Monthly Notables March 2016

• Thayer's Gull (adult). St. John's, Newfoundland. 01 March 2016.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle). Humboldt County, California. 02 March 2016.
• Presumably a reoccurring individual returning for the 3rd consecutive winter - photographed in 1st, 2nd and now 3rd basic.
•  Kelp Gull (adult). Summit County, Ohio. 06 March 2016.
• Continuing from December 2015. Seen sporadically on random days.
• Common Gull (adult). St. John's, Newfoundland. 06 March 2016.
• 2 wintering adults - nominate canus.
• Common Gull (adult). Barnstable County, Massachusetts. 13 March 2016.
• Possible 2nd adult occurred here on 26 March 2016 showing darker wingtip pattern.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Mason County, Illinois. 13 March 2016.
• Two 1st cycle birds seen together here on 25 March 2016.
• Common Gull (adult). Digby County, Nova Scotia. 13 March 2016.
• Apparent Kamchatka Gull. Another individual adding to the "explosion" of records in the northeast part of the continent in the last 2 years.
• Ivory Gull (1st cycle). Rimouski-Neigette County, Quebec. 17 March 2016.
• A flyby bird.
• Mew Gull (adult). New Haven County, Connecticut. 20 March 2016.
• 1st state occurrence of an apparent American Short-billed (brachyrhynchus).
• Common Gull (adult). New Haven County, Connecticut. 20 March 2016.
• Nominate canus seen together with the Short-billed Gull noted above.
• California Gull (1st cycle). New Haven County, Connecticut. 21 March 2016.
• 1st State Record.
• Slaty-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Kodiak Island County, Alaska. 22 March 2016.
• Sabine's Gull (adult). Lincoln County, Oregon. 23 March 2016.
• Heermann's Gull (2nd cycle). Galveston County, Texas. 25 March 2016.
• 4th State Record.
• Franklin's Gull (3). Volusia County, Florida. 28 March 2016.
• 1st winter birds. P-molt out to p3 in one individual with nearly all wing coverts and rectrices replaced.

March 2016 Quiz

The pointed primary tips help age this individual as a 1st cycle. The short, thin legs, and apparent small bill suggest a female type, large white-headed gull. California Gull is ruled out by the all black bill. The darker upperparts look much like a 2nd cycle Lesser Black-baked, but this bird is in its first plumage cycle. In addition, the pale tips to the greater coverts and paler upper scapulars and mantle feathers are wrong for that species. This month's quiz bird is a 1st cycle Herring Gull, photographed in Will County, Illinois on 15 February 2016.

