Caspian Gull

2nd winter Caspian Gull, 18th Nov 2006, Long Drove, Cottenham, © Dick Newell
I was unable to read the ring number on this bird. Although it has typical plumage, head and bill-shape, a small eye and the characteristic line from eye to eye across the rear crown, its wings look a little short and the legs look thicker than normal, so it may contain some Herring Gull genes. (RGN)

Probable hybrid Herring x Glaucous Gull

Probable hybrid 2nd winter Herring x Glaucous Gull, 8th Nov 2006, Long Drove Cottenham, © Dick Newell
This bird could just be a northern argentatus Herring Gull, but the overall shape of the bird, and particularly the head and bill shape,with a typical young Glaucous Gull pattern, combined with an overall pale colouration, including a uniform pale tail without a terminal bar, completely patterned tertials, pale fringed primaries and huge translucency in the primaries lead me to believe that it contains a lot of Glaucous Gull genes. (RGN).

Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull, Long Drove Cottenham, 2nd Nov 2006, © Dick Newell.
Classic head and bill-shape, with a small beady eye. This bird also demonstrated a perfect wing-tip pattern, grey tongues into the black, very large white tip to P10 and large white tongue on inner web of P10. (RGN).

Yellow-legged Gull

1st winter Yellow-legged Gull, Long Drove Cottenham, 1st November 2006, © Dick Newell.

Although not looking long-winged enough in this view, this bird has a complete suite of features that make this identification easy, including: stubby bill, flat-topped head, shadow behind the eye, heavily anchored, pale-based scapulars contrasting paler than wing-coverts, solid dark tertials fringed white, dark 'hand' with window restricted to inner primaries formed by pale inner webs, and a big white, spotted tail with crisp black tail-band (RGN).