ageing Little Gulls

having had another session photographing Little Gulls at Hornsea 12.9 it struck me that many of the first-summer birds had moulted most of their flight feathers into adult like plumage with no blackish sub-terminal marks or outer webs---I took a series of photos which I hope demonstrate that this can be a feature of large numbers of Little Gulls rather than just the odd bird as I noted at least 20 such individuals this afternoon in close views---most had contrasting paler grey underwing coverts but some even had these as black as adults see post below---In the Gulls guide the only description of second winter Little Gull includes black sub-terminal marks or outer webs on primaries 5/6-10
in this post from the top second-winter with obvious black sub-terminal spots on outer prims and pale underwing coverts and paler grey underside to flight feathers than adult; upper right bird first-summer moulting to second winter p10 old all the others with adult type pattern, some retained juv tail feathers; second-winter with black subterminal mark on one primary and two still growing; possible second-summer moulting to adult winter but outermost primary appears more like a juvenile feather?; second-winter with dark subterminal marks on outer three primaries------

first-summer -second winter

this individual is clearly in moult from first-summer to second winter still having some juvenile tail feathers and inner secondaries but note the rather black underwing coverts and the pattern of the primaries all of which appear adult like with no black subterminal marks---although many of the second-winter birds had this upperwing pattern most did show the contrastingly paler grey underwing coverts

second winter

this bird has rather pale underwings but is a second winter bird with obvious sub-terminal black marks on prims 6-8 with black outer web on prims 9 and 10 both with a white tip--also note the dark marks in outer lesser and median primary coverts

more Little Gulls of various ages

from the top downwards---a fairly obvious looking adult with blackish coverts and undersides of flight feathers; a perched first-summer moulting to second winter; the pale underwing coverts of the third bird suggest that it is a second-winter (moulted from first-summer) but note that none of the primaries have black tips/subterminal marks--outer two primaries still growing; a presumed adult standing but possibly second-winter; adult winter in flight

juv

juvenile - first winter Little Gulls seem pretty consistent in many features

Common Terns

as usual there were good numbers of Common Terns present in various stages of moult from adult summer to winter and juvenile-first winter

nice day

no bird photos in spite of good numbers of distant waders and Spotted Red new for the local patch this autumn---a nice sunset and Lapwings as well

mixta

a pair of Hobbies over the patch this afternoon but no new birds however, I did finally manage to find a male Migrant Hawker which was pretty obliging re flight photos---these are almost full frame reductions

just a few more!!

Little Gulls that is and a Black-head for size comparison

patch waders

five juv Curlew Sands on the local patch this pm along with a good gathering of RP's 120. Dunlin 220+, 286 Goldies, Bar-tails 10 juvs, 2 Greenshank--just waiting for the big one

balancing terns

just to counter the abundance of Little Gull images a few Common Terns

Little Gulls

a few more pics