Photo 10: LBBG 3cy, June 16 2001, Missouriweg, Maasvlakte, the Netherlands.

A second summer LBBG, strongly resembling the common Dutch intergrades. As said earlier, second summer (3cy) LBBGs normally show a grey saddle formed by mantle and scapulars. Here, in this individual, most of the upper-parts are adult-like grey, so the effect of grey scapulars contrasting with the old 2^nd generation lesser coverts is lost. Bare part coloration is much more in line with older immatures, especially apply to 4cy LBBG (although the iris is pretty dark). In many 3cy, the black bill-band runs back to the base along the culmen, but here dark markings are reduced to a faint spot at the upper mandible.

The bleached outer primaries are 2^nd generation: without tips and no mirror on p10, while there is a very small spot visible at the tip of p5 (a very common feature in 3cy). It's hard to exclude 4cy LBBG (especially when these 3cy LBBGs show such advanced upper-parts). Strong clues for correct ageing are the primaries and secondaries, which are just visible and are brown centred with an abraded fringe. The 2^nd generation secondaries lack the grey base and nice white trailing edge as can be found in 4cy and older LBBGs.