2018 White-wingers

A selection of shots of several individual Iceland, Kumlien's and Glaucous Gulls that I've encountered in the last month and a half in Galway. It seems to be a rather good winter for white-wingers after a few recent duff winter.
Another American Herring Gull would be greatly appreciated. The last AHG found in Galway was a first-winter found in January 2008 while the returning adult bird was last seen in February 2011. There have only been six records for Galway, half of which were recorded during the 1990's. It's a little perplexing as to how few records there are for Galway (compared to Cork or Kerry) considering the amount of gull watching that has taken place here especially in the two or three decades. There was a nice smart first-winter recently seen at Cashen in county Kerry, hopefully we might get another here some time soon..

Second-calendar Iceland Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 14th January 2018.

Second-calendar Iceland Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 14th January 2018.

Second-calendar Iceland Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 14th January 2018.

Second-calendar Iceland Gull, Bunowen Pier, 22nd January 2018. Same individual taken into care and released at Nimmo's Pier three weeks later.

Second-calendar Iceland Gull, Bunowen Pier, 22nd January 2018. Same individual taken into care and released at Nimmo's Pier three weeks later.

Second-calendar Iceland Gull, Ardmore Bay, 16th February 2018.

Second-calendar Iceland Gull, Ardmore Bay, 16th February 2018.

Third-calendar Iceland Gull, Bunowen Pier, 16th January 2018.

Third-calendar Iceland Gull, Bunowen Pier, 16th January 2018.

Adult Iceland Gull, Bunowen Pier, 31st January 2018.

Adult Iceland Gull, Bunowen Pier, 31st January 2018.

Adult Kumlien's Gull, Omey Island, 15th January 2018.

Adult Kumlien's Gull, Omey Island, 15th January 2018.

Second-calendar Glaucous Gull, Bunowen Pier, 22nd January 2018.

Second-calendar Glaucous Gull, Bunowen Pier, 22nd January 2018.

Second-calendar Glaucous Gull, Bunowen Pier, 22nd January 2018.

Second-calendar Glaucous Gull, Bunowen Pier, 31st January 2018.