Monthly Notables July 2021

Sightings:

• Iceland Gull (2nd cycle). Monroe County, New York. 01 July 2021.
• Laughing Gull (2nd cycle). Monroe County, Michigan. 02 July 2021.
• Glaucous Gull (2nd cycle). Monmouth County, New Jersey. 03 July 2021.
• Black-tailed Gull (adult type). Lake & Peninsula County, Alaska. 03 July 2021.
• Laughing Gull (adult). Marin County, California. 05 July 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (2nd cycle). Sonoma County, California. 05 July 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (2nd cycle). Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. 06 July 2021.
• Little Gull (2nd cycle type - 2). Marinette County, Wisconsin. 06 July 2021.
• Laughing Gull (adult). Muskingum County, Ohio. 08 July 2021.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Kenai Peninsula County, Alaska. 10 July 2021.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Keith County, Nebraska. 10 July 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Norfolk County, Ontario. 11 July 2021.
• Heermann's Gull (juvenile). Ketchikan Gateway County, Alaska. 16 July 2021.
• 5th for Ketchikan. 
• Sabine's Gull (adult). Lyon County, Nevada. 19 July 2021.
• Little Gull (adult). Chittenden County, Vermont. 22 July 2021.
• Black-headed Gull (2nd cycle). Ocean County, New Jersey. 26 July 2021.
• Common Gull (adult). Cape Race, Newfoundland. 26 July 2021.
• Short-billed Gull (juvenile). Clatsop County, Oregon. 26 July 2021.
• Likely a new early "fall" arrival record for this age group.

Notes:

1. Ring-billed Gulls nested in Jackson County, Colorado this season. Nicholas Komar reported more than 40 half grown chicks on 03 July, 2021 at Walden Reservoir, marking the first confirmed breeding in the state since 1900.
2. 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls reported by Peter Paul in Queens County, New York should be a high count for the county (07 July 2021). Summering Lessers are more common farther east on Long Island, such as in Nassau County. 
3. 13 Little Gulls were reported in a "colony" in Churchill, Manitoba by Ashley Westphal on 22 July 2021.
   
   

July 2021 Quiz

 

January. Washington.

Age: The pointed primary tips, neatly patterned wing coverts and tertials, and overall appearance suggest a 1st cycle gull. The warm mottling on the breast and underparts are also typical of a 1st cycle.

Identification: This appears to be a member of the white-headed gulls (as opposed to the smaller tern-like or hooded species). The bill is strikingly petite and "short". At first glance it would seem this is an Iceland Gull due to the pale primary edges, icy-gray post-juvenile scapulars and overall frosty appearance to the upperparts. But we'd be pressed to find a 1st cycle Iceland with this much solid gray on the back in January. This is a 1st cycle Short-billed Gull (L brachyrhynchus), formerly known as Mew Gull in North America. Individuals with this plumage aspect are sometimes described as "mini Thayer's", and overall the plumage patterns are similar. In the field -- which can't be appreciated here -- the diminutive size of this species would be quite obvious. 

Monthly Notables June 2021

 Sightings:

• Iceland Gull (2nd cycle type). Niagara County, New York. 01 June 2021.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (5 - 2nd cycle types). Keith County, Nebraska. 01 June 2021.
• Ross's Gull (1st cycle). Nome County, Alaska. 03 June 2021.
• Nome River mouth. A one-year old in 1st alternate plumage.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (adult type). Harney County, Oregon. 03 June 2021.
• Black-headed Gull (1st cycle). Aleutians West County, Alaska. 03 June 2021.
• Black-headed Gull (1st cycle). Monmouth County, New Jersey. 04 June 2021.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). Cape May County, New Jersey. 04 June 2021.
• 1st State Record continuing until at least this date.
• Ross's Gull (1st cycle). Nome County, Alaska. 06 June 2021.
• Gambell Seawatch. A different one-year old than the Nome bird.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Inyo County, California. 07 June 2021.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Imperial County, California. 08 June 2021.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult type). Anchorage County, Alaska. 09 June 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Cape May County, New Jersey. 09 June 2021.
• Laughing Gull (adult type). Bruce County, Ontario. 09 June 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Comox-Stathcona District, British Columbia. 10 June 2021.
• Glaucous Gull (2nd cycle). Nassau County, New York. 15 June 2021.
• Laughing Gull (2nd cycle). San Juan County, Utah. 16 June 2021.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). Chatham County, Georgia. 18 June 2021.
• Back after a three month hiatus.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Sangamon County, Illinois. 19 June 2021.
• California Gull (4th cycle type). Erie County, Pennsylvania. 20 June 2021.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle/1st alternate). Becker County, Minnesota. 20 June 2021.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). Beaufort County, South Carolina: 21 June 2021.
• 1st STATE RECORD. The same waif that has made the Atlantic coast its home since August 2019.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (5 - 2nd/3rd cycle types). Portage la Prairie Area County, Manitoba. 23 June 2021.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult type). North Slope County, Alaska. 24 June 2021.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (2nd cycle). Los Angeles County, California. 26 June 2021.
• Sabine's Gull (2nd cycle type). Nueces County, Texas. 29 June 2021.

