January 2019 Quiz

Age: The plumage aspect looks typical of an adult-type, large white-headed gull. The outer two primaries, p9-p10, are growing out, with all flight feathers newly molted. This signals the end of a definitive adult prebasic molt. Assuming this individual was observed in the northern hemisphere, the time of year is likely late-summer to early fall.

Identification: The gray upperparts appear too pale for any black-backed, but also suspiciously darker than our pale, silvery gray species (Ring-billed, Iceland and Herring). Looking closely at the legs, we find this is a yellow-legged species. Possibilities are Mew, Ring-billed and California Gull. The black-to-red bill pattern and apparent dark eye are nearly diagnostic here, eliminating the former two. The well-marked primary pattern, forming an extensive black triangle to the wingtip is strongly suggestive of California Gull, which is what this individual is.

Imperial County, California. September.

Monthly Notables December 2018

Sightings:

• Ross's Gull (adult). Rockingham County, New Hampshire. 01 December 2018.
• Seen off-shore on a pelagic trip.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Nipissing County, Ontario. 01 December 2018. 
• Continuing from November.
• Mew Gull (adult). Kings County, NY. 03 December 2018
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult). Contra Costa County, California. 06 December 2018.
• First County Record.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Brant County, Ontario. 11 December 2018.
• Bonaparte's Gull (1st cycle). Hawaii County, Hawaii. 12 December 2018.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (juvenile). Monroe County, Florida. 12 December 2018.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Brant County, Ontario. 12 December 2018.
• A second adult discovered with the bird from the previous day.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Del Norte County, California. 12 December 2018.
• Bonaparte's Gull (adult). Valdez-Cordova County, Alaska. 14 December 2018.
  
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Larimer County, Colorado. 14 December 2018.
• 3rd State Record. First County Record.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Wayne County, Michigan. 15 December 2018.
• California Gull (adult). Bay County, Michigan. 22 December 2018.
• First County Record.
• Slaty-backed Gull (3rd cycle). San Mateo County, California. 23 December 2018.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). San Bernardino County, California. 23 December 2018.
• First County Record. 
• Black-legged Kittiwake (juvenile). Maricopa County, Arizona. 25 December 2018.
• Thayer's Gull (adult). North Hampton County, Virginia. 26 December 2018.
  
• Heermann's Gull (adult). Valley County, Montana. 29 December 2018.
• FIRST STATE RECORD.

Miscellaneous:

1. A first for the Great Lakes region were 2 Slaty-backed Gulls discovered feeding at the same site in Brantford, Ontario. Both birds were adults. 12 December 2018. Photograph comparisons show both birds are different than the Nipissing County individual continuing into December from November, making it 3 adult Slaty-backed Gulls in Ontario at once.  

December 2018 Quiz

Age: The dark carpal bar across the upperwing coverts, and apparent full tail band point to a 1st cycle gull.

Identification: The overall wingtip pattern and carpal bar point to a small tern-like gull (so-called sternine gull). There are only two species in North America that show a complete black trailing edge from the body out to the outermost primary: Black-headed Gull and Bonaparte's Gull. Seeing the bill would've been helpful as the two typically show different bill patterns. But there's something much more obvious that we can use here. Black-headed has considerably more black on the under-primaries, as seen here. The light gray/white pattern on the under primaries on our December Quiz bird are spot on for a 1st cycle Bonaparte's Gull.

Cuyahoga County, Ohio. November. 

Monthly Notables November 2018

Sightings

• California Gull (adult). Cameron Parish County, Louisiana. 01 November 2018.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle type). Curry County, Oregon. 02 November 2018.
• 1st County Record. Retained p9-p10.
• California Gull (1st cycle). Jacksonville, Florida. 07 November 2018.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Lake County, Indiana. 07 November 2018.
• Little Gull (adult). Capital District, British Columbia. 07 November 2018.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Santa Clara County, California. 10 November 2018.
• Great Black-backed Gull (adult). Pueblo County, Colorado. 10 November 2018.
• Believed to be the same individual returning for the 25th year!
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle). San Francisco County, California. 12 November 2018.
• 1st Farallon Island record. Missing left foot. Likely the same individual seen in San Mateo County in April 2018 (then a 2nd cycle). 
• California Gull (adult). LaPorte County, Indiana. 12 November 2018.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Benton County, Washington. 16 November 2018.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (1st cycle). Larimer County, Colorado. 16 November 2018.
• Mew Gull (adult). Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. 17 November 2018.
• Sabine's Gull (2nd cycle). Sarasota County, Florida. 18 November 2018.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). San Francisco County, California. 19 November 2018.
  
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Wilson County, Tennessee. 21 November 2018.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Georgetown County, South Carolina. 22 November 2018.
• Common Gull (adult). Essex County, Massachusetts. 24 November 2018.
• Returning for the third consecutive winter, this individual has a silver band on the right leg, originating from Iceland. No p8 mirror and a broken p5 band. 
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Nipissing County, Ontario. 24 November 2018.
• Sabine's Gull (1st cycle). Sarasota County, Florida. 24 November 2018.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Perry & Faulkner County, Arkansas. 25 November 2018.
• European Herring Gull (1st cycle). St. John's County, Newfoundland. 25 November 2018.
• Glaucolus Gull (1st cycle). Madison County, Mississippi. 26 November 2018.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult). San Diego County, California. 28 November 2018.
• Retained p8-p10.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Clark County, Nevada. 29 November 2018.

