ML21523451

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

This bird was first spotted at 1215. It was on its own. Because of the bill shape, dark hood and white eye arks, I put it down to one of the Leucophaeus species. Closer inspection persuaded me it was a 1st cycle Franklin's gull because of the relatively short beak and well defined hood and eye arcs. I spent some more time looking around the lake and when I came back to the Franklin's, it had been joined by two Bonaparte's gulls. The Franklins was only marginally larger than the Bonaparte's gulls, another point to favor of a Franklin's. All three gulls flew off to the south around 1330 Franklin's gull is shown below with the two Bonaparte's gulls. I can provide larger files of tis bird if requested, but the distance and lighting prevented anything other than record ID shots

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 60D

Lens

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

ISO

400

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/8.0

Shutter speed

1/640 sec

Dimensions

1200 pixels x 762 pixels

Original file size

505.89 KB