Monthly Notables January 2017

• Mew Gull (1st cycle). Will County, Illinois. 01 January 2017.
• Western Gull (1st cycle). Salt Lake County, Utah. 01 January 2017.
• Continuing all winter. Here since October 2016.
• Iceland Gull (adult). Flathead County, Montana. 01 January 2017.
• Nominate glaucoides candidate.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Pierce County, Washington. 01 January 2017,
• Continuing. Reoccurring. One of 3 in the state this month.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Niagara County, New York. 01 January 2017.
• Seen crossing back and forth into Niagara County, Ontario. 
• Franklin's Gull (2nd cycle). Volusia County, Florida. 02 January 2017.
• Common Gull (adult). Somerset County, New Jersey. 03 January 2017.
• 2nd state record. Head streaking, relatively thick bill and slightly darker upperparts than Ring-billed suggest nominate canus.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Colfax County, New Mexico. 02 January 2017.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Walla Walla County, Washington. 07 January 2016.
• Presumably back for a second winter.
• Vega Gull (adult). Cameron County, Texas. 07 January 2017.
• Presumably back for a third winter.
• Iceland Gull (1st cycle). Salt Lake County, Utah. 02 January 2017. 
• Kumlien's Gull (1st cycle). Stanislaus County, Califormia. 08 January 2017.
• Slaty-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Monterey County, California. 09 January 2017.
• Slaty-backed Gull (3rd cycle). Clallam County, Washington. 12 January 2017.
• Ross's Gull (adult). San Mateo County, California. 12 January 2017.
• 2nd state record. A pair of Peregrine Falcons depredated this individual mid-afternoon on 14 January 2017. The bird appeared healthy and was actively feeding on worms before its demise.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle type). San Mateo County, California. 14 January 2017.
• Black-tailed Gull (1st cycle). Monterey County, California. 13 January 2017.
• Only 3 accepted records for the state prior to this. First county record.
• California Gull (adult). Winnebago County, Wisconsin. 16 January 2017.
• Slaty-backed Gull (1st cycle). San Diego County, California. 16 January 2017.
• Photos of a very convincing 2nd calendar year bird of what is almost undeniably a young Slaty-backed Gull - the first of its kind to be identified with such broad consensus in North America. This will be a 1st county record.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult). Lincoln County, Oregon. 17 January 2017.
• Heermann's Gull (adult). Clark County, Nevada. 21 January 2017.
• Ross's Gull (1st cycle). Franklin County, New York. 25 January 2017.
• Only a couple records of this plumage in the lower 48 states. Excellent audio recording obtained by Andrew Spencer - perhaps the first time this age group has been recorded!
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Erie County, Pennsylvania. 27 January 2017
• Mew Gull (adult type). Kings County, New York. 27 January 2017.
• Possibly continuing from mid-December.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult). Shasta County, California. 27 January 2017.
• First county record.

Miscellaneous Notes

• A putative adult California x Ring-billed Gull was found and photographed by Mark Sawyer in Placer County, California. 06 January 2017. Beside showing a paling iris, the markings on the crown and nape were fine and thin, similar to Ring-billed. The primary pattern showed less black than expected on a typical California Gull and the gray upperparts appeared a shade paler than surrounding California Gulls.
• An adult Iceland Gull was found dead in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin on 05 January 2017. The finder, Tood Leech, discovered the gull with all of its outer primaries plucked on both wings. This is unfortunate considering the outer primaries were thought to be all white on this individual. There were no signs of injury and the cause of death is still unknown. This is the 3rd Iceland Gull to be found dead by birders on the Great Lakes this winter. 
• Two video recordings with audio of presumed Kumlien's Gulls were taken this month by Donna Martin. One of a 2nd cycle bird giving short calls with head tossing, and another of an adult giving a long call. There's an obvious raspy and screechy quality to both vocalizations. 14 January and 23 January 2017, respectively. Summerside, Prince Edward Island.