We were both keen to see the bird in flight to get a couple of record shots, and as we approached the bird a bit closer it duly took off, showing a broad dark tailed band and contrasting white upper tail feathers and rump, features we believed confirmed this bird as a Yellow-legged Gull - but ever the sceptic I was keen to go through the photographs at home before I could be 100% happy.
The flight photographs put paid to any suspicions I had, and through the power of Twitter (thanks to Paul Hawkins and Dave Darrell Lambert) who were also both happy to confirm this bird was indeed a 1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull. Additional features of note were the pale edged dark tertials, reduced pale inner primaries and dark anchors on the scapulars.
I've never had a classic adult Yellow-legged Gull on the Flats only a couple of juvenile/1st-winter possibilities in flight, which I eventually binned as I wasn't ever totally convinced, so it was good to finally nail this one down - a long over due patch tick.
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