ML52798871
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age and sex
- Adult, Unknown sex - X
Observation details
***very rare, perhaps mega for subspecies - possibly the second record of taxa for region 10. Originally found by Dick Veit at MIller Field, relocated at Midland Beach soon after. When I arrived I was discouraged to find no other birders on the scene. I eventually keyed in on a sleeping gull with a much darker back with extensive head streaking. Soon after it moved its head and showed its bill, confirming the ID. I believe this represents L. c. brachyrynchus, due to several characteristics: 1) Although I didn't get a top-of-wing photo, there appeared to be relatively little black on P8. As can be seen in the photo above, there was no mirror on P8 2) The bill was yellowish, and showed only a smudge of gray towards the tip, as opposed to the more distinct ring expected on L. c. canus.. 3) The head streaking was indistinct and smudgy, as opposite to thinner and more demarcated on L. c. canus. 4) The back was visibly darker than that of the surrounding RBGUs, and although this characteristic is difficult to judge in the field, I feel the comparison was significant enough to justify this judgement. This may be the same individual photographed by Sean Sime et al in Brooklyn on 12/12/16. The birds involved in these sightings have similar amounts of brown on the head and neck, similar wingtip patters (no P8 mirror, large P9 and P10 mirrors, little black on wingtip).
Technical information
- Model
- NIKON D80
- ISO
- 200
- Focal length
- 300 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire
- f-stop
- f/5.6
- Shutter speed
- 1/1250 sec
- Dimensions
- 1603 pixels x 1071 pixels
- Original file size
- 644.99 KB