Month: December 2023

With the second winter bird I had on Christmas Eve (see previous post), and the amount of eye catching Common gulls around at the moment, I did wonder if I might see another identifiable heinei. I was however not expecting to see a 1st winter bird; I’ve never seen such a good example of 1st cycle heinei in the UK before.

The combination of all dark brown wing, pure white underparts, white head and bright pink bill base made me jump as soon as I picked this bird up. I see plenty of contrasty canus types and some with very clean head and flanks but never in combination with the dark wing like this – dark winged birds tend to be very streaked and dark elsewhere.

Showing a dark inner primary window above and below, the underwing is very contrastingly patterned and no barring in the auxiliaries, white feather centers with dark fringing contrasting with a solid trailing edge throughout the full length of the wing, I have read that the combination of a coarsely marked underwing with pure white underparts could be unique to 1w heinei.

I also noticed that this bird’s iris is slightly paling – Adult heinei show paler irises, and it is only known in heinei to show a paler iris in other ages (although I’ve never seen that in a 1st cylce before). click on images to zoom.

I’ve always been cautious of first winters without a primary pattern to go by, and am grateful to Peter Adriaens for his comments, helping to confirm today’s bird.

For more images of 1st cycle heinei have a look here.

A second winter Russian Common gull came to bread at Shakey Beach this afternoon. The same spot that I had one of the same age back in Feburary. It really stood out as a contrasty long winged and large bird. In flight I could see it had alot of black in the primaries, a nice clean head and boa of neck streaking along with one of the diagnostic primary patterns for this age group, (there are a few different diagnostic primary patterns for this age heinei)

A Small mirror on p9 confined to inner web only, no white tongue tip to p7 and a black band on p4 – (Black markings on both webs of p4 would also be acceptable according to literature.)

The bird also has black marks in the tail and greater coverts which is also indicative of heinei. One thing to remember with these features is that they must be present in conjunction with a white head, boa of neck streaks and bright bill for safe heinei ID.

Back from Miami and straight up the cliffs. A light NW both y’day and today, with a Westerly movement of large Gulls along the cliff tops taking place on the 14th. Highlighted by 7 Caspian Gulls – 2 First winters, 3 second winters and 2 third winters . The gulls were coming through in loose flocks of around 50 at a time, its abit of luck if you get onto a casp and then get time to photograph aswell so I only got a few of them. A fun way of gulling and often produces decent numbers of ‘rarer gulls’.

1st Winter Caspian Gull

2nd Winter Caspian Gull

3rd Winter Caspian Gull

8 Yellow legged Gulls (2nd winter below) were also counted among the 100s of Herring and Great black–backed, with only a handful of Lesser black backs.

2nd Winter Yellow-legged Gul

Today was a similar weather situation but basically no gulls moving except for this large, probably male adult Caspian Gull which flew east past fan bay.

Adult Caspian Gull

An almost perfect primary pattern let down only but the incomplete black band on p5, (you can see the ghost of the inner web’s portion) though nice long grey tongues eating into the black and very limited black on the underside of p10. perhaps some mixed genes in its family tree but could also be variation.

Other birds of note were 3 Chiffchaf, a Blackcap 2 Firecrest and a Woodcock that flew up ovr the cliff at fan bay mid morning.

Another post about American Herring Gulls, after one a couple of years ago on the same subject. A photo dump detailing some features and variation observed during my recent work trip. All photos taken along South Beach miami, a short walk from my hotel. If youre not into the finer points of AHGs then look away now!

Above, flanked by 2 Lesser Black backed gulls – far more common along the beach this time of year.