Hi All,
I've spent many hours looking at hundreds to thousands of Bonaparte's
Gulls on Lake Champlain in summer and early fall. When these birds
first appear on the lake in late July and early August, most of them are
still in full breeding plumage, and the *typical* leg color on these
birds is red (or reddish orange). I associate pink leg color with
juvenile or non-breeding Bonaparte's Gulls.
From looking at Stuart's photos, there is nothing about this bird that
makes me think it is anything but a Bonaparte's Gull. Perhaps I am
missing something that was better seen in the field, but the leg color,
head pattern, bill size and color, and wingtip pattern are all good for
Bonaparte's Gull.
Matt
Stuart Krasnoff wrote:
I posted some frame captures of digivids I took of the black-headed gull
(all lower case) that Dave Nicosia found at Armitage Rd. Saturday
afternoon (2 April). Please forgive the quality...I picked frames to
try to show variation in appearance of the leg color (which I would
describe as "Freshly Nitrited Nova Lox" ) as well as the bill-shape and
proportion, and the extent of black and sides of the head (this bird
certainly did not show the fingers of black descending from crown to eye
and ear that Sibley figures. Find photos at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/booleanquery/BirdsForID#
<http://picasaweb.google.com/booleanquery/BirdsForID>
The ID consensus there on the dike looking north northwest at about
1700h was Bonaparte's based on maximum likelihood, but ...the gull gave
a bulkier, chestier appearance than Bonaparte's to me (Bill Evan's saw
the videos and voiced that impression as well). One of the frames has a
Ring-billed Gull in it which is closer, but may give a sense of size.
Also the bill appeared somewhat longish for a Bonaparte's. For
comparison to a Bonaparte's with red legs see:
http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/birds/ohio_birds/Bonaparte_Gull_Red_Legs.html
I would appreciate opinions from laridoligists far and wide on range of
color in the legs of these gulls (which Sibley describes as
'pink').Other observations from the Montezuma area that might be
relevant to vistors this weekend:
After several Greater Yellowlegs and a furtive Wilson's Snipe at
Larue's I think I had 2 Lesser Yellowlegs in Benning Marsh, but am still
mulling over photos. I will post some shots of them for interested
dichomtomizers.
I ran into two DEC guys (Jim and another who's name I didn't get) at the
new shore bird spot (1 Killdeer and many Green-winged Teal among other
ducks) who said that there were 17 Pectoral Sandpipers and a Dunlin at
Van Dyne Spoor in the morning. The presumption was they were the same
bunch seeni n previous days at Armitage. I spent an hour (ca. 2-3 PM)
-at Van Dyne Spoor and din't see any shorebirds (lots of Pintail, GW
Teal etc., 1 Sandhill Crane, 2 Trumpeter Swans, 6-7 probable Tundra
Swans, a circling Rough-legged Hawk, the expected No. Harrier). At
Armitage I looked for the Pectorals for awhile and finally found 8-9
about 125 yards east of the dike on the western edge of the fields to
the north of the road. The Dunlin was there with them.
Good birding...Stuart
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