ML43817131

Age and sex

Immature Unknown sex - X

Tags

Watermark

Observation details

Continuing bird, found originally by JR Rigby on Dec 21. 1st-cycle gull. First impression was that it was similar to a very dark 1st-cycle Herring Gull, except: 1. It was larger than nearby Ring-billed Gulls, but not by a lot (not as large in comparison with RBGU as Herring Gull would be). 2. Bill was strongly bi-colored, with mostly pink base and clear black tip. This bill pattern can sometimes be found in 1st-cycle Herring Gull, but not very often, and is typical of 1st-cycle California. 3. The bill was long and relatively straight-sided on top and bottom, with mild gonydeal angle (not as dramatic as in most Herring Gulls). 4. The inner primaries were a bit paler than the outer ones, but not dramatically so as would be expected in Herring Gull. Backlighting provided the most dramatic contrast of inner vs outer primaries, but the relative lack of contrast was quite clear when viewed at other angles. 5. The tail base was all dark. 6. The bases of the greater coverts were all dark brown, forming a strong contrast with the median coverts, a pattern not typically found in Herring Gull. Note also the very long tapered wings in flight, pale forehead, and obvious molt in the scapulars. Photos:

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi

Lens

150-500mm

ISO

800

Focal length

500 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/6.3

Shutter speed

1/1000 sec

Dimensions

3118 pixels x 2055 pixels

Original file size

3.97 MB