Iceland Gulls January 2008

Iceland Gulls in Sligo Harbour - January/February 2008

Images © Declan Skehan 2008

5th February 2008: Two very pale Iceland Gulls are in Sligo harbour at the moment - a first-winter, and a second-winter.
Top image - Pale 1st-winter Iceland Gull
Lower three images show the pale 2nd winter Iceland Gull

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Images © Mícheál Casey 2008

29th January 2008: Second-winter Iceland Gull at Quay Street Car Park - note the horn-coloured bill, the pale iris, and the contrast between the scapulars and the greater coverts (and the slightly grey tone on the scapulars).

Image © Declan Skehan 2008

Update 30th January 2008: Declan Skehan's excellent flight shot of the darkest of the three birds, although much brighter images, show the coarse body markings, the dusky primary webs and the brown primary tip markings rather well. The consensus is that this bird is at the dark and strongly-marked end of the normal spectrum of Iceland Gulls, and is not a Kumlien's Gull. Some birders have remarked that these very dark and coarsely marked Iceland Gulls have been seen more frequently this year at other sites such as Killybegs and Galway.

Unfortunately the second-winter Herring Gull (upper right bird in the bottom image) has become entangled in what appears to be fishing gear - nylon line and lead weights.

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25th January 2008: This first-winter Iceland Gull was strikingly dark, with dusky outer primary feather webs and dark tips. Unfortunately no flight shots were obtained at this time.

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25th January 2008: Light-coloured first-winter Iceland Gull at Quay Street Car Park - Iceland Gulls often look very bleached at the end of the spring - this bird was strikingly pale.

25th January 2008: Medium-coloured Iceland Gull at Quay Street Car Park - this bird is more typical of the first-winters that have been seen in Sligo in mid winter in recent years.