July 2023 Monthly Notables

 Sightings:

• Heermann's Gull (5th cycle). Carteret County, North Carolina. 01 July 2023.
• Atlantic Coast Bird
• Black-legged Kittiwake (13 - mostly 2nd cycles). Grays Harbor County, Washington. 01 July 2023.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Avalon Peninsula - St John's County, NL. 03 July 2023.
• Great Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Mobile County, Alabama. 03 July 2023.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle). Brown County, South Dakota. 05 July 2023.
• Franklin's Gull (adult type). San Mateo County, California. 07 July 2023.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult type). Canyon County, Idaho. 07 July 2023. 
• Iceland Gull (2nd cycle kumlieni type). Barnstable County, Massachusetts. 13 July 2023.
• Western Gull (adult). Park County, Colorado. 14 July 2023.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). Cuyahoga County, Ohio. 15 July 2023.
• Continuing 1st County Record.
• Little Gull (21; ~ 75% adult). Norfolk County, Ontario. 17 July 2023.
• Glaucous Gull (2nd cycle). Kent County, Delaware. 19 July 2023.
• Swallow-tailed Gull (adult). Santa Barbara County, California. 19 July 2023.
• 5th State Record.
• Yellow-footed Gull (3rd cycle). Clark County, Nevada. 22 July 2023.
• Presumably returning/continuing individual found here in March 2022 as a 1st cycle.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Ward County, North Dakota. 22 July 2023.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). North Slope Borough, Alaska. 23 July 2023.
• Possibly a second bird present in this general vicinity (Prudhoe Bay).
• Red-legged Kittiwake (adult). North Slope Borough, Alaska. 24 July 2023.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Barnstable County, Massachusetts. 25 July 2023.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Juneau City & Borough, Alaska. 27 July 2023.
• Laughing Gull (adult). Pacific County, Washington. 28 July 2023.
• Continuing. 
• Laughing Gull (adult). Simcoe County, Ontario. 29 July 2023.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Anchorage Municipality, Alaska. 29 July 2023.
• Heermann's Gull (5th cycle). Duval County, Florida. 31 July 2023.
• Atlantic Coast Bird. 

June 2023 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

• Black-headed Gull (adult). Knox County, Maine. 02 June 2023.
• Laughing Gull (adult). Nunatsiavut-Nain County, Newfoundland. 04 June 2023.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (adult). Niagara County, New York. 04 June 2023.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Douglas County, Wisconsin. 04 June 2023.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). St. Louis County, Minnesota. 04 June 2023.
• Ross's Gull (1st cycle). Gambell, Alaska. 04 June 2023.
• Iceland Gull (1st cycle). Norfolk County, Virginia. 05 June 2023.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Le Rocher-Perce County, Quebec. 05 June 2023.
• Ross's Gull (adult). St. Louis County, Minnesota. 06 June 2023.
• Continued from late May 2023.
• Franklin's Gull (1st alternate). Westmorland County, New Brunswick. 07 June 2023.
• 1st County Record.
• Sabine's Gull (adult). Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. 09 June 2023.
• Great Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Churchill and Northern Manitoba County, Manitoba. 10 June 2023.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Hughes County, South Dakota. 10 June 2023.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (adult). Cass County, Minnesota. 14 June 2023.
• California Gull (3rd cycle type). Stearns County, Minnesota. 17 June 2023.
• Same individual in Beltrami County, MN on 21 June 2023.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult). Ada County, Idaho. 18 June 2023.
• Black-headed Gull (1st cycle). Kent County, Delaware. 21 June 2023.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). Cuyahoga County, Ohio. 23 June 2023.
• 1st County Record. 

Notes:

1. The Heermann's Gull from Cuyahoga County, Ohio was missing p1 on 23 June 2023, indicating the start of the 3rd prebasic molt (and hence in its 3rd molt cycle). By 30 June 2023, it showed dropped p1-p2. It appears to be the same individual from Lorain County (April 2023), which was a late 2nd cycle then. 

2. A report of 7 Short-billed Gulls from Gambell (seawatch) on 06 June 2023 is noteworthy. 

3. A survey in early June from Breton NWR turned up at least 4-5 Chandeleur Gulls (Kelp x Herring hybrids). St Bernard Parish, Lousiana. See here for photos. Where these hybrids reside in the nonbreeding season is unknown.

June 2023 Quiz

 

Indiana. March.

Age & Identification: 

From what can be seen on the inner primaries and outer secondary feathers, it does not appear these flight feathers are adult-like (i.e., solid gray/black centers with broad white tips). However, p10 has an obvious mirror on what appears to be a large, white-bodied bird with narrow tailband and minimally marked undertail coverts. Based on these features, along with the thick bill, blocky head and broad wing, we can conclude this must be a 2nd cycle Great Black-backed Gull.

