Dear Birders, This afternoon, Dan Karvonen birded Lake Calhoun, Mpls. At the northwest end, about 75m offshore, we observed a first-year gull sitting on the water for about half-an hour. I sketched it noting the following: smaller than HeGu, much larger than RbGu; blackish primaries extended beyond tail giving it a long appearance; brownish checkered upperparts contrasted with lighter but streaked brown underparts; barred undertail; rounded head with conspicuous whitish forehead and throat; and all black bill, not too heavy. It floated on its own, sometimes associating with Herring Gulls. We think this is a first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull.
I have looked through Sibley, and The Handbook of Bird Identification for Europe and the W. Palearctic and there is so much overlap with Herring Gulls. I am not sure if based on our observations that it is a LBbG. Any feedback on gull experience in this area is appreciated. (A local birder jogged by and I wish we were looking at this bird when he stopped by.) Do the Lake Calhoun gullers know if a first-winter LBbG has been reported recently? I looked through the posts but I've deleted some of the older ones. We also saw 1 Common Loon and a pair of Ring-necked Ducks. Looking up, Alex Cruz Crystal, MN
