Monthly Notables October 2016

• Glaucous Gull (2nd cycle type). Essex County, Ontario. 04 October 2016.
• Continuing since at least July!
• California Gull (2nd cycle). New Haven County, Connecticut. 04 October 2016.
• Great Black-backed Gull (juvenile). Galveston County, Texas. 07 October 2016.
• Only the second time this species has been recorded in Texas in October.
• Chandeleur Gull (adult). Mobile County, Alabama. 08 October 2016.
• Tending toward Kelp. Associating with Herrings on Pelican Island.
• Chandeleur Gull (adult). LaPorte County, Indiana. 09 October 2016.
• Reoccurring southern Lake Michigan hybrid.
• Mew Gull (1st cycle). Nome County, Alaska. 09 October 2016.
• Apparent Kamchatka Gull in Gambell.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (2nd cycle type). Johnson County, Iowa. 10 October 2016.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Pierce County, Washington. 12 October 2016.
• Continuing. This individual now a regular in the Gog Le-Hi-Te Wetlands area.
• Iceland Gull (adult). Salt Lake County, Utah. 13 October 2016.
• Kumlien's. First October record and earliest Fall arrival for Utah. Previous to this the earliest arrival was 04 November 2008.
• Black-headed Gull (presumed adult type). Marion County, Kansas. 15 October 2016.
• Photos of a red-billed bird were very promising but bird was not relocated.
• California Gull (3rd cycle type). Rock Island County, Illinois. 18 October 2016. 
• Recorded on the Mississippi River, moving between Illinois and Iowa.
• Yellow-legged Gull (adult). St. John's County, Newfoundland. 21 October 2016.
• The only location in all of North America where the species is expected.
• Western Gull (2nd cycle). Morgan County, Colorado. 21 October 2016
• Banded. Likely the same individual first found in Washington County in June. 
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. 22 October 2016.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (juvenile). Clark County, Nevada. 23 October 2016.
• Less than 10 records for the entire state.
• California Gull (adult). LaPorte County, Indiana. 24 October 2016.
• In the area since late August.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (juvenile). Ralls County, Missouri. 26 October 2016.
• Little Gull (adult). Lake County, Indiana. 29 October 2016.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (juvenile). Cook County, Illinois. 30 October 2016.

Miscellaneous Notes

1. Lesser Black-backed numbers begin to build in coastal Florida in October. On 17 October 2016, Michael Brothers observed F:003 in Volusia County, FL. This individual, banded on 20 March 2015 in the same county, is more evidence that Florida's growing LBBG population exhibits some winter site fidelity.
2. Putative Chandeleur Gulls (Kelp x Herring hybrids) have not vanished from the earth. October has become the month that these hybrids are reported with more frequency, especially on the Gulf Coast. Two were recorded this month (Indiana and Alabama) with a third candidate in Texas (Galveston County; 12 Oct 2016). Note that roughly 30 hybrid types were found back on the islands in the breeding season of 2015. I do wonder why more pure Kelp Gulls are not being reported in the ABA area. Perhaps some are being overlooked as large Lesser Black-backs, or, most are programmed to "winter" south of the equator.