Monthly Notables February 2016

• Yellow-legged gull (adult). Franklin County, Massachusetts. 01 February 2016.
• Probable. Appledore Gull not safely eliminated. No vocalization. The "Turner's Falls" bird generated much debate this month with many European observers suggesting it was indistinguishable from nominate michahellis. An ongoing identification conundrum in North America. Recorded vocalizations should be a priority with these types.  
• Thayer's Gull (1st cycle). Brevard County, Florida. 01 February 2016.
• Thayer's Gull (adult). Cecil County, Maryland. 01 February 2016.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Snohomish County, Washington. 01 February 2016.
• Appears to be a different individual than the Vancouver bird from last month. It's thought that there were almost certainly 2 different individuals here.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Will County, Illinois. 01 February 2016.
• Continuing from January.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Jefferson County, Wisconsin. 01 February 2016.
• Continuing from January.
• Common Gull (adult). Halifax County, Nova Scotia. 03 February 2016.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult & 1st cycle). Placer County, California. 03 February 2016.
• Kelp Gull (adult). Los Angels County, California. 03 January 2016.
• 4th occurence for California. Appears to be the same individual first discovered in Half Moon Bay (San Mateo County) in May 2015, showing no p10 mirror.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (1st cycle). Salt Lake County, Utah. 04 February 2016.
• Kelp Gull (adult). Summit County, Ohio. 06 February 2016.
• The same adult seen here in December 2015 has resurfaced after going absent in January.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Metro Vancouver County, British Columbia. 06 February 2016.
• Glaucous Gull (1st cycle). Ralegih NC. 06 Feb 2016.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Lake County, Illinois. 07 February 2016.
• Alternate plumage.
• Thayer's Gull (adult). Cape May County, New Jersey. 07 February 2016.
• Glaucous Gull (1st cycle). Jefferson County, Louisiana. 07 February 2016.
• Sabine's Gull (1st cycle). St. John's, Newfoundland. 01-08 February 2016.
• Continued from January.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). St. Louis County, Minnesota. 10 February 2016.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult type). Benton County, Washington. 13 February 2016.
• Great Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle type). Mobile County, Alabama. 13 February 2016.
• Kumlien's Iceland Gull (1st cycle). Victoria, British Columbia. 14 February 2016.
• Ivory Gull (1st cycle). Bayfield County, Wisconsin. 17 February 2016.
• Photographed in a backyard on a trampoline. Later reported stealing bait in fishermen huts.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Volusia County, Florida. 17 February 2016.
• First record of this age group in the state.
• Little Gull (adults/1st cycles). Bruce County, Ontario. 18 February 2016.
• 6 individuals on the shores of Lake Huron.
• Yellow-legged Gull (adult). St. John's, Newfoundland. 18 February 2016.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Brevard County, Florida. 19 February 2016.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Porter County, Indiana. 20 February 2016.
• 1st county record. A weekend roamer. This adult is the same individual first discovered in Willmington, Illinois on 26 January. It was found at Montrose Harbor in Chicago on a Saturday morning in late January, returned to Willmington for a few more weeks (where it was feeding at a landfill), and then discovered in Burns Harbor, Indiana on 20 February. The bird traveled at least 60 miles in a little less than 2 hours. It's movements appeared to be motivated by two factors: hours of operation at the landfill and the absence of ice at the pond it was using to rest on.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Lake County, Illinois. 22 February 2016.
• Mew Gull (1st cycle). Knox County, Maine. 01-28 February 2016.
• Continued all month. American Short-billed.

Noteworthy this month is the number of putative GBBG x HERG hybrids reported throughout the Great Lakes region (over 20 individuals in the northeast). Almost all reports and photos are of adults (not surprising as we don't feel comfortable assigning younger birds). Still, there is no clear understanding where these hybrids originate, although the majority seem to be found wintering on the Great Lakes.   

February 2016 Quiz

It's clear we have a hooded gull in what looks like definitive adult plumage. The partial hood suggests the bird is in basic plumage (as opposed to alternate).

The upperparts are relatively dark, helping us narrow down our choices to Sabine's, Franklin's or Laughing Gull. The longer legs could help rule out Sabine's as this a short-legged species that often resembles a shorebird when viewed on land at a distance.

The semi-hood looks similar to the what one may see on a Franklin's in the non-breeding season. However, Laughing Gull can also show this half-hood (depending on how much of the hood has molted in - or out). Further, the white apicals on the primaries may tempt one to call this a Franklin's, but adult Laughings often show white tips to the primaries (especially in late fall/early winter when the feathers are renewed).

The narrow eye crescents, long legs and long wing projection all help identify our quiz bird as a Laughing Gull. Seeing the relatively thick bill with flat, sharply sloped tip, makes the identification much, much easier.

This adult was photographed in Volusia County, Florida on 24 January 2016.

