ML617486891

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

*First thing to say, if mistaken about the ID, so be it! Never have seen a Black-headed Gull before. Spotted what I initially thought was a Bonaparte's Gull (BOGU) in the flooded fields with about 25 Ring-billed Gulls. Very good light revealed what look like a red bill with black tip. That started to nag at me. Then, the bird looked a bit larger than I would expect a BOGU to be relative to the Ring-billeds. It moved around some and was nipped at by the ringies. Didn't seem "dainty" in any way. Never got a great look at its wings extended in flight (caught one image with wings extended). Any major "white wedge" didn't jump out in the field, although the picture shows a couple of white primary feathers. But also much dark at the primaries. Finally, after much consideration, am posting as a Black-headed Gull based on bill color, pattern on the head, its size, and its behavior, and its overall appearance. Maybe a youngish bird transitioning into breeding plumage. Seemed to have a little brown on it here and there.

Technical information

Model

Canon PowerShot SX70 HS

ISO

100

Focal length

247 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/6.5

Shutter speed

1/500 sec

Dimensions

2880 pixels x 2160 pixels

Original file size

808.89 KB