Sunday 14 October 2012

Atlantis type Yellow-legged Gull, RW, 12 Oct

Adult Atlantis type on right. Nothing like a michahellis YLG and impossible to just simply explain it away as a hybrid. I was tempted to use the 'in word' putative which people often label gulls with nowadays but there seems little point here as it is clearly an Atlantis type whether you believe they occur or not.   

The 2nd winter gull to the left of the preening Atlantis was extremely interesting. It had very dark grey uppers and dark brown forewings. The head and bill shape/jizz were wrong for a LBBG and it was too dark for a Michahellis YLG. It's grey uppers matched the adult Atlantis. In flight, the inner primaries were strikingly pale, creating a pale window quite unlike LBBG and more like a YLG type.

I will put a few sketches and flight photos of the 2nd winter gull up shortly. 

Adult michahellis preening it's back with Atlantis in water.

Preening primary 4 with dark mark visible on outer web.  

Preening primary 5



Date on sketch should be 12 October