Monthly Notables January 2016

• Ivory Gull (1st cycle). St. Louis County, Minnesota. 01 January 2016.
• 12th State Record. Took a 6 day absence, only to return to Canal Park on 15 January 2016. It was last seen on 24 January appearing weak and on the brink of expiring.
• Mew Gull (1st cycle). Caddo County, Louisiana. 01 January 2016.
• 1st State Record.
• Ivory Gull (1st cycle). Douglas County, Wisconsin. 05 January 2016.
• Just a few miles from the Duluth bird, this individual was found dead. A partial specimen was given to the Field Museum in Chicago.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Pierce County, Washington. 06 January 2016.
• Reoccurring/Continuing. 
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult type). Jefferson County, Wisconsin. 07 January 2016.
• Slaty-backed Gull (3rd cycle type). Walla Walla County, Washington. 08 January 2016.
• First for eastern Washington.
• Kelp Gull (adult). Summit County, Ohio. 10 January 2016.
• Resighted after a ten day absence.
• Thayer's Gull (adult). Horry County, South Carolina. 11 January 2016.
• 1st State Record. Adult showing a single mirror on p10 and none on p9.
• Black-tailed Gull (3rd cycle type). Clinton County, Illinois. 11 January 2016.
• 2nd State Record.
• Mew Gull (sub-adult/3rd cycle type). Lorain County, Ohio. 12 January 2016.
• Ivory Gull (1st cycle). St. Louis County, Minnesota. 12 January 2016.
• Another addition to the Ivory Gull saga in St. Louis County this month. A 1st cycle was found in a backyard in Ely, MN, being mobbed by crows. It was picked up and looked after by rehabbers and then released shortly after. All this while the Canal Park bird was missing in action. No photos were taken of the Ely bird (some 100 miles north of Duluth) and so whether this is a 3rd Ivory Gull or not is unknown. Three days later the Canal Park bird did reappear. 
• Iceland Gull (1st cycle). San Diego County, California. 18 January 2016.
• Mew Gull (1st cycle). Knox County, Maine. 18 January 2016.
• Vega Herring Gull (adult). Cameron County, Texas. 18 January 2016.
• 6th (7th?) State Record.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Contra Costa County, California. 19 January 2016.
• Franklin's Gull (1st cycle). Volusia County, Florida. 19 January 2016.
• California Gull (1st cycle). Kings County, New York. 19 January 2016
• Vega Herring Gull (1st cycle). San Mateo County, California. 20 January 2016.
• Iceland Gull (1st cycle). Brevard County, Florida. 21 January 2016. 
• Common Gull (adult). Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. 25 January 2016.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Solano County, California. 25 January 2016.
• Thayer's Gull (2nd cycle). Northampton County, Pennsylvania. 26 January 2016.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Vancouver, British Columbia. 26 January 2016.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Will County, Illinois. 26-29 January 2016.
• This same individual was found some 70 miles to the northeast at Montrose Harbor in Chicago on 30 January 2016. It was observed for about an hour before it flew off to the north, not to be seen again. This is now the 20th gull species seen at this site.
• Thayer's Gull (adult). Cecil County, Maryland. 27 January 2016.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. 30 January 2016.
• Photo comparisons suggest this is a different adult than the one observed earlier in the month in Johnson Creek, WI and the individual observed in Illinois.
• Sabine's Gull (1st cycle). St. Vincent's, Newfoundland. 31 January 2016.
• A rare sighting from land. Exceptionally rare in North America in winter.

January 2016 Quiz

Intermediate Thayer's/Kumlien's Gull. Whiting, Indiana. January 2015.

We begin 2016 with classic, large white-headed gull, muddiness. This adult type white-winger evoked some interesting discussions this month. Here were the answers I received from you guys:

• 22 Thayer's Gull
• 14 Kumlien's Iceland Gull
• 3 Herring Gull
• 2 Thayer's/Kumlien's Gull
• 1 Glaucous-winged x Herring

We can rule out Herring Gull - not because of the extensive white on the outer primaries - but by the paleness of the pigment on the outer primaries. Note that some Herring Gulls, particularly in Eastern North America, show reduced black and thayeri wingtips like the individual below. The pigment is a true black:

Florida; January.

Back to our quiz bird. In the field, we'd want to gauge its size by comparing it to other species if possible:

Herring Gulls with Quiz bird (right)

This wasn't a very large gull, averaging smaller than most of the surrounding Herrings. For this reason I've dismissed a Glaucous-winged x Herring Gull hybrid (which can show a similar wingtip). 

