Adult Caspian Gulls, Dumpiai - some real beauties

There is something oddly satisfying about kneeling down on a rubbish dump and having a beautiful adult cachinnans walk towards and come within a couple of metres of you, happily feeding away. So, this post brings back fond memories of long sunny days spent photographing cachinnans on Dumpiai dump , Klaipeda, Lithuania (September 2010).

A large and very aggressive (presumably male) bird. It was calling very regularly and seemed to dominate all other gulls present.

This and the photos below all show the same individual

Adult Caspian Gulls, Lithuania (September 2010).

This post shows a selection of Caspian Gulls from Preila Pier on the Neringa Spit, Lithuania. Photos were all taken in mid September. The ringed Ukrainian bird above is an annual visitor to the pier. The birds below illustrate the differences between the sexes, as well as some interesting less typical features.

Leg colour varies enormously.

This bird is interesting - it has bright bare parts (note especially the red of gonys extending onto the upper mandible) and a rather well streaked head. Some may argue that these features make this bird not safely identifiable as cachinnans.

'thayeri' P10 pattern, as visible on this bird, is not so unusual in cachinnans.

A proud (male) bird

Another bright bird

A near-adult

Oddly short legs