Walk like an Egyptian

The wader action at Collingham was a bit limited tonight, with 2 Greenshank, a Common Sand, 8 Ringed Plover and 2 LRPs on Ferry Lane Lake, 3 Green Sands and 5 Curlew (seemingly an adult and 4 juvs) on the Silt Lagoon, and a Dunlin on Mons Pool. In addition, a flock of c.100 Golden Plovers put in a brief appearance. More pleasing, however, was a finding a bird I was actually looking for - an Egyptian Goose pottering around amongst the 500 or so Greylags! I knew one had been seen at Langford Lowfields recently, so thought there was a good chance of it making it to Collingham/Besthorpe. 

'Gyptian Goose

There were also a few large gulls around, mainly Lesser Black-backs, and including several juvs. One of them caught my eye as it was slightly larger and had a rather noticeable whitish head and breast and contrasting dark mask; a heavy black bill; whitish fringing on its upper parts (made less eye-catching in the photo below due to the warm evening light, but noticeably different from the rather brown fringes on the LBBs); and it had neat spots on the sides of the undertail coverts. I only had a moment to grill it before it took off and headed north, when it showed a neat black tail band contrasting smartly with a white base and rump, and a subtle pale window on the inner primaries. All in all, I think it was a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, a plumage I've not got much experience with... so I'm happy to be corrected!

Juv YL Gull?