May 2023 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

• Black-tailed Gull (adult type). Capital District, British Columbia. 02 May 2023.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Sunbury County, New Brunswick. 02 May 2023.
• Short-billed Gull (1st cycle). Tarrant County, Texas. 02 May 2023.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (7 adults). Washington County, New York. 03 May 2023.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Erie County, Pennsylvania. 05 May 2023.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (8: 7 ad., 1st cycle). Litchfield County, Connecticut. 08 May 2023.
• Unprecedented inland record.
• Little Gull (adult). Lucas County, Ohio. 09 May 2023.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (adult). Essex County, Ontario. 09 May 2023.
• Heermann's Gull (4th cycle). Dare County, North Carolina. 09-22 May 2023.
• Atlantic Coast bird.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). Mohave County, Arizona. 12 May 2023.
• California Gull (1st cycle). Cook County, Illinois. 13 May 2023.
• Continuing from April 2023.
• Black-headed Gull (1st cycle). Toronto County, Ontario. 13 May 2023.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Aleutians West County, Alaska. 13 May 2023.
• St. Paul Island.
• Sabine's Gull (adult). El Paso County, Colorado. 14 May 2023.
• Laughing Gull (adult). Grays Harbor County, Washington. 17 May 2023.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Pacific County, Washington. 18 May 2023.
• Heermann's Gull (2nd cycle type). Wayne County, New York. 19 May 2023.
• 1st State Record. Same individual found in Lorain, Ohio; April 2023.
• Laughing Gull (adult). Clatsop County, Oregon. 25 May 2023.
• Same individual found in Grays Harbor County, WA.
• Black-tailed Gull (adult). Yakutat County, Alaska. 29 May 2023.
• Ross's Gull (adult). Douglas County, Wisconsin. 31 May 2023.
• 3rd State Record.
• Ross's Gull (adult). St. Louis County, Minnesota. 31 May 2023.
• 5th State Record. Same individual from Douglas County, WI.

Notes: 

1. New York got its 1st state record Heermann's Gull on 19 May 2023. A 2nd cycle individual was found in Wayne County by Jay McGowan. Plumage and time sequence suggest it's the same individual found in Lorain, Ohio in late April 2023, and in all likelihood the Baltimore, Maryland bird.

2. An incursion of inland kittiwakes took place this month, dotting several states throughout the northeast. Most noteworthy were sightings in New York and Connecticut (7 and 8 individuals, respectively). The majority of these individuals were adults flocking together, suggesting they were blown inland during migration.

3. To close out the month, Peder Svingen found an adult Ross's Gull off Wisconsin Point on Lake Superior. The bird drifted into Minnesota waters making it a wonderful two-fer. This sighting bolsters a precedence for Ross's Gulls found inland in May/early June. 

May 2023 Quiz

 

December. Michigan.

Age: The mottled brown aspect with pointed primary tips suggest a straightforward 1st cycle of a large four-year species. Almost all of the scapulars are post-juvenile feathers. As a side note, several inner wing coverts have been replaced which typically isn't expected in the 1st prealternate molt of this species.

Identification: The diffuse bill pattern, smudged neck and sides, and apparent dark tail seem fairly typical of American Herring. The secondary coverts, especially the greater coverts, seem more neatly barred than usual for smithsonianus, but not out of range. Our December bird, banded as a rehab hatch year, is indeed a 1st cycle American Herring Gull. The link below gives some life history on this individual, including an open wing photo:

Anything Larus: A Good Story: Rescued 1st Cycle Herring Resighted

April 2023 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

• Glaucous-winged Gull (1st cycle). Calgary County, Alberta. 01 April 2023.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (3rd cycle). Bruce County, Ontario. 01 April 2023.
• Heermann's Gull (2nd cycle). Baltimore County, Maryland. 03 April 2023.
• California Gull (adult). Talbot County, Maryland. 05 April 2023.
• Western Gull (adult). Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. 07 April 2023.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). King County, Washington. 07 April 2023.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Norfolk County, Ontario. 07 April 2023.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). New Castle County, Delaware. 07 April 2023.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Chautauqua County, New York. 08 April 2023.
• Sabine's Gull (adult). Graham County, Arizona. 08 April 2023.
• Glaucous Gull (adult type). Galveston County, Texas. 09 April 2023.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. 09 April 2023.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. 18 April 2023.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (3rd cycle). Fort McMurray, Alberta. 20 April 2023.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Bristol County, Massachusetts. 22 April 2023.
• California Gull (1st cycle). Lake County, Illinois. 22 April 2023.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Worcester County, Massachusetts. 23 April 2023.
• Great Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Cameron Parish, Louisiana. 24 April 2023.
• Short-billed Gull (1st cycle). Tarrant County, Texas. 25 April 2023.
• California Gull (1st cycle). Cook County, Illinois. 26 April 2023.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. 26 April 2023.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Cook County, Illinois. 26 April 2023.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle). Mendocino County, California. 27 April 2023.
• Heermann's Gull (2nd cycle). Lorain County, Ohio. 29 April 2023.
• 2nd State Record. Possibly the 2nd cycle individual from Baltimore County, Maryland.

April 2023 Quiz

 

September. Michigan.

Age: Pointed primary tips, barred upper tail coverts and an overall uniform dark brownish-black plumage points to a 1st cycle large gull.

Identification: There are several important features to hone in on when looking at an open wing of a 1st cycle large gull: The inner primary pattern, the tail pattern and the greater coverts. Here we see dark inner primaries with very little contrast (as found in California Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull). The dark tail is found in a number of species, but note the uppertail coverts have a noticeable white base color (not brownish). The outer greater coverts are largely dark, and the upperparts have prominent pale edging. All of these features, when combined, are consistent with the aforementioned, juvenile California and Lesser Black-backed Gull, and this image alone would likely yield and inconclusive identification without more context. Here is the perched bird next to 1st cycle American Herring Gull. 

Given the location, plain and dark tertials with prominent pale edging, and all black bill, it is quite evident this is a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull.