ML199084421

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

First-cycle bird roosting on the second southeasternmost island in the pond, seen 1445-1540 (still present when I left). When I first saw the bird standing, what jumped out at me and indicated it was a Lesser Black-backed were (a) the dark portions of feathers on the upperparts were dark and cold, relative to the dark feathers on nearby first-cycle Herring and Thayer's Gulls; (b) the contrast of the jet-black bill with the white foreface (Herring Gulls can show this, but most either have a darker foreface or, especially in late winter like now, have some paleness at the base of the bill); and (c) the extent of white interspersed with dark smudging and streaking on the underparts. The scapulars had extensive dark dusky interiors with well-defined, sharply contrasting, and fairly broad white edging. The upperwing coverts were similar, though with proportionately broader white edging and more limited dark interiors. The tertials were also extensively dark/dusky, but with broad white edging near the tip and some subterminal notches. Primaries were black, with barely paler fringes near the tip, but overall the primaries stood out as being blacker than on any first-cycle Herring or Western Gull present. The head, neck, and underparts were whiter overall than on other first-cycle gulls present but had extensive streaking. On the head, the streaking was most dense around and behind the eye and on the hindcrown, and there was a small but distinct (on both sides) "spot" of streaking on the rear auriculars. The foreface and lower face/head were more white (less streaked with dark) than the rest of the head. On the standing bird, the greater upper-secondary coverts had extensive white edging like the median coverts, so that there was only a narrow dark "greater covert bar", limited to the outer greater coverts (on many first-cycle Lessers, this greater covert bar is more prominent). However, on the spread wing, seen on several occasions when the bird flew around low over the island, often nearly hovering in the strong winds, the dark bar at the bases of the outer greater upper-secondary coverts was more prominent. The undertail coverts were bright white with neat, well-defined, fairly broad blackish bars. The inner primaries (as seen when the bird was in flight) were barely paler than the outer primaries and the secondaries, giving the appearance of a continuous dark bar from the inner secondaries out to the outer primaries. Tail mostly black, but with a moderate amount of white barring at the base and on the outer two pairs, and with a narrow but contrasting white terminal band. The rump and uppertail coverts were extensively white (though with some dark barring), so that the whitish rump, uppertail coverts, and base of the tail contrasted strongly with the upperparts and with the mostly black tail. Smaller than nearby Herring Gulls, about the same size as or perhaps slightly smaller overall than nearby Thayer's Gulls. Proportionately long-legged, and when standing the bird had a "front-heavy" appearance, with a heavy, rounded breast, a body that tapered posteriorly, and long wings that projected well beyond the tip of the tail. The legs and feet were dull, pale pink. The bill was more or less evenly wide, without a prominent gonydeal angle, and was jet black throughout.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Lens

EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

ISO

400

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/11.0

Shutter speed

1/1250 sec

Dimensions

1722 pixels x 1149 pixels

Original file size

709.11 KB