ML36691871
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Observation details
Seen by Spencer Hardy, Ron Payne, and Ian Worley; then by Ted Murin, Larry Haugh, and Jim Phillips. Rare Species Documentation form with full details being prepared. Seen on Mud Island Rocks amid Ring-billed, Herring, Glaucous, and Great Black Gulls. Seen standing, sleeping, bathing, in-flight, and swimming on water. It was immediately notable for its slate gray color, brown streaking on its head and smaller size contrasting it from the Great Black-backed Gull. When resting and standing among adjacent gulls was similar in size to Herring Gulls, smaller Great Black-backed Gulls and a Glaucous Gull, and larger than Ring-billed Gulls. Head overall white with brownish streaks on the cap, nape and sides of its neck. It also had noticeably dark brown streaking through the eye. Yellow bill with red gonydeal spot; proportions similar to Herring Gull bill. Pink feet and legs observed while perched and in flight. Upper back slate gray, lighter than nearby adult Great Black Backed Gulls and Darker than nearby adult Herring Gulls. [We viewed the bird from a similarly colored, slate outcrop at water's edge.] White lower back and rump. Standard, tapered gull wing shape. The upper side of the wing had slate gray coverts. The inner primaries and the secondaries were slate gray with white at their ends creating a wide white trailing edge on the wings. The outer primaries were slate gray with black and white spotting on the tips. The black in this area was only on the outer web and did not extend far towards the wrist. When perched, primaries showed a regular pattern of consistently sized white diamonds, and the white trailing edge of the wing feathers created a broad white skirt. The under-wing coverts were white. The inner primaries and secondaries were light gray on the inner primaries and secondaries with white at their ends creating a wide white trailing edge on the wing. The outer primaries light gray with black and white spotting on the tips. Breast, belly, flanks, under-tail coverts all white. Tail rounded, standard gull shape, white and unmarked. Ruled out Great Black-backed Gull due to lighter back and wings and smaller size. Ruled out Herring Gull due to darker back and wings, and limited black of tips of primaries. Ruled out Lesser Black-backed Gull due to pink legs, larger size and stouter body. Ruled out Western Gull due to brown streaking on the head and nape.
Technical information
- Model
- Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS
- ISO
- 250
- Focal length
- 18.6 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire, auto
- f-stop
- f/4.9
- Shutter speed
- 1/80 sec
- Dimensions
- 1024 pixels x 768 pixels
- Original file size
- 128.31 KB