I bundled-up and watched the gulls starting a few minutes after sunrise this morning, and enjoyed the gulls for about 1 1/2 hours. This morning there were quite a few RING-BILLED GULLS hanging around (at least 10 that I saw), many HERRING GULLS, one 1st-cycle GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL, one 3rd-cycle THAYER'S GULL, one juvenile THAYER'S GULL, two adult/near-adult ICELAND GULLS, and that oddball slightly (relatively) larger-winged, pale-headed, 2nd-cycle gull. There is definitely some Thayer's Gull in this bird, due to the solid tail band, but the overall paleness on this bird (for having a very evenly-uniform tail band) is confusing. Also, the bill isn't quite Thayer's Gull-like... it appears a little too crunched and small to be a "typical" Thayer's Gull bill, if there is such a thing. However even with knowing general bill size for a species, sexual dimorphism exists in gulls (where males are larger than females). Part of the challenge of gull ID is knowing what to look for in each species, relative to other field marks/profile distinctions on that individual bird... to lead you to a species if possible. Tertial patterns can be a very good way to tell a Thayer's Gull from an Iceland Gull (Thayer's Gulls have the solid-blotched dark tertials, with pale scrawling on the outer edge of the feather, and Iceland Gulls tend to have barred tertials). It is so interesting how much light and dark color variation can exist within a species, especially within the arctic-dwelling Thayer's, Kumlien's, and Iceland Gulls (species listed from west to east). This morning also hosted one RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, one COMMON MERGANSER, and many COMMON GOLDENEYES.
Here are photos of that bird from a few weeks ago: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/130434264 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/130434265 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/130434265 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/130434293 Gull-photo wise, these next three photos are some of my favorite all-time photos which I have ever shot. All were taken last fall. I hope you enjoy them :) THAYER'S GULL next to ICELAND GULL (sitting and taking off in sequence): http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119465445 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119465446 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119465447 I have many photos to come from yesterday's and today's gull-watching at Canal Park... photos will be posted later. Good birdwatching, Erik Bruhnke Duluth, MN NATURALLY AVIAN - Bird photography and guided bird hikes www.pbase.com/birdfedr (recently updated with new information!!) birdf...@gmail.com ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
