31 December 2024 - Hollingworth Lake

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Yellow-legged Gull

Simon had found a sub-adult Yellow-legged Gull by the Rowing Club recently, and today I was lucky enough to encounter it too; it was perched on the jetty along with Black-headed Gulls and Lapwings, giving pretty good views. Apart from the obvious features, it had a yellow bill with a red smudge on the gonys, and dark 'blob' either side of the mandibles. It has a pale iris with an orange-red orbital ring and some pale grey flecks around the head and breast.  What a cracking bird!

Yellow-legged Gull, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 3200 (view full size image)