Hybrid gull at Sandy Water Park

Clearly the local Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls having been getting it together in Llanelli in recent years, resulting in the odd hybrid. I was at Sandy Water Park yesterday with Mark Hipkin when we noticed this individual, loosely paired with a Herring Gull. The most distinctive feature, not apparent in these photos was that the grey was a couple of shades darker than its companion, plus it had pinky-yellow legs and a intensely red orbital-ring. On the water, especially in a mixed flock, such hybrids could easily pass as Yellow-legged Gull, although the wing tip pattern is not right for this species nor is it structurally as robust.