Steppe or other ?

Another mystery Gull today, Feb 10, 2012 on Herakleion Harbour. Is it a second winter? If it is Steppe or Caspian? The fine bill without obvious gonys excludes michahellis and armenicus and looks not unlike 1st summer Ring-Biled?

Comparing with michahellis looks a bit smaller, same grey:

Comparing with Caspian the bill is shorter, also legs shorter and possibly heavier:

So what?

A nice morning, 26 Jan 2012

The stormy weather in the sea gave the opportunity for more Gulls to be in the harbour but I had only little time... Presuming Caspian right and YLG left:

Immatures to be study...:

Fuscus type:

Heuglin's I suppose:

Both YLG:


And a Steppe Gull !



With a YLG:


Wonderful morning both in weather and for Gulling!

Caspian Complex and more :)

This subadult Caspian was also in "Armenian post":

In the next a Caspian resting with a darker individual to the left, what?:

Is the same individual as in a previous post:

Here alone, very dark Caspian, Steppe or heuglini? or even taymyrensis? :

At least adult Caspian looks easy!:

A bird that I think is a Steppe one:

But I cannot say what is that... another Steppe or a very dark Caspian ?


Finally a bird that looks really huge beside the Baltic one:

I suppose is an hybrid YLGxCG (mirror/primaries, body colour and eye like Caspian, legs and bill like YLG).

Armenians... Jan 2, 2012

A 4 cal year Caspian, 2 YLGs, and Armenian Gull. The pic above just to show the little but important differences in body and leg colour.

The same Armenian:
.
Another most probable Armenian although the eye not as dark as usually I suppose is armenicus mostly from bill shape and body colour:

And a third Armenian further away:


More individuals Jan 4, 2012 adult and a probable 2cy:

What is this?

First Year Gulling in Herakleion Harbour yesterday January 2, 2012!

There are two birds among others very interesting.


Compare the YLG to the right the front bird has lighter grey in mandle and is as small as an Armenian, but has pale eye and wrong leg colour for that species. Looks heavier than a Common Gull... The gull opposite will be discussed in another post.



So what is this gull?


An update, not sure if is the same bird... Jan 4, 2012:


Going back to my photos I found this bird from Nov 25, 2011 which seems to be exactly the same individual,and may give some help:


And also another difficult bird... Nov 18, 2011:

Latest Gulling on 2011 - an odd one!

I was focusing in the flock when a strange bird passed by:

A pic to show a typical primary pattern on YLG:

Several YLGs:



An immature Caspian with a very hooked bill:

Same bird from the other side:


And then the odd one appeared!

I think is a partly leucistic Heuglin's Gull:

Details shows a subadult:

Dec 7, 2011 Herakleion

A subadult YLG, injured in foot:
Baltic or Scandinavian LBBG?:
Mediterranean 1st winter:
A rare visitor in the harbour, a 2nd winter Audouin's !!!
Good day with some rain!