First-winter Yellow-legged Gull

It doesn't seem five minutes since I spotted the first juvenile Yellow-legged Gull for the year at Shawell. It was actually July 27th and the bird was in fresh juvenile plumage. Things have progressed rapidly, so much so that I spotted a YLG in first-winter plumage on Thursday afternoon. It is well known that Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls generally hatch earlier in the year than Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. As a result their progress towards first-winter plumage is more advanced than the northern species, which are still juvenile like and much fresher looking.

First-winter Yellow-legged Gull

I have seen at least four first-calendar year YLGs over the last couple of months at Shawell. The latest one, in the photos above and below, is the most advanced. The mantle and scapular feathers have been replaced with second generation feathers and the coverts and tertials are quite worn. Note the distinctive anchor markings on the mantle and scapular feathers.

First-winter Yellow-legged Gull

Thursday was a difficult day, as many of the gulls were sitting out of view at the landfill site and only a few were visiting the A5 Lagoons. I did manage to read colour rings on three Norwegian ringed LBBG and also a Belgian ringed LBBG. Late in the afternoon a decent 'wave' of gulls came over from the tip and settled on the main lagoon. Amongst them was the first-winter Yellow-legged Gull plus four adults and a third-winter. The adult Yellow-legged Gulls can be distinguished easily at present from most Herring Gulls of the same age as they are actively moulting their primary (wing tip) feathers.

Third-winter Yellow-legged Gull

Third-winter Yellow-legged Gull

Related posts:

More Juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull