Monthly Notables June 2018

Sightings:

• Franklin's Gull (adult). St. John's County, Newfoundland. 03 June 2018. 
• Heermann's Gull (1st summer). Pima County, Arizona. 05 June 2018.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd summer). Portage la Prairie County, Manitoba. 07 June 2018.
• Herring Gull (1st summer). Eddy County, New Mexico. 08 June 2018.
• Mew Gull (2nd cycle). Rimouski-Neigette County, Quebec. 09 June 2018.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Kitsap County, Washington. 13 June 2018.
• Franklin's Gull (1st summer). Somerset County, Pennsylvania. 15 June 2018.
• Slaty-backed Gull (2nd summer). Inuvik County, Northwest Territories. 16 June 2018.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). San Mateo County, California. 18 June 2018.
• Laughing Gull (1st summer). Alger County, Michigan. 22 June 2018.
• Ring-billed Gull (2nd summer). Keewatin County, Nunavut. 22 June 2018.
• Thayer's Gull (1st summer). Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. 23 June 2018.
• Mew Gull (1st summer). Los Angeles County, California. 24 June 2018.
• Laughing Gull (adult, 2 second cycle types). Berrien County, Michigan. 28 June 2018.
• The 3 individuals seen together may constitute a state high count for a single site.
• Great Black-backed Gull (1st summer). Berrien County, Michigan. 26 June 2018.

June 2018 Quiz

Age: At first glance this appears to be an adult, or an adult-type, large white-headed gull. The light gray tips to the median coverts are reason enough to suspect this is a sub-adult bird.

Identification: This month's quiz bird is dark-backed with rich yellow legs. There aren't many species that meet this criteria in North America. Lesser Black-backed Gull, California Gull and Yellow-footed Gull should all be considered.

I will dismiss California Gull on the count of it being a noticeably paler species than what is seen here. On the palest end, California Gull scores a 5 on the Kodak Gray Scale, and a 7.5 on the darkest end. The palest Lesser Black-backed Gull (subspecies graellsii) scores a 9 on the Kodak Gray Scale, and a 13 on the darkest end (nominate fuscus - unrecorded in North America). Yellow-footed Gull (monotypic) ranges 9-10.5.

We are left with Lesser Black-backed and Yellow-footed Gull. The bill on our bird is thick all throughout and shows a noticeable bulbous tip. This seems much better for the Mexican species. Zooming in we note a darkish iris and yellow orbital. Adult type, and even many sub-adult Lessers, show eyes that are considerably paler than this. Lesser Black-backed also sports a reddish orbital ring.

Our quiz bird is indeed a Yellow-footed Gull photographed at the Salton Sea in Imperial County, California. September. 

Monthly Notables May 2018

Sightings:

• Slaty-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Camrose-Llyodminister County, Alberta. 02 May 2018.
• Continuing from April 2018.
• Glaucous Gull (1st cycle). San Mateo County, California. 02 May 2018.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult). Natrona County, Wyoming. 03 May 2018.
• Little Gull (adult). St. Louis County, Minnesota. 04 May 2018.
• 2 adults seen in the area on 12 May 2018.
• Iceland Gull (1st cycle). Harrison County, Mississippi. 08 May 2018.
• Herring Gull (1st cycle). Mohave County, Arizona. 09 May 2018.
• Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). Burleigh County, North Dakota. 12 May 2018.
• Iceland Gull (1st cycle). Cook County, Illinois. 12 May 2018.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Aleutians West County, Alaska. 12 May 2018.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Saint Paul Island, Alaska. 16 May 2018.
• Apparent 6th record for the island.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (adult). Fort Smith County, Northwest Territories. 18 May 2018.
• 2nd record for the Yellowknife area. 
• Franklin's Gull (1st cycle). Transylvania County, Pennsylvania. 18 May 2018.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Anchorage County, Alaska. 19 May 2018.
  
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Kodiak Island County, Alaska. 20 May 2018. 
• Ross's Gull (adult). Kusilvak County, Alaska. 24 May 2018.
• Heermann's Gull (adult). Yuma County, Arizona. 25 May 2018.
• Laughing Gull (adult). St. Louis County, Minnesota. 26 May 2018.
• Common Gull (adult). Avalon Peninsula. Newfoundland. 26 May 2018.
• Found in a Ring-billed Gull colony. No evidence of nesting. 

Notes:

1. An apparent 1st cycle Laughing x Ring-billed Gull was photographed in by Janice Soos Farral in Lucas County, Ohio in early May. Photos here.

2. The dark-winged 1st cycle Ring-billed Gull photographed in Lansing, Michigan in early April 2018 was apparently spotted in Berrien County, Michigan on 09 May 2018. This individual may clarify the juvenile Ring-billed observed in Wisconsin Point a couple of years ago, suspected of being a Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull. Previous to this, solid dark wings as such have only been reported in small, hooded, gulls in North America.

3. Back in March of 2018, Pennsylvania Game Commission biologists fitted 9 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls with satellite transmitters. As of 21 May 2018, two individuals had made it to southwest Greenland, and 5 others were to the far northeast between the Bay of Fundy, Northern Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Copyright Pennsylvania Game Commission.

May 2018 Quiz

Age:  A known-age bird, this individual was banded in Door County, Wisconsin as a nestling. The overall appearance suggests a 1st cycle and the pointed primary tips reinforce this.

Identification: In some ways, a 1st cycle California Gull may approach what we see here, but that species tends to have a longer and more tubular bill. The bill on our quiz bird is stout and widens at the base. Depending on the time of year, we'd expect a more sharply demarcated bill pattern for California. At this age, California Gull has a longer-wing appearance with an attenuated feel to the rear. The silvery 2nd generation scapulars are suspiciously similar to many Herrings at this age, and of course, that's what this individual is. Structurally, it looks fine for a Herring Gull. The solid brown wing coverts are a result of the feather edges fraying, which eliminates much of the pale edging we'd see soon after fledging.

This individual was rescued by the Wisconsin Humane Society after being trapped in a deep windowsill between buildings. Luckily, it was soon released where it then made its way over to Berrien County, Michigan. It was banded as a chick on 24 June 2013. I photographed it in southwest Michigan on 07 December 2013.

1st Cycle Laughing x Ring-billed Gull - Ohio

Here's a neat 1st cycle photographed by Janice Farral in early May 2018:

Lucas County, Ohio. 

The aspiring hood, leg color and bill pattern make this a great candidate for Laughing x Ring-billed Gull, tending toward the latter. Interestingly, not too far to the east in Lorain, Ohio, observers recorded an adult Laughing Gull being courted by an adult Ring-billed Gull last Spring. A putative hybrid was also seen in Lorain last year.

Monthly Notables April 2018

Sightings-

• California Gull (1st cycle). Volusia County, Florida. 06 April 2018.
• Apparently the same individual seen here in February 2018.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). New Hanover County, North Carolina. 08 April 2018.
• Little Gull (adult). Sangamon County, Illinois. 11 April 2018.
• Common Gull (adult). Barnstable County, Massachusetts. 14 April 2018.
• Mew Gull (adult). Norfolk County, Massachusetts. 15 April 2018.
• 1st county record. Perhaps the first well-documented brachyrhynchus for the state.
• Common Gull (adult). Norfolk County, Massachusetts. 15 Aril 2018.
• Blue leg band, 747, on left leg, originating from Iceland. This individual was seen on the same stretch of beach with the Mew Gull above. See here. Not to be confused with the metal-banded Common Gull also originating from Iceland.
• Mew Gull (adult). Schenectady County, New York. 15 April 2018.
• Apparent 1st county record.
• Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). Burleigh County, North Dakota. 17 April 2018.
• Little Gull (adult). Ingham County, Michigan. 18 April 2018.
• Mew Gull (1st cycle). Scott County, Iowa. 18 April 2018.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Warren County, Pennsylvania. 19 April 2018.
• Mew Gull (adult). Keith County, Nebraska. 21 April 2018.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). San Mateo County, California. 24 April 2018.
• Distinct bird with missing left foot.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Cameron Parish, Louisiana. 24 April 2018.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Robert Cliché County, Quebec. 27 April 2018.
• Ivory Gull (adult). Nome County, Alaska. 28 April 2018.
• Slaty-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Camrose-Lloydminister County, Alberta. 29 April 2018.
• Apparent 1st record for Edmonton region. 
• Little Gull (adult). Sullivan County, New Hampshire. 30 April 2018.

April 2018 Quiz

Age: The gray back and proximal wing coverts suggest an adult bird, but which species?

Identification: Note that Bonaparte's is easily ruled out due to the white trailing edge. Black-legged Kittiwake would be a good guess, but the pattern on the upperwings and primaries contradicts its age. That is, only a young Black-legged Kittiwake would show the white triangle seen here, but it would be coupled with a black carpal bar. Also, traces of a black tailband would be present if it were the more common kittiwake.

From the looks of it, this appears to be a "smaller" gull, mostly recalling Sabine's Gull. But there are some small, subtle, features on this bird that nail the identification: Notice the white sliver on the outer scapulars on the right wing. Zooming in, there is a thin white partition between the scaps and upperwing coverts. This is not found in any Sabine's Gull, but is found in Swallow Tailed-Gull. And. And. And...last, but not least...adult Sabine's have black-ish legs - not the relatively bright pink legs seen in the photo above. 

I think we can be sure that if we ever saw our April Quiz bird, head included, we'd have no trouble agreeing on Swallow-tailed Gull.

Swallow-tailed Gull. Everett, Washington. 02 September 2017.