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1st winter Iceland Gull

Yesterday I decided to "clean up" the picture gallery that the blog's pictures are stored in. Very very bad idea!! I found out this morning that nearly every single picture in the blog was no longer visible and needed to be relinked. Next time I will pay more attention to the warning message that appears when you delete a photo. It will take hours to relink all the pictures.

A brief visit to look at the Iceland Gull(s) at Drøbak again today revealed just the light coloured 1st winter. On the way back I saw my third Pygmy Owl of the year which is quite amazing that in 2011 I had to wait until  December 23rd for my one and only record.

I photographed an interesting adult gull amongst the Herring Gulls. I could discern no differences from Herring Gull in size or structure and general colouration seemed the same but there was very little black in the wings especially the underwing. Here are a few pictures, comments would be welcome

Very pale underwing

Middle bird - little black visible on (nearly) closed wings

Upper and under wing patterns. Appears to be some missing/damaged feathers on the right wing

Closed wing

Practiacally no black visible on upperwing but note slightly blurred wingtips

I believe this to be same bird although photographed it later and didn't see it in flight. Structure and general impression does not look different to Herring Gull

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