPVYxDyuZM1j5YeF7mjLlsw8cPhiIrbqL8T53DaxGeUTu2fvnArDQU/s640/Larus+hyperboreus+2cy+b+2018+02+10+Newlyn+%25283%2529.jpg) |
Glaucous Gull juvenile - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
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Glaucous Gull juvenile - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
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Glaucous Gull juvenile - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzlIn87Xhs1MopOf3786qSng3ph9ZJ-57jsfxhxJ0GSjTS6tAW-iOkI4oF-fm46THntTki3krHb1RkiW5TVXBU2PlHw8GpfeofRryF2m6EFvekmQ5gLninvzX9PaIt9K7Em9Fr-GZvi0/s640/Larus+hyperboreus+2cy+b+2018+02+10+Newlyn+%252814%2529.jpg) |
Glaucous Gull juvenile - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinEtjXCYLuJiOEA0ht3Ua3Vb-rbXB5KERtxwoE0GBiC0vBcyOT04Ut9Bj6tAJCdow5sXkvIV7PAlzHspVmlRbockA3K6ltlF7stUK4yNpAZiLMaFlcPq32vlnag39vU2SlEwVq22XAIe0/s640/Larus+hyperboreus+2cy+b+2018+02+10+Newlyn+%252816%2529.jpg) |
Glaucous Gull juvenile - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
And providing a little variation, a 1st winter Iceland Gull was also enjoying the handouts.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfY-tlT2ZEIS7AKAC-EAQvA0LKvglMqIFFkASxPIKsG7-eF1iR_jn8jf0EkzAzJi8_3h6GxtSRuh77eRQ4lPUwH-y-xfXw7efyRHvitZPOBXVw-WunwO-MWdNyptbbgDAztx_bkkvt54/s640/Larus+glaucoides+2cy+2018+02+10+Newlyn+%25288%2529.jpg) |
Iceland Gull 1st winter - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXP57PsvavEFy76Ph3YJ5SSnlHRPv5fmBBLT78lreDzI65vkOTFGAYE6Yh6wqMDJ3-0KaIl0f3WkEyM2PNgAbvGwCoGOxxlIFNSI68RBTXIPadh2y5yvNg6ML2niQKd_SqPbCItYBE5k/s640/Larus+glaucoides+2cy+2018+02+10+Newlyn+%25285%2529.jpg) |
Iceland Gull 1st winter - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaU-8QXjQi_O5OyJ8-pC71CZyDm1tgnY0oXGPgylbBAajk0GMbscdSSjLJcw5tkozbbUbai34yyMoa4Q0rz8FNAcJZGiNGBeL9q7wr3XoVntTN-T3yuPM4qXvr9El604t-xqrOiejR2c8/s640/Larus+glaucoides+2cy+2018+02+10+Newlyn+%25286%2529.jpg) |
Iceland Gull 1st winter - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUZnEC84JYepidMs2KfM7vYcMNnmk_u2SkDE3OGLAJPy_9YU2zPOdXpzODQsL1ligCrh0MBJTshQDPIismEbXIfbdVpQPIew0lwlwBTUfRWjxLwQb1CxVw6L1g5lXQaxm3Kvmo2_6ZT0/s640/Larus+glaucoides+2cy+2018+02+10+Newlyn+%25287%2529.jpg) |
Iceland Gull 1st winter - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall | |
No trace of any darkening to outer primaries so clearly nominate
glaucoides rather than
kumlieni (there probably was one in the area judging by an apparently darker-winged bird that came into the Mousehole roost later that day).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKQH6YIOYaSLkNEeEqftbk_vBh59EJHlL-NPzKWan1FscQut6zotBiAO4Lp6MtyuKeunpcIBx-S5G1kQcUNzo2FE83j_XGAPRglR2DFXltzt21I55TK-hkgcHoJds1vf8uukfv-wv-2s/s640/Larus+glaucoides+2cy+2018+02+11+Newlyn+%25283%2529.jpg) |
Iceland Gull 1st winter - 10/2/2018 Newlyn, Cornwall |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8ur5GwK130C4BY-QKlCJZpB41uDH0Jb9RIRNIfQRfzNCh5pSZ8phEgjmV-1A7susLH3cknzjIg2mdM4xmSHlCkaHJd-TaEWq1zqQ0gSRhFsoGxIJu_aVRYbQZ_Oav0i9rCZwhDszkH0/s640/DSC_7423.jpg) |
A gull's best friend - Martin Elliott with some satisfied customers |
An hour or so watching the evening roost at St. Clement's Island (Mousehole) produced at least one more Glaucous (a darker bird), a probable Kumlien's, two Yellow-legged and a couple of
argentatus Herring Gulls. Distance (300m) and atrocious light precluded any more photos.