Gulls in NW Europe
(last update: September 25, 2011
Herring Gull 1cy & 4cy F.CAV (argenteus) 2006 & 2009, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
Ringed as pullus on July 12 2006 at Zeebrugge, Belgium. Metal: Bruxelles H-145862.
below: 4cy F.CAV (argenteus) November 08 2009, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Pictures: Maarten van Kleinwee.
Moulting to winter plumage. The right-leg which used to carry the color ring is now gone, the gull can now only be identified by its metal ring. See also the additional photos in this set. P1 to P7 are fully grown, P8 is almost fully grown. P9 and P10 are growing and show fresh mirrors. Moult score: 45 (P1=5, P2=5, P3=5, P4=5, P5=5, P6=5, P7=5, P8=4, P9=3, P10=3.)
below: 4cy F.CAV (argenteus) September 20 2009, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Pictures: Maarten van Kleinwee.
4th-calender year Herring Gull, moulting to winter plumage. P1 to P6 are fully grown and P7 is almost fully grown. P8 is missing, P9 and P10 are third-generation. Moult score: 35 (P1=5, P2=5, P3=5, P4=5, P5=5, P6=5, P7=1, P8=0, P9=0, P10=0.)
below: argenteus 4cy F.CAV September 10 2009, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
Bird ringed in Belgium, "nearly legless Leo".
Primary moult: P6/P9.
below: 4cy F.CAV (argenteus) August 16 2009, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Pictures: Maarten van Kleinwee.
My first encounter of this 4th-calender year Herring Gull. Unfortunately, this gull had a fishing line wrapped tightly around its right tibia, causing that leg to slowly die away. The gull can be seen during its moult to winter plumage; the base of the bill is dull-yellow, with black markings on mainly the lower mandible, followed by a brighter yellow tip. The iris is light. See also the additional photos in this set.
P1 to P5 are replaced and fully grown, P6 is almost fully grown. P7 is missing and P8 to P10 are third-generation. Moult score: 30 (P1=5, P2=5, P3=5, P4=5, P5=5, P6=4, P7=1, P8=0, P9=0, P10=0.)
below: 2cy F.CAV (argenteus) December 22 2007, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Ies Meulmeester.
Complete moult and partial autumn moult finished. Scapular covert left probably broken.
below: 1cy F.CAV (argenteus) October 27 2006, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
US: 75-99%, LS: 1-25%, TOT SCAPS: 50-75%.
