If it could be any rougher or less professional than the home-page then this will probably be it! But it's taking me so long to complete the main posts the more current stuff will sit gathering dust without trying this...
1/4/2015 Hayle estuary. Mass clear-out of Lesser Black-backed Gulls L.f. graellsii since 30/3 (possibly the 100s coasting S.W. past Pendeen Watch yesterday). Only birds of note- long-staying 2nd cal.year michahellis, and 2nd cal. gull sp. showing some characters of L.(m.)atlantis! Latter caused some confusion as RBN decided that was good enough to make it a "possible" Azorean! However, although the bird looked good structurally for atlantis- and by the same token was wrong for graellsii- there were problems; there was very little streaking on the head (could be explained by moult or wear as the upper breast was largely white along with odd ff in the flanks), the scutes were dull pink with no dark scaling, and the head was a little "square" for atlantis- but the feature is highly subjective, and the bird's head ff were worn and possibly beginning to moult. The tail and it's coverts looked ok,, there were new inner median cov.s and upper tertials and the rest of the plumage was "within parameters", but I did not get a look at the underwing or inner pp before I left. I will post a copy of my sketches, and any photo.s that may have come out later.
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