Common Gull?

LoveT · #1 (**permalink**) 14-03-2011, 06:09 PM

Hi all - silly question time again!

From my office I can see across the road to another office which has a gently sloping roof, and it appears to be ideal gull territory as the black headed gulls love it and form quite a sizeable flock.

The other day, I noticed another gull mixing in with them - very similar in size to the black headed gulls, but looking somewhat different - as you'll see in the photos. It seems to be very happy and it quite well tolerated by the black headed gulls.

I took my camera to work today to try and get some photos of it for identification - needless to say it was being a bit 'camera shy'

Anyway - here's a couple of images (such as I could get). I wondered whether it was a common gull? If so, should it be here at this time of year (southampton - a little way, but not too far from the docks).

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks for looking

Thea

Cuckoo Jack · #2 (**permalink**) 14-03-2011, 06:32 PM

Hi,

Common Gull it is.

Tom

elvisoneill · #3 (**permalink**) 14-03-2011, 06:40 PM

Hi Thea

I agree with Jack.I help out at the RSPB Harbour Reserve here in Belfast which is right by our docks.
and we have pretty good numbers of them mixing in well with their Black headed pals.

Try to get a look at its legs ..a nice light greeny tinge from a distance.

DoraMac · #4 (**permalink**) 14-03-2011, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elvisoneill

Hi Thea

I agree with Jack.I help out at the RSPB Harbour Reserve here in Belfast which is right by our docks.
and we have pretty good numbers of them mixing in well with their Black headed pals.

Try to get a look at its legs ..a nice light greeny tinge from a distance.

Yes, the greenish legs and yellow bill are good ID features of common gull.

LoveT · #5 (**permalink**) 14-03-2011, 07:36 PM

Thanks all - very much appreciated

From what I remember last week (and I think you can sort of see it from the second photo) it definitely had greenish legs, but it was far enough away for me not to be 100% sure - that's why I took my camera to work today.

Great - first one of these I've seen!

Thea

RoyW · #6 (**permalink**) 15-03-2011, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoveT

I wondered whether it was a common gull? If so, should it be here at this time of year (southampton - a little way, but not too far from the docks).

Yes, Common Gulls are still around in southern England at this time of year. They are actually, ummm... common winter visitors, and regularly occur inland with Black-headed Gulls. They can be easy to overlook, but now you know that they are there you might find that you see them quite regularly.
They will still be around well into April, but will dissappear afte that, heading north to breed, before starting to reappear towards the end of the summer.