It's clear from the photo above that the wingtip is significantly paler than the black shown on the adjacent Herrings. This is outside of my comfort zone for a "pure" Thayer's type. For some people, this would be a perfectly acceptable Kumlien's Iceland Gull, and it very well may be. However, my reason for identifying it as a Thayer's/Kumlien's intermediate type is the extent of black on p5. 

It's currently accepted that the majority of Kumlien's (in core Kumlien's winter range) don't show a complete subterminal band on p5 as is seen here. Further, the amount of pigment bleeding onto the inner webs of p9 and p10 is more reminiscent of what we see in Thayer's Gull. If the wingtip was a shade darker - a more genuine black - I would've readily identified our quiz bird as a Thayer's Gull.

A couple of comments in the answers provided mentioned eye color as a reason why this would be a Kumlien's Gull. It should be known that iris color in both Thayer's and Kumlien's is highly variable - some Kumlien's have dark eyes while some Thayer's have pale eyes. In short, eye color is not a helpful field mark in trying to distinguish these two taxa.

It's not uncommon to find wingtips like this here in the Lake Michigan region and elsewhere in the Great Lakes. These birds are controversial at best, and some gull enthusiasts have recently begun calling them "Lake Michigan Gulls" as they appear to be the center of the divide. Our safest bet is to think of Thayer's/Kumlien's as a continuum rather than trying to pigeon-hole every individual in one box or the other.

Monthly Notables December 2015

• California Gull (adult). Berrien County, Michigan. 01 December 2015.
• Continuing from late November.
• California Gull (1st cycle). Whiteside County, Illinois. 05 December 2015.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (adult). Henry County, Ohio. 05 December 2015.
• Kelp Gull (adult). Summit County, Ohio. 05 December 2015.
• First State Record. Seen on-and-off throughout the month at Springfield Lake. Site used strictly for roosting. Daytime feeding site unknown, although similar to most large gulls wintering inland, a local landfill(s) is the most likely source. Interestingly, this location is within 100 miles of the January 2015 Pittsburgh Kelp Gull (also a 1st for the state of PA).
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). San Diego County, California. 06 December 2015.
• A different 1st cycle than November's bird.
• Black-headed Gull (1st cycle). Kings County, New York, 06 December 2015.
• Mew Gull (1st cycle). Davis County, Utah. 07 December 2015.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle). Okanogan County, Washington. 08 December 2015.
• Franklin's Gull (1st cycle). Dorchester County, Maryland. 10 December 2015. 
• Iceland Gull (adult). Clallam County, Washington. 13 December 2015.
• Red-legged Kittiwake (adult type). Lincoln County, Oregon. 13 December 2015.
• 11th State Record.
• Sabine's Gull (1st cycle). Wayne County, Kentucky. 13 December 2015.
• Little Gull (2 - adult & 1st cycle). Lauderdale County, Alabama. 13 December 2015.
• Franklin's Gull (3 adults). District of Columbia. 16 December 2015.
• Iceland Gull (2nd cycle). Kootenai County, Utah. 17 December 2015.
• Continuing from late November.
• Thayer's Gull (1st cycle). Cecil County, Maryland. 18 December 2015.
• Laughing Gull (adult). Digby County, Nova Scotia. 20 December 2015.
• Common Gull (2 adults). St. John's County, Newfoundland. 20 December 2015.
• Ivory Gull (1st cycle). Whittier, Alaska. 21 December 2015.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Cuyahoga County, Ohio. 26 December 2015.
• Franklin's Gull (1st cycle). Cuyahoga County, Ohio. 26 December 2015.
• Vega Herring Gull (adult). Volusia County, Florida. 29 December 2015.
• A good candidate that shows no field marks that are out of range for that taxon.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult). Yolo County, California. 30 December 2015.
• Likely a returning individual. 
• California Gull (adult). Lake County, Illinois. 31 December 2015.