Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/685634932270301184.

Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/683279408115662848.

I think that’s probably a Black-headed Gull in the back. The foreground bird is interesting; the dark mantle makes me think it’s likely either Greater or Lesser Black-backed Gull. The leg color looks better for Greater.

Size-wise it’s tough for me to tell; I don’t have a lot of experience with relative sizes of these species. Lesser Black-backed Gull is the only one of them I’ve ever seen in person, and that was a single individual seen on a couple of different occasions at some distance.

Sibley gives the following lengths:

BHGU: 15.7″

LBBG: 21.7″

GBBG: 28.7″

So I guess I have to ask myself, does that foreground bird look like it’s 13 inches longer than the background bird? Or only 6 inches longer? I think I’m leaning toward GBBG, since if its head weren’t tucked in I suspect it would look a lot bigger than the COGU. That plus the leg color isn’t enough for me to feel like it’s a slam-dunk, but I’m at least leaning in the GBBG direction. I wonder if there are any photos that show the foreground bird better. It would be interesting to see the extent of dark streaking on the head and nape.

Anyway, I knew that both of the black-backed species were potentially present in @seeseagulls’ vicinity, but hadn’t seen one show up in their blog before. Cool!

Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/679625354698178560.

Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/678707516480323584.

Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/678100280272912384.

Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/677756778357899264.

Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/676307217375543296.

Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/675472964104421376.

mickyswildlifeexploring:

I may have gone a bit winter black-headed gull mad these last few days so I may have a whole stack of these drawings to spam out

.

.

.

#gull #seagull #blackheadedgull #birdart #birding #bird #nature #wildlifeart #wildlife #watercolour #birddrawing #birdwatching #artistsoninstagram #drawings #art #ukartist #outdoors #illustration #sketchbook #animalart #birdlovers #pen #painting
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZOnpRlqxjS/?utm_medium=tumblr

Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/674551075333914624.

Big ones in the back are mostly Herring. Little ones in the front are Black-headed. I think.

Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/673276397136019456.

Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/663529342394105856.

fawnvelveteen:

Feeding The Birds In Winter, St James Park, London, 1919 by Emil Otto Hoppe

I suspect these are Black-headed Gulls, a species I’ve never seen.

Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/613029124933599232.