More white winged beauties

Photo: Frode Falkenberg

In the lunch beak today we decided to have a look for the old faithful Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) and read some Mew Gulls. It did not take long time before we spotted it on exactly the same pier as when it was found for the first time this winter. Today we tried to feed out bread to see if it was hungry. 'All' the other gulls on the pier flown against us and took bread but the Ring-billed remained and eventually decided to fly in the opposite direction. Bread do not seem to tempt this bird, maybe warm fish cakes or salmon will... When we headed back to work we agreed that a quick check in the city centre lake is a must. When driving the few hundred meters towards it we both get a text message from Frode Falkenberg, who had spent his lunch gulling in city centre lake, saying "2Y Glaucous Gull which feed on bread in the city centre lake now".

We had all the equipment in the car and went for a new white gull challenge. Within 15 minutes we had it and could put a ring the county of Hordalands second Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus). This one was really big with a head and bill measurement of 152,4 mm and therefore surly a male. The one we caught 13th of October was considerable smaller for a male and had just 144,4 mm in the same measurement.

Frode Falkenberg had used some time getting pictures of this white giant and the nice picture of it before ringing in this post is his.