Initially believed to be an Audouin's Gull, video and photographs viewed after the bird had been seen on its second evening (Tuesday 11th September) led a number of local of observers to question the identity, which evetually led to the bird being re-identified as an aberrant Herring Gull with a red bill. The photos can be seen in the link below:
http://www.freewebs.com/levelsbirder-pwgull/
Of course this is not the first aberrant gull suspected to be an Audouin's. A bird in February 2006 at Dargan Bay in Belfast, initially appeared to be an excellent candidate, but later close views and images confirmed that this gull was simply plain odd! This bird can be seen in the links below:
http://www.birdsireland.com/pages/rare_bird_news/2006/february_photos.html
http://www.birdsireland.com/pages/rare_bird_news/2006/gull2.html
http://www.freewebs.com/levelsbirder-pwgull/
Of course this is not the first aberrant gull suspected to be an Audouin's. A bird in February 2006 at Dargan Bay in Belfast, initially appeared to be an excellent candidate, but later close views and images confirmed that this gull was simply plain odd! This bird can be seen in the links below:
http://www.birdsireland.com/pages/rare_bird_news/2006/february_photos.html
http://www.birdsireland.com/pages/rare_bird_news/2006/gull2.html
