(4 images) Larus fuscus fuscus 3cy C1XS, July 11-16 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.33N 24.59E).
C1XS was ringed in Luopio, Finland; ringed as
pullus on July 01 2001 by Risto Juvaste.
Recorded
at Tampere:
2003-05-21,
2003-05-24,
2003-05-28, 2003-05-29, 2003-05-30, 2003-05-31, 2003-06-05, 2003-06-14,
2003-06-16, 2003-06-18, 2003-06-20, 2003-06-22, 2003-06-28, 2003-07-05,
2003-07-06, 2003-07-11,
2003-07-15, 2003-07-16, 2003-07-20,
2003-07-21, 2003-07-23, 2003-07-24, 2003-07-26, 2003-07-31, 2003-08-02,
2003-08-03, 2003-08-09, 2003-08-12.
After August 02 2003, it wasn't seen
again at Tampere dump despite intense visits and may have moved further south
from that date on.
Larus fuscus fuscus in 2cy often returns
with completely replaced primaries and secondaries. In 3cy, fuscus more
often shows a clear division between fresh inner primaries and older outer
primaries, the inner primaries often showing neat white tips and the outer
primaries often second generation-like with rounded tips and paler bleached
brown. The arrested moult in the primaries is often reflected in the secondaries
and (to a less extend) in the tail-feathers as well. The older tail-feathers
(often R5 is older) still show a broad dark sub-terminal band.
3cy fuscus often have some black markings on the bill, which is otherwise
much adult-like, with a clear red gonydeal spot. The colour of the naked parts
are adult-like as well.
The scapulars in 3cy are often completely adult-like, lacking internal patterns;
plain blackish grey with a mahogany hue on the older feathers. Most wing-coverts
and tertials are adult-like blackish grey as well, but often 3cy birds show some
very bleached pale brown wing-coverts, normally in the greater covert bar and in
the upper rows of the lesser coverts. These bleached wing-coverts accentuate the
jumpy sequence in the last wing-covert moult cycles, as there is often no clear
pattern in location of these bleached feathers. Head and body feathers normally
are snow-white by July.
C1XS was ringed in Finland, now in 3cy. This 3cy fuscus has arrested the primary moult at P5, leaving a clear division between P5 and P6. The outer primaries are dark brown with only a very small mirror on P10. In the folded tail, the rectrices appear fresh with pretty neat tips and are white without any black markings. However, as the tail is spread, R3 proves to have a broad black sub-terminal band, as can found commonly in early required 3rd generation tail-feathers. Note the dark markings on the bill.