White Winged Gulls

**nirofo** · 20-Feb-09, 02:00

One or two white winged gulls have started to make an appearance now, first to show up about 3 weeks ago was a 2nd Winter Glaucous at Thurso Harbour. Last week there was a 1st Winter Iceland and a 2nd Winter Glaucous at Scrabster Harbour, this week a 2nd Winter Iceland and a 2nd Winter Glaucous at Scrabster.

Here's a couple of photo's from Scrabster.

Glaucous Gull 2nd Winter.

Iceland Gull 2nd Winter.

nirofo.

**nirofo** · 20-Feb-09, 02:04

2 more White winged gulls from Scrabster.

Iceland Gull 2nd Winter.

Glaucous Gull 2nd Winter.

nirofo.

**the_count** · 20-Feb-09, 02:44

cracking photos nirofo, i am hoping they are still there in on sunday next week so i can get a few shots. They always seem to turn up in thurso and never manage to make it to wick lol. We get the car next weekend so should be able to get there lol

**Aaldtimer** · 20-Feb-09, 04:07

Hi Nirofo, I'm just wondering why you class them as "white winged", when they are patently grey winged birds?

**nirofo** · 20-Feb-09, 14:26

I don't think there is any official reason they are called White-winged Gulls, it's probably because they can appear very white with few if any other distinguishing markings, especially in flight. Probably also because they are generally talked about in the birding world as white winged gulls.

Her's 3 more photo's to be going on with.

Iceland Gull 1st Winter.

Glaucous Gull 1st Winter.

Glaucous Gull 2nd Winter.

nirofo.

**Aaldtimer** · 20-Feb-09, 14:41

Thanks for that nirofo. It's the first time I've come across the expression hence the puzzlement!
Great photos by the way!

**kas** · 20-Feb-09, 18:07

Great photos as alway Nirofo.
A few more from Scrabster.

Iceland Gull (2nd winter I think.) 14.02.09

Glaucous Gull 08.02.09. Is this also 2nd winter?

I have yet to see an adult of either species.
Numbers are not as many as last February, one day last year we had nine White winged gull on Scrabster beach.