Mystery Youngster's - Just for fun

Hi folks, just a bit of fun. If you fancy a bash at it, see if you know who the youngster's are. One or two are heavily cropped so might be a bit fuzzy...sorry. Answers later.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Paul

  • I'll have a go, Paul, but I don't expect to get many correct.

    1. Lesser Black-backed Gull
    2. Eider
    3. Arctic Tern
    4. Razorbill
    5. Shag
    6. Fulmar
    7. Great Black-backed Gull
    8. Kittiwake

    Adult gulls are hard enough but babies are a nightmare so my answers for 1 and 7 are wild guesses.

  • I really loved looking at your photos Paul, that's an amazing collection, but i'm useless on big gulls & babies......forget it. I shall follow the efforts of the "braver souls than me".LOL

  • I think the first one is a GBB gull and the last is a kittiwake.....the seventh could either be a herring or LBB.  I'm not even going to try for the others!!

  • Hi folks. Here are the answers, as promised. I’ve added some info to the answers to help with the ID’s, although this is easy for me to do because I seen the adults as I was taking the photos. Without this, I would have been mostly stumped as to any of the ID’s.!!

    Mystery Youngster’s

    1 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

    2 Eider Duck. Due to all the birds here being sea birds, I thought that Eiders should be here due to them being marine Ducks.

    3 Arctic Tern. Note the short stumpy legs, as seen in the adult birds.

    4 Razorbill. The distinctive beak shape is there and also a glimpse of the adult standing next to the youngster.

    5 Shag.

    6 Fulmar. The ‘nostrils’ on the beak are quite apparent, even on the youngster.

    7 Lesser Black-backed Gull. OK, this was a trick question. I hoped that you would think that all the birds were different types…sorry. I’ve got to have a bit of fun too. :-)

    8 Kittiwake. The adult bird is standing next to the youngster, with its distinct (for a ‘white’ Gull) blackish feet.

    TJ: Outstanding.!! Very impressive, well done. Sorry about number 7  :-)

    Hazel: I’m glad you liked the photos, I hope some of my explanations make sense.

    Clare: Very well done too, you did better than I would have if I didn't already know the answers. I also hope that the explanations help.

    Paul

  • Number 1's an LBB?  I thought the legs looked pinkish.

    We get very few of those birds here so I was pretty clueless!!

  • Good fun, Paul. You certainly fooled me with two of the same species. Actually, I'm surprised I got I got either of them right. LOL

  • Clare: The only way that I knew they were Lesser Black-backed Gulls was due to the parents keeping a close eye on them. I did see some Great Black-backed Gulls, but I didn't see any juveniles.

    TJ: I'm glad you enjoyed, you do realise that you have now been promoted to a qualified Gull expert?

    All of the photo's were taken on the Isle of May, in the Forth estuary earlier in the year. When I get time I'll post the rest of them up, they'll perhaps help to brighten up a dark winter's night.

    Paul

  • Paul A said:
    TJ: I'm glad you enjoyed, you do realise that you have now been promoted to a qualified Gull expert?

    In your dreams. LOL

    Funnily enough I have seen GBB Gull youngsters last year in southern Ireland but I forgot to look at them for comparison with your pics. Here's a couple with mum or dad.

  • I'll look forward to future photos Paul. I never get anywhere near gulls nesting normally, although I did see some on holiday a year or so ago, on a roof at the seaside. I've certainly never seen cuddly, fluffy jobs!!