Yellow-legged Gull- Geelpootmeeuw (L. michahellis): 2cy August

(last update: 08 december 2003)

ORG SITE

YLG 1cy May
YLG 1cy June
YLG 1cy July
YLG 1cy August
YLG 1cy September
YLG 1cy October
YLG 1cy November
YLG 1cy December

YLG 2cy January
YLG 2cy February
YLG 2cy March
YLG 2cy April
YLG 2cy May
YLG 2cy June
YLG 2cy July
YLG 2cy August
YLG 2cy September
YLG 2cy October
YLG 2cy November
YLG 2cy December

YLG 3cy January
YLG 3cy February
YLG 3cy March
YLG 3cy April
YLG 3cy May
YLG 3cy June
YLG 3cy July
YLG 3cy August
YLG 3cy September
YLG 3cy October
YLG 3cy November
YLG 3cy December

YLG sub-ad Jan.
YLG sub-ad Feb.
YLG sub-ad March
YLG sub-ad April
YLG sub-ad May
YLG sub-ad June
YLG sub-ad July
YLG sub-ad Aug.
YLG sub-ad Sept.
YLG sub-ad Oct.
YLG sub-ad Nov.
YLG sub-ad Dec.

YLG adult January
YLG adult February
YLG adult March
YLG adult April
YLG adult May
YLG adult June
YLG adult July
YLG adult August
YLG adult September
YLG adult October
YLG adult November
YLG adult December

photo 18: Yellow-legged Gull michahellis 2cy, August 25 2000, Etaples / Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France.

Primary moult score: P8 is fully grown, P9 has to grown a few inches and P10 is halfway it's final length. Another example showing the secondary moult stage. By July, most of the secondaries have been shed (click the thumbnail for the secondary moult stage of July michahellis) but in the majority of the birds, a small block of juvenile secondaries remain at the inner half of the arm. Secondaries are moulted in descendant order, S1 is the first moulted feather (the outermost secondary) and in a wave, new secondaries grown inwards. The two or three innermost secondaries, often hidden by the tertials, are moulted simultaneously and finally the small block of juvenile secondaries is shed as well. Now, by the end of August, it's this group of secondaries which are renewed last in line and as can be seen in the left picture, the gap is closed from two directions.
The complete tail has been replaced. Note the gap in the central median coverts and the outermost greater coverts which is still growing. All second generation secondaries show a neat dark centre and a white zigzag pattern created by the neat white fringes. Note the grey scapulars and the predominantly white upper-tail coverts, contrasting with the broad tail-band. The second generation inner primaries show a window, which is more obvious in 2cy than it is in 1cy, but still not as well-defined as in argenteus Herring Gull.