Lo-res, dark headed, barred tailed gull?

[Jason Green]

I realise the quality of the image is low (the gull was high, great distance covered by lens) and cropped, but I saw this slow-flying bird (very gull-like) and when I looked back at the photo, I can't help noticing the gull appears to be dark-headed (like a Black-headed in the summer) and bar-tailed, or so it appears, so I am in need of, another, gull ID! It may be just a Common or something, but I'm sure you'll agree its interesting.

Also, I am 90% sure the other (PossCommon.jpg) is a common, I just find it hard to ID a gull from below.


Thankyou very much. As always I appreciate it!

[paulchandler6]

The jizz suggests a Black-headed Gull on the first bird. Not sure about the apparent barring on the undertail.

The second bird looks to be a Common Gull.

Paul

[Jason Green]

Thanks for the reply. The bird you think is a black-headed was taken two days ago - I think the black plumage would have become 'smudges' by now, and hence invisible in the photo?

And the 'barring' - is it on the tail feathers or just an effect due to the cropping?

Sorry - what's 'jizz'?

[paulchandler6]

Jizz is a term used that gives an overall impression of a bird. Its shape, movement, flight etc. Not an exact science, but a feel you get.

Paul

[Jason Green]

Likev 'Jist'!

[The Black Rabbit]

I've never really understood the origins of Jizz (if you see what I mean).
Some say the term was "invented" by the cheshire ornithologist T. A. Coward, some spell it GISS (as an alleged adoption of the (alleged) old Air Force phrase- "General Impression Size and Shape).
Anyone know the truth?

[paulchandler6]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

I've never really understood the origins of Jizz (if you see what I mean).
Some say the term was "invented" by the cheshire ornithologist T. A. Coward, some spell it GISS (as an alleged adoption of the (alleged) old Air Force phrase- "General Impression Size and Shape).
Anyone know the truth?

That rings a bell with me as well. I thought it was Armed Forces based in its origin.

Paul

[dmclean2]

Re Gist, or Giss ,
Up in Scotland, when someone is explaining a series of events or a complicated phrase or sentence, they might say at the end " Did you get the Gist of that" which I took as "the overall picture" without the complications.
Duncan

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by dmclean2

Re Gist, or Giss ,
Up in Scotland, when someone is explaining a series of events or a complicated phrase or sentence, they might say at the end " Did you get the Gist of that" which I took as "the overall picture" without the complications.
Duncan

As a Scot moved south Duncan, I am pretty sure "The gist of the idea etc..." is used everywhere. Not just north of the border.
Gist in this case is different I think.
You're talking about "The gist" meaning the basic picture, the central idea.
That, if I remember correctly has very old origins in french legal terminology, and began use in English as the result of a mistake, as far as I remember...

To cut a rather long story short...
In the 17th century, a phrase commonly used in Anglo-French legal jargon was "cest action gist," which meant "this action rests or lies" (the Old French "gist" being a form of the verb "gesir," to rest or lie). "Cest action gist" was used to assert the central point of a case or argument.
Being a useful term, was adopted into English legal use in the early 18th century. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding of French, and "gist," which literally meant "lies or rests," was imported as if it were a noun meaning "the central point," and by the early 18th century English lawyers were speaking of "the very gist of the action."
But it was still a useful term even if it was, strictly speaking, nonsense, and by the early 19th century "gist" had been taken up into non-legal usage.


Well, I think that's the gist of the origin of "gist" anyway!
Giss however, or Jizz? though, when meaning birds (or bandit planes in the air force?!) is something else entirely I think...

Doug