American Herring Gull

Found by Magnus Robb at Sesimbra harbour, this pale Herring could well be the first adult record for mainland Portugal. During this last weeks there as been some effort to scout the beaches and harbours in search of Glaucous and Iceland gulls!!!! This American Herring was without a doubt a good surprise!

 Putative American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus ad.

 

Here with Larus michahellis and Larus fuscus and showing bayonet on P7 and "w" shaped black band on P5.

Kumliens Gull

On the same date at Peniche, 2cy Larus glaucoides kumlieni showing very fresh plumage and darker outer webs of outer primaries.

more solid band on tail than nominate Iceland Gull

2cy Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides glaucoides also at Peniche docapesca.

Glaucous invasion - Part II

Glaucous Gull  Larus hyperboreus, invasion on Atlantic coast is still far from the end....yesterday at Peniche harbour.

 2cy glaucous Gull

 another 2 cy Glaucous Gull.....

 1 adult....

 2 adults.....

5 adults together on the same pier......

At the end of the day: 7 adults, 3 1st winters and 1 2nd winter Glaucous Gull at Peniche harbour. Its certainly not a common sight on our coast!

3cy Herring Gull at Ericeira

Yesterday at Ericeira harbour, a beautiful 3cy Larus argentatus and probably ssp. argenteus.

 here with 3cy Larus michahellis "lusitanius"

 together with 2cy local "lusitanius"

Glaucous invasion

Some photos of the Glaucous gulls present near Lisbon  this last week.

3cy Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus - 27.01.2014 Praia do Torrão, Almada

3cy Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus - 27.01.2014 Praia do Torrão, Almada

Adult Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus - 27.01.2014 Praia do Torrão, Almada

Adult Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus - 27.01.2014 Praia do Torrão, Almada

Great black-backed Gull, Larus marinus together with 3cy Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus - 27.01.2014 Praia do Torrão, Almada

Great black-backed Gull, Larus marinus - 27.01.2014 Praia do Torrão, Almada

Herring Gull, Larus argentatus - 27.01.2014 Trafaria, Almada

Herring Gull, Larus argentatus - 27.01.2014 Trafaria, Almada

Wintering Ring-billed gulls at Lisbon area

Wintering Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis can be found anually in some of the coastal big city parks. Here are some January photos from Parque da Paz, Almada   38°39'50.81"N     9°10'2.31"W.

 2cy Delaware Gull roosting with Lesser black-backed gulls and Yellow-legged gulls.

 note the atypical tail pattern...

 4th cy plumage or adult? This ind. showed only one mirror on P10 as stated for 3rd winter plumage (Olsen 2003), probably the same wintering individual from the previous years.
http://gullsinlusitania.blogspot.pt/2012/04/1-st-winter-larus-delawarensis.HTML
http://gullsinlusitania.blogspot.pt/2012/11/2nd-winter-larus-delawarensis.HTML

Good numbers of Black-headed gulls and Lesser black-backed gulls can be found roosting and bathing on the lake, but the number of color ringed birds is usualy very low or absent.

 Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Herring Gull at Carrasqueira ricefields

Last Sunday, 23/11/2013 there was a 4cy Herring Gull most probably ssp. argenteus at Carrasqueira peninsula ricefields in the Sado Estuary. In the last 2 years Herring gull records increased in Portugal, much because of a great awarenness from the observers in general, however the majority of them are made in beaches and harbours along the coast, this one was my first record inland on a ricefield roost of Lesser black-backed Gulls.