Above: the pale underwing (a feature of the species) can be seen in the videograb above. It is not as clean as it could be, but this is probably due to the bird still being rather fresh, and it is still early on in the winter.
Above: this videograb compares the upperwings of first-winter Herring (below) and Caspian (upper left) Gulls. Note how the dark-centred tertials contrast with the coverts on Caspian, with much less contrast shown on Herring.
This image shows the bird's tail pattern - typical of a first-winter Caspian Gull, with the sharply-defined dark band contrasting with the white of the rump and rest of tail. Note how limited black marking is aside the tail band.
A profile view of this distinctive (and large) individual. Note the long-necked, elegant appearance, the small, dark eye, extensive white/paleness to the underparts, and the long, thin bill with virtually no angle at the gonys. The all-dark tertials can also be seen well in this image. This bird is more advanced than some are at time of the year.
(c) Josh Jones
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