A Franklin's Gull had been seen at Scaling Dam over the past two weeks but its movements were very erratic ... sometimes present there all day ... sometimes there intermittently and sometimes not at all ... it had visited two other reservoirs briefly but had not been seen elsewhere and not in any dry habitats ...
This afternoon it was relocated at Pinchinthorpe in a stubble field that was being harrowed ...
... the tractor was working away while the gulls followed, grabbing prey and wheeling around to avoid the machinery ...
... the other gulls were largely Black-headed and well into winter plumage whereas the Franklin's was just starting to moult into winter plumage and had an almost complete black hood ...
... the hood apart, the mantle stood out as being much darker grey ...
... and the folded wingtip revealed much white with only limited black sub-terminally ...
... all the gulls were constantly in motion ...
... in flight the open wing had an almost Mediterranean Gull-like appearance with the underwing's whiteness contrasting with the Black-headed's dusky look ... the dark sub-terminal band showed up on closer looking ...
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