Another gull oddity.

[michael23]

This "Common" Gull from earlier this month at carsington res in derbyshire, the main oddity being its red bill. Certainly an interesting individual. Only photos i have found cover black headed x common, and a piece of information about a photo of a possible med x common seen by bill oddie on hampstead heath, this article had a photo of a med x common taken from dutch birding, apparently both of these articles were mid 90's. So if anyone can point me in the right direction of finding anything on med x common, that would be great.
This bird maybe hybrid, may have a stained bill or its just abberant, as an extra the bird was paler than surrounding common gulls.

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv283/michael23_photo/019-1.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv283/michael23_photo/020.jpg

[Colin Key]

Michael,

I do not see a red bill on this bird on either of my monitors, it looks greenish-yellow. The lack of a dark sub-terminal band to the bill suggests that this is an adult Common coming into breeding plumage. I can see no evidence of any "Med" input into this bird.

Colin

[MichaelF]

There is a pinky-purple-grey tone on the bill in that photo (see pic below, blown up to 800%), but there is also on parts of the bird's head, so I suspect it is just a photographic error rather than a real colour. Agree with normal Common Gull. I accuse the camera of telling a lie :smile:

[michael23]

interesting that, the birds bill was like that through the scope, maybe its my eyes....

[Colin Key]

http://www.specsavers.co.uk/

Colin :laugh::laugh::laugh:

[michael23]

:laugh: very good sir!

[forktail]

Was there anything else that led you to consider a hybrid Michael? - it looks very much like a 'normal' Common Gull. But if the bill was red in life, as you say, then I'm stumped as it looks to be a Common Gull.

[michael23]

it was one of those birds, which just stood out as different, it was paler on the mantle than the other c200 commons with it, and of course its bill, even though it wasnt jumping out as a hybrid possibility, which is what also has me stumped, wing pattern is classic for common, i suppose it is "just 1 of those birds"