Sea bird id

[shirl]

This was taken in June on the Northumberland coast, it's a young one and exactly the same colour as one of the parents who regularly came back with food for it. I thought it might be a herring gull but aren't the juveniles brown speckled? There were loads of nests on the cliffs with just 1 youngster at each nest. My only other guess would be a kittiwake, any ideas ?



Shirl

[Tursiops2]

looks like adult Kittiwake to me. The feeding might have been part of a courtship ritual.
T2

[GME]

Difficult to see the legs in this pic but they look black so I'd go with Kittiwake as opposed to yellow of something like common gull. But juveniles don't look like this so I'd say adult. May be partner feeding it whilst its nesting

[rlchew]

That is a Kiitwake Shirl.

In my view, they are our prettiest gull (not normally a word you would apply to gulls!) but sadly declining as a breeding bird.

I was on Shetland a few weeks ago and there were very few Kittiwakes at the seabird colonies .

Richard

[GME]

Originally Posted by Tursiops2

looks like adult Kittiwake to me. The feeding might have been part of a courtship ritual.
T2

lol - great minds Must have been posting at same time

[shirl]

Many thanks all, adult kittiwakes they are then, legs definitely black as in this pic where one of the partners returned to the nest (not brilliant shot but you can see the black legs clearly)



Shirl