Ring-billed Gull OMFL!!!
Meeting up with Neil Hagley this afternoon at Shawell Balancing Lake almost the first gull I looked at was an Adult Ring-Billed Gull . Just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating I ask Neil to have a look at this gull in my scope and he came to the same conclusion. GET IN!!! So over the next half an hour we ticked off all the salient features of the bird and then phoned out the news. As this was probably only the sixth record for Leicestershire and Rutland as you can imagine I took quite a few digishots of the gull. Joined later by the Groby crew (Allen, Andy F and Paul) just before the Ring-billed Gull flew off towards the tip, it wasn't long before the group picked at least 3 Yellow-legged Gulls and 3 Caspian Gulls (2 Adults and 1 2nd-winter bird) in the large gull flock. So to put this sighting of the Ring-billed Gull in context, it's probably only the sixth time it has been recorded in the county.It was a county tick for myself, Neil and the Groby crew and Ring-billed G
Comments
Are you sure that all sets of photos are of the same bird...?
Last couple of sets look quite good for tristis....but the first set of pix...?
If they are all of the same bird then it highlights 'morphing' to a high degree...!
Most folks will probably not comment as to a definite ID as photos are..[or can be]...very misleading...'lighting' etc
Would need to see the bird in the field to come to any firm-ish conclusions...
What have 'leading experts' had to say...?
I have spoken to a well known birder who said it looked good for Sibe Chiffy and everybody who has seen it have come to the same conclusion!
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