It's a nice gull - honest

There's been quite a mixed response to this gull series, a bit like Snappybiatch's Marmite Chocolate, either love it or hate it. There are a couple sounds that I grew up with, both associated with holidays and therefore both evoke good memories. When we holidayed in the country there was the cooing of Woodpigeons, when we holidayed at the seaside there was the calling of Herring Gulls, so I don't mind gulls, but from a birdwatching point of view they're frustrating birds that normally I'd just bypass saying there's some gulls over there. They go through so many different plumages and the difference between certain species is quite minimal that I just decided that it was time I learnt more about them.

A couple of interesting comments from yesterday's Third Winter Great Black-Backed Gull, I liked simplemoments observation that he looked like he has a wonderful wool sweater on and CanCarrier's sensible question on size - Does that make him as big as a turkey, or merely as big as a chicken? Which allowed me to have the very childish pleasure of being able to write Big Chicken on her downhill skiing blip - you just can't beat childish pleasures.

Today's weather in Perth was even worse than yesterday, the thaw's continuing and its damper and slushier underfoot and a deep dank mist is everywhere. There's no longer any ice floes on the Tay, the distant island where the gulls normally hang out is losing its ice and the gulls are returning and deserting the slowly disappearing ice bank by the North Inch - however fear not a few remained.

Today's offering is a First Winter Common Gull, hatched this summer. Head white with darker spotting, sometimes reaching flanks and undertail-coverts. Shows contrasting bluish-grey saddle against juvenile wing with pale brownish-grey, unpatterened greater coverts. Bill with pale (greyish, greenish-grey or fleshy) base and black tip. Legs same colour as base of bill.

Unlike the last two offerings you won't catch this guy stealing your ice-cream it's a nice gull - honest. It's the 'classic' gull of school sports fields, they have a habit of walking on the spot, or paddling, which apparently mimics the patter of rain and encourages worms to come to the surface . Most of them breed inland, on marshes, along rivers or at lochs. It's smaller and less threatening at 40-42cm compared to the Herring Gull 55-67cm and the Great Black-Back 64-78cm.

Do your homework and study in Large.