With all the Kumlien's Gulls in Kerry of late, and birders paying even more attention than usual to gulls in general, it is perhaps not surprising that other rare gulls of note have been picked out from the crowd. An American Herring Gull was seen at Portmagee in recent days (see post below) but this bird, seen at Reenard by Pat McDaid stands out from the more 'typical' Kumlien's Gulls which have featured in so many other recent posts (just scan the posts below to see). This is a darker version of Kumlien's, with darker primaries, tail band and secondary bar, prompting thoughts that it might be an even rarer Thayer's Gull. The jury is out so far, and final identification will probably need good photos of the bird in flight, which so far haven't been possible. Let's hope it hangs around for even better photos, and who knows, we might have a new 'first for Kerry'.
Dark Kumlien's or pale Thayer's Gull? Portmagee, 26th March 2014 (Pat McDaid).
Dark Kumlien's or pale Thayer's Gull? Portmagee, 26th March 2014 (Pat McDaid).
