The Gullening 3 - Mo Gulls, Mo Problems

After finishing off the weekend last week with some nice shrikes and eagles.


Red-Backed Shrike



White Tailed Eagle

It was back up to Hameenkyro this weekend. I was down at Tarastenjarvi dump again, bright an early this morning.

It was slow going at first as a Goshawk stuck it to the gulls for the first 20 minutes or so, so I wandered around the back of the dump, finding a nice Merlin for my trouble.

When the gulls finally settled I sat back to enjoy them.

Lots of crisp juvenile Baltic Gull in situ now. I really enjoy taking in the variation of these beauties.



Baltic Gull - juv - Dark greater coverts. Among the birds I see, dark coverts are in the majority.


Baltic Gull - juv - The greater coverts can often be half and half, both horizontally, as in this bird where the greater coverts bases are dark, or vertically, where the outer greater coverts are dark but the inners paler. (below)



Baltic Gull - juv - mostly pale greater coverts


Baltic Gull - some open wing patterns












A very pale individual


A dark bird


Muddy greater coverts


Already well progressed mantle moult



A beautiful dark bird.


Immaculate and dark






An unusually dark bodied bird





Adult Baltic Gulls, as always, were stunning.






After enjoying the Baltics hanging around the trash pile, but finding no Caspians, I moved towards the hill to check the birds there. In a small group, frequenting some puddles on the yard beforehand, I picked up this lovely juv Casp. There had been one reported of late, but I have not seen shots of it, so am unaware if this is new or not. A gorgeous bird nonetheless.



Caspian Gull - juv - a gingery toned individual.



Good comparison







Tail comparison




Gorgeous underwing




I then left the bird on the hill and returned to the thrash pile, however it followed me.







That tail.



Other than this one Casp, however, there was just a couple of Casp wannabes on offer. Interesting birds with some interesting feather patterns.


Pale and leafy, but too well marked.



Dark and white, with plain tertials, but not quite the whole package.


As always, plenty of Baltic Herring Gulls around too.


An enjoyable day of gulling. Could have sworn I heard my first Lapland Bunting of the year too. Will be getting cold soon!

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