Friday 13 August 2010

Baltic Gull (Larus fuscus fuscus), ad, 6.8.2010, Hammeren, Bornholm

This Baltic Gull (Larus fuscus fuscus) was photographed at Hammeren on northwest Bornholm where two pairs are breeding in the local Herring Gull colony. It was seen flying back and forth along the cliffs on an overcast cloudy day and due to the weather it was hardly possible to take any well exposed photos of the flying bird up against the grey skies. Therefore the colour on the upperparts looks rather pale in some photos, but note that yet there is hardly any contrast between the black primary tips and the remaining dark upperparts.

Other features supporting ssp. fuscus is the overall slim and elongated appearance with slender body and long narrow wings with highly pointed wingtip. The dark upperparts also have a classical brownish wash on the coverts, there is only a small white mirror on P10 and whereas there is no white mirror on P9 beside a tiny white dot in the left wing.








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