Late spring through early summer often brings good gull diversity on the Wisconsin, Lake Michigan lakefront. Here, I can often find a few straggling northern species along with hooded migrants. Last Sunday was a great demonstration of this phenomenon with 10 species between Port Washington, Sheboygan and Manitowoc. Couple this with hundreds of sub-adult Herrings in high molt and the hours spent here are well worth any gull-watcher's time and effort.
The highlight for me was this hyper-melanistic 1st cycle Bonaparte's. I've seen 5 or 6 of these now, with this bird being the most cooperative. Although they're reported annually, these types are rare enough to make one do a double-take.
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Possibly a 1st alternate Franklin's where all primaries are renewed
in the first plumage cycle (via PA1).
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| First cycle Lesser Black-backed (1st summer). |
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Second cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull (1st summer).
Inner-primary molt signals PB2 has commenced.
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| Second cycle Great Black-backed Gull (1st summer). |
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| Putative 2nd cycle Glaucous x Herring (1st summer). Photo 1 of 2. |
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| Putative Glaucous x Herring. Photo 2 of 2. |
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| Second cycle Thayer's Iceland Gull (1st summer). Photo 1 of 2. |
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2nd cycle Thayer's Gull with what appears to be a similar-aged Herring Gull.
Of interest is what appear to be adult-like tips to the 2nd generation (?) primaries coming
in on the Herring. Whether or not the Herring is a 1st summer bird is uncertain. Nonetheless,
I do have suspicions that 2nd basic primaries on some of our Herrings can appear adult-like.
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1st summer Kumlien's Iceland Gull. Primary molt has likely begun
but no open wing was observed.
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This 1st summer Glaucous Gull tried to go unnoticed but it's difficult to that when you tower over
everything around you. First summer Lesser Black-backed in the background
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