Quick trip to the Thames Barrier

With the tides conducive to a feasible post-work gull session, I headed down to Thames Barrier Park after work on Tuesday evening. Unfortunately there weren't too many large gulls present, although lobbing a few loaves in soon drew more in from afar. That said, the increased number by 7 pm, when the tide was almost at its optimum, nonetheless produced just three juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls.

A particularly dark juvenile Yellow-legged Gull with heavily marked uppertail/rump and a broad tail band.

A Yellow-legged Gull more typical of the birds we see in London in early August; note a replaced upper scapular and the noticeable wear to the juvenile scapulars and coverts.

Perhaps the most exciting sighting was a white-ringed juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull. The bird, 'MU', was ringed as a chick in The Netherlands, although I'm currently waiting for full details. Other than that, it was quiet. A couple of juvenile Great Black-backed Gulls were still begging from their parents and I couldn't see any Meds among the Black-heads.

Juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull bearing white 'MU', Thames Barrier Park, 7 August 2018