Notes:

1. The 62nd Supplement to the AOS Checklist now treats what was formerly Mew Gull in North America as a separate species from the Old World taxa. Short-billed Gull is the new name for Larus brachyrhynchus. With this split, the ABA Checklist will have a total of 31 gull species. 

2. "The" Heermann's Gull of Florida-fame, subsequently found in Georgia, then Virginia, then Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey, made its way back south to Georgia and then South Carolina this month. By my count, this bird has provided a total of 5 new "state firsts" in 2021, and counting. 

3. Coverage by several parties in the Aleutians yielded several Red-legged Kittiwake sightings this month. Up to 20 individuals were found between Aleutians East and Aleutians West County, Alaska throughout June, all presumably adult types. These are among the highest counts for the species this far south and east in some years. 

June 2021 Quiz

 

Florida. January.

Age: Whichever species this is, we can be sure it's a subadult based on the black centers to the secondaries and dark smudging on the underside of the primary coverts.

Identification: This is a hooded gull with thick white eye crescents and a relatively stout bill. The broad white trailing edge and dark wingtip readily eliminate smaller species such as Bonaparte's and Black-headed (so-called "masked gulls" which have mostly gray along the trailing edge of the secondaries).

 
The only expected hooded gulls in North America are Franklin's and Laughing. One may assume this is a Laughing Gull based on the time of year and location, but taking a closer look, we can make the case for Franklin's for the following reasons: The eye crescents are rather wide and the hood is sharply demarcated with a clean, white neck. And more importantly, the active molt in the primaries is expected in Franklin's at this time of year (note the 3 new innermost primaries). Franklin's undergoes two complete molts per annual cycle. During the northern winter, this species is typically found in South America where it undergoes a complete prealternate molt, replacing body and flight feathers at once. This individual appears to be doing just that, presumably via its 1st prealternate molt.

A few Franklin's Gulls can be found lingering in North America in the boreal winter, primarily in the far south. Those that winter north of the equator appear to average less extensive prealternate molts than their southern counterparts. Here is this individual with several Laughing Gulls. 

Franklin's Gull (center) typically shows a semi-hood if not sporting a complete hood. It averages a smaller body and bill than Laughing Gull. Note how the eye crescents "pop" on the darker head.

Monthly Notables May 2021

Sightings:

• Little Gull (1st cycle). Keweenaw County, Michigan. 01 May 2021.
• California Gull (adult). Johnson County, Iowa. 02 May 2021.
• Thayer's Gull (1st cycle). Lewis and Clark County, Montana. 03 May 2021.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). San Francisco County, California. 05 May 2021.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle). Grays Harbor County, Washington. 06 May 2021.
• Kumlien's Gull (1st cycle). Cook County, Illinois. 08 May 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Norfolk County, Ontario. 08 May 2021.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult type). Central Kootenay District, B.C. 08 May 2021.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Warren County, Ohio. 10 May 2021.
• Slaty-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Alameda County, California. 11 May 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (3; 10 adults). Lincoln County, Oregon. 11 May 2021.
• Likely a high count for coastal Oregon.
• Glaucous Gull (1st cycle). Marin County, California. 11 May 2021.
• Kumlien's Gull (1st cycle). Bucks County, Pennsylvania. 11 May 2021.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). Virginia Beach County, Virginia. 11 May 2021.*
• 2nd State Record. P1 dropped and thus the 3rd prebasic molt has commenced.
• Laughing Gull (adult). Valdez-Cordova County, Alaska. 12 May 2021.
• Apparent 7th State Record.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Santa Cruz County, California. 13 May 2021.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Durham County, Ontario. 13 May 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (1st cycle). Dare County, North Carolina. 15 May 2021.
• Ivory Gull (adult). Nome County, Alaska. 20 May 2021.
• Little Gull (adult). Kings County, California. 22 May 2021.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Nome County, Alaska. 24 May 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Anchorage County, Alaska. 25 May 2021.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). Bristol County, Massachusetts. 27 May 2021. 
• 1ST STATE RECORD. 3rd generation p1 growing in, p2-p3 dropped.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). Newport County, Rhode Island. 27 May 2021.
• 1ST STATE RECORD. Same individual from VA & MA.
• Thayer's Gull (1st cycle). San Diego County, California. 28 May 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon County, Alaska. 29 May 2021.
• 1st for Gustavus, Alaska.
• Ivory Gull (2nd cycle). Nome County, Alaska. 29 May 2021.
• Herrmann's Gull (3rd cycle). Cape May County, New Jersey. 30 May 2021.
• 1ST STATE RECORD. Same individual from VA, MA, RI. 
• 3rd generation p1 growing in, p2-p3 dropped.
• Black-headed Gull (2nd cycle). Cape May County, New Jersey. 30 May 2021.
• Continuing.

