Greetings
Today I used the cloud cover to allow me to survey Black Hollow Reservoir from the bend in Rd 19, a couple miles n. of Hwy 14. The rarest bird was not a gull... and perhaps as you've come to expect from my postings.. it was a hybrid duck. This time, a GW Teal x Eurasian (or Common, pick your name) Teal. Eurasian Teal is considered a separate species by most European ornithological societies, but not by the AOU. In any case, this bird was hanging out in a muddy cove closest to the mailboxes at the bend of the road (surveying gulls is best done from a couple hundred yards uphill). It had a pronounced white horizontal stripe (enough so that I jumped when I saw it, thinking I might have a "pure" Eurasian Teal. It also had, however, the vertical white "shoulder" stripe that typifies a GW Teal. The horizontal white stripe was about 75% "normal" thickness and length of a Eurasian Teal. Its pale head markings were also a bit more pronounced than those of the male GW Teal. The size was similar to GW Teal, which is true of hybrid and most "pure" Eurasian Teal in Washington (from where I recently moved). Gulls were as follows only 500 Ring-billed Gulls 75 or so California Gulls 25+ Herring Gulls 20 Franklin's Gulls At least NINE THAYER'S GULLS: 5 first years, 2 second years, 2 adults. One of the 2nd years is pale enough to make one think Kumlein's Gull, but it is also very worn, explaining its pallid coloration. FIVE LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS: 3 (or more) first years, 1 third year, 1 adult. TWO GLAUCOUS GULLS. One third year bird and a bird that was either first or second year. and... The GLAUCOUS-WINGED x HERRING GULL remains. At any distance (which means anywhere at Black Hollow) it looks like a GW Gull while perched... a worn one, perhaps with a bit of a smallish bill, but a GW Gull. Until it opens its wings, showing at least two fully brown primaries a weaker brown secondary "bar" and pale inner primaries. At closer range, such as when it visits Drake L., the Herring Gull heritage is more apparent when the bird is seated (or standing). Back in Boulder County, the imm ROSS'S GOOSE was still at the n. end of Boulder Reservoir. Hard to find in the snow first thing this morning! Best Wishes and Good Cheer Steven Mlodinow Longmont, CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
