Viking gull, Ullapool harbour

I was pleased to see Ullapools resident Viking gull still at the harbour today, now resplendent in its adult summer plumage. I first saw the bird in July 2017. 

Viking gull is a hybrid glaucous x herring gull, but I have to admit, if this came in at the Pennington Flash gull roost 30 minutes after sunset on a cold, dull windy evening in January, and landed on the water 200m distant, I'd be calling this as a glaucous gull. I think it was perhaps more obviously a hybrid when it was in it's various immature plumages, see below. 

There's an obvious creaminess in the primaries which shouldn't be there on a pure glaucous gull.

 

....and some of these open wing shots seem to emphasis that.

However it's not so evident on these flights shots.

 

but then again....

Here it is a 2nd summer bird in July 2017.

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