Miscellaneous Notes

1. An estimated 170 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were reported at the Findlay Reservoir in Hancock County, Ohio on 11 November 2018. This count would certainly be a new high record for the Great Lakes region. Observer Jeff Loughman. 
2. On 15 November 2018, the Seaside City Council in central California approved a permit to have a floating Heermann's Gull nesting island put in place at Roberts Lake. 
3. Six California Gulls were observed at a water treatment plant in Culberson County, Texas on 24 November 2018. To my knowledge this is a single site high count. Observers Martin Reid, Sheridan Coffey, Willie Sekula.

November 2018 Quiz

Age: We can be sure this individual is not sporting definitive adult plumage. The heavily marked tail, ink spots on the upper side of the secondaries (right wing), black-marked primary coverts, and smoky brown pigment on the under wing coverts along the leading edge (left wing), all make this a relatively straight forward bird to age. It has adult like gray secondaries and primaries, with broad white tips, ruling out a 2nd cycle. This individual would best be aged as a 3rd cycle type if we can agree it's a large, four-year gull.

Identification: The gray upperparts don't appear dark enough for any black-backed species. Which gray-backed gull has pale eyes and a medium size bill? The black subterminal tip to the bill superficially resembles Ring-billed Gull, but our bird has more of a menacing look with a barrel chested-body and broader wings. Of course if we were observing this bird in real life, we'd immediately get a sense for size and structure, but we don't have that information in a single snapshot. However, if it were a Ring-billed, it would be a 2nd cycle as this is a 3 year gull. The tail band is too wide for Ring-billed with black coming up more than half the length of several rectrices. Here's a typical tail band on a 2nd cycle Ring-billed Gull. It helps to zoom in on what look like pink feet (Ring-billed is yellow-footed).

Our November Quiz bird is a 3rd cycle Herring Gull, a species we should be comfortably familiar with anywhere in North America. Ottawa County, Michigan. December.

Monthly Notables October 2018

Sightings:

• California Gull (3rd cycle type). Richland County, Ohio. 01 October 2018.
• Apparently the same individual found in Lorain County in late September. 
• California Gull (adult). LaPorte County, Indiana. 04 October 2018.
• Little Gull (juvenile). St. Charles County, Missouri. 05 October 2018.
• Franklin's Gull (2nd cycle type). Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. 07 October 2018.
• 1st for Philadelphia.
• Herring Gull (adult). Yuma County, Arizona. 07 October 2018.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Snohomish County, Washington. 08 October 2018.
• Mew Gull (2nd cycle). Allegan County, Michigan. 14 October 2018.
• 9th State Record.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Arthabaska County, Quebec. 18 October 2018.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Ketchikan Gateway County, Alaska. 20 October 2018.
• Glaucous Gull (1st cycle). Cameron Parish County, Louisiana. 21 October 2018.
• Laughing Gull (adult). Halifax County, Nova Scotia. 21 October 2018.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle & adult). Saint Pierre & Miquelon. 22 October 2018. 
• Laughing Gull (2 adults). St. John's County, NF & Labrador. 22 October 2018.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult). Lane County, Oregon. 22 October 2018.
  
• Western Gull (2nd cycle). Nueces County, Texas. 25 October 2018.
• 4th State Record. 
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle type). Santa Cruz County, California. 26 October 2018.
• Slaty-backed Gull (3rd cycle type). Cook County, Minnesota. 28 October 2018.
• 9th State Record.

Miscellaneous Notes:

A small influx of Laughing Gulls was recorded in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in the 3rd week of October. This was in all likelihood associated with hurricane conditions along the Atlantic.

October 2018 Quiz

Age: Both gulls appear to be typical adults with no traces of sub-adult plumes or bill patterns.

Identification: The only thing better than an open wing shot is two open wings for comparison. The gray upperparts are virtually equal in color, and so they're of little help. Suffice to say the gray is pale and any dark-backed species is immediately excluded.

Most useful are the wingtips. To the discerning eye, the bird in front has more extensive black pigment on the wingtip while the other shows limited black and more white. Not only this, the shade of black is slightly paler on the farther individual. The bird in front shows a fairly standard Herring Gull wingtip for the central and western part of the continent, and its pale eye and fairly strong bill agree with Herring as well. The farther individual shows a rather classic Iceland Gull wingtip with thayeri pattern on the 9th primary. The all-white tip to p10 and notable white tongue tips on p6-p8 also point to Iceland Gull. Also note the dusky eye and smudgy head markings, and hints of a smaller bill.

Our October Quiz birds - Adult Herring & Thayer's Gull - were photographed in Superior, Wisconsin in late November.