Notes:

* The Heermann's Gull that excited several Northeast Atlantic states this month yielded three 1st state records (MA, RI, NJ) and a 2nd state record (VA) all within 20 days. It is believed this is the same Heermann's first found in Palm Beach County, Florida as a juvenile in August 2019. Age, molt and plumage patterns work out perfectly, as well as its sporadic wanderings. This bird also produced a 1st state record in Georgia back in February-March of 2021. It was last seen in Volusia County, Florida on 23 March 2021 before being spotted in Virginia Beach this month. It's obvious this bird has a faulty compass and is likely to turn up anywhere!

May 2021 Quiz

 

Wisconsin. July. 

Age: Gull identification and aging go hand in hand, with the former often dependent on the latter. As we work on identifying a gull, we should be keen to place it in an age group based on plumage patterns. Age and plumage are discussed below.

Identification: The gray-backed birds on the left and right have slender pinkish-yellow bills with defined black rings. The spotted neck markings and finer streaking on the crown, as well darkish eyes safely relegate them to Ring-billed Gull (2nd cycles). Note the 1st generation outer primaries that are holding on (brown), which is expected at this time of year, with new incoming 2nd generation primaries growing in (black with white apical spots). These one-year old Ring-billeds are starting to show yellowish legs, but it is difficult to appreciate this field mark due to both lighting and a slight delay in bare part color maturation.  

The individual in the center is a black-backed species. It's relatively compact, but the solid dark brown upperparts, slender vent region behind the legs and parallel-edged dark bill all look great for Lesser Black-backed Gull. By direct comparison to the Ring-billeds, it is a notably small Lesser, likely a fm type. This too is a 2nd cycle, retaining old 1st generation primaries while molting the inner primaries.

It should be noted that these birds are undergoing their 2nd complete molt (known as the 2nd prebasic molt). Therefore, they are now 2nd cycle gulls.

Monthly Notables April 2021

 Sightings:

• Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). Saskatoon County, Saskatchewan. 01 April 2021.
• Kamchatka Gull (adult). Fairfield County, Connecticut. 01 April 2021.
  
• California Gull (adult). Dare County, North Carolina. 06 April 2021.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (2nd cycle). Davis County, Utah. 06 April 2021.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Ventura County, California. 07 April 2021.
• Vega Gull (adult). Santa Clara County, California. 08 April 2021.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (adult). Calgary County, Alberta. 10 April 2021.
• Less than 20 accepted records for the province*.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Seneca County, New York. 13 April 2021.
• Great Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle). Williams County, North Dakota. 13 April 2021.
• Little Gull (adult). Utah County, Utah. 14 April 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Tompkins County, New York. 19 April 2021.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Pierce County, Washington. 21 April 2021.
• California Gull (adult type). Brant County, Ontario. 22 April 2021.
• Thayer's Gull (1st cycle). Ventura County, California. 24 April 2021.
• Western Gull (adult). Clark County, Nevada. 27 April 2021.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Jefferson County, Kansas. 28 April 2021.

Notes:

1. The adult Black-legged Kittiwake in Calgary is noteworthy for several reasons: 1) There are less than 20 accepted records for the province, 2) It is the longest staying kittiwake for Alberta (with most birds gone within a couple of hours, 3) It has been lingering at a pond at a landfill and has been seen picking through and eating waste (James Fox pers comm.). I don't know of any previous reports of kittiwakes feeding, or attempting to feed, at landfills. 
2. Nick Ramsey reported a putative Kelp x Herring hybrid from the Chandeleur Islands in St. Bernard Perish, Louisiana on 20 April 2021. Adult type. Upperparts intermediate, with a prominent bulbous-tipped bill, square p10 mirror and slight dusky wash on the primary coverts. In addition to this individual, another 3 suspected 1st/2nd cycle type hybrids may have been present, tending toward Herring.