Selkälokkeja - Baltic Lesser Black-backed Gulls from Tampere dump, 9 August 2021

Selkälokkeja - Lesser Black-backed (Baltic) Gulls, from Tampere dump, 9 August 2021.

Hey, its' a fascinating bird, and said to be the most Finnish bird on Earth (majority of breeding population breeds in the Finnish territory)

Adults, perhaps male and female (in the background)

First-summers

Bird 1

Note tips of growing p1 barely visible on both wings

Bird 2

Note p1 missing on left wing and only two second-generation rectrices left.

The Finnish (Baltic) breeding population of Lesser Black-backed (Baltic) Gull is decreasing. On 9 August 2021  appr. 125 adults, two first summers and only three juveniles were seen. Further, 18 colour and one metallic rings were read.

Juvenile 1.

Juvenile 2.

Juvenile 3.

Juvenile with two adults

Juvenile with juv Herring Gull

Some flight shots

Pale-backed, dark lead to sooty grey Lesser Black-backed Gulls are scarce, but frequent in Finland. Today two adult birds were photographed. In Finnish vagrant context there is a wide consensus of ID:ing birds only as graellsii/intermedius/heuglini. 

Gra/int/heu adult, bird 1

Gra/int/heu adult, bird 2

Possibly bird 1, showing wing

Note p1-p2 newly moulted, p3 missing and p4-p10 slightly worn with large mirror on p10