Yellow-legged Gull - real or fake?

26th September 2014 - Topsham

A decent low tide afternoon gull gathering at Topsham Rec produced no surprises, just this interesting individual. It's been around a few days but these are the first photos I've managed to get.

Yellow-legged or Hybrid Gull? - 26/9/2014 Topsham

Yellow-legged or Hybrid Gull? - 26/9/2014 Topsham

Yellow-legged or Hybrid Gull? - 26/9/2014 Topsham

The mantle is a darker grey than Herring Gull and the legs are definitely yellow rather than pink, so why isn't it a Yellow-legged Gull? Well, there are a few things not quite right with this bird as a michahellis. The grey isn't that much darker than the adjacent Herring Gulls and the yellow legs are rather pale and washed out, a genuine michahellis should be darker still and the legs should be a richer yellow - the colour often fades a little in the non-breeding season typically not as much as this. The orbital ring is difficult to make out in the photos but through the scope was definitely not the obvious coral red shown by michahellis. On the open wing there is a broken black band on P5, on a Yellow-legged this should be broader and complete. There's also a suspiciously obvious white crescent between the grey and black on P6 and P7. On a more subjective level, the overall shape of the bird didn't give the feel of michahellis, the head is fairly rounded, even small, and the bill 'hook' has a gentle curve, although this might be because it's a female.

I admit I'm suspicious these days, here's why - an undoubted hybrid from last week. Darker grey certainly, but pink legs.

Hybrid Gull - 17/9/2014 Topsham

And no reason to doubt the credentials of this bird, a michahellis from Sardinia earlier in the month.

Yellow-legged Gull - 7/9/2014 Alghero, Sardinia

Up and down the estuary

Exe Estuary - 5th May 2014

Yesterday being a bank holiday we did the bank holiday thing and cycled down to Exmouth, took the ferry to Starcross and cycled back round to Topsham. Needless to say, some birding was done on the way. Here are a few Sandwich Terns from the ferry.

Sandwich Tern - Exe Estuary 5/5/2014

Sandwich Tern - Exe Estuary 5/5/2014

Sandwich Tern - Exe Estuary 5/5/2014

And here's something you don't see that often, a tern in the water, looking quite at ease and perhaps waiting for its turn on the buoy.

Sandwich Tern - Exe Estuary 5/5/2014

Later I dropped in at Topsham Rec for the low tide gull gathering (laridophobes look away now). Among the 200 or so Herring Gulls and 20 plus Lesser Black-backed Gulls I found this interesting individual.

Yellow-legged Gull (probably) - Topsham 5/5/2014

Yellow-legged Gull (probably) - Topsham 5/5/2014

 Maybe it's just my suspicious mind but, although there are many things that look fine for michahellis and nothing that clearly counts against, I have a few doubts about this bird. I'll explain; first the pro-michahellis features:

1. the mantle is darker than Herring Gull but clearly paler than Lesser Black-backed.
2. the legs and feet are yellow and definitely yellow with no hint of any pink.
3. the orbital ring is dark and appears to be red.
4. the red gonys spot bleeds onto the upper mandible.
5. there's a lot of black on the outer primaries - see photos below (P10 broken on right wing).

Yellow-legged Gull (probably) - Topsham 5/5/2014

Yellow-legged Gull (probably) - Topsham 5/5/2014

 So what's the problem? As I said, maybe I'm over-thinking this but there are a couple of things that bother me:

1. the black band on P5 appears to be not quite complete.
2. the legs are not particularly intense in colour and look a little pale and washed out.
3. structurally the bird does not look impressive; although presumably a female, it's small and rather delicate, the legs are not obviously long with little tibia showing and the bill is not deep and 'square-tipped'.

 On balance, I'd have to say this is probably a michahellis but I still wonder why I rarely see classic big birds with long deep yellow legs, heavy 'hatchet-tipped' bills and broad P5 bands.

As ever, all comments are welcome.