Monthly Notables January 2015

January 2015

• Mew Gull (adult). Honolulu, Hawaii. 01 Jan 2015.
• 2nd State Record.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Pierce, Washington. 01 Jan 2015.
• Reoccuring (ABA Code 3).
• Ivory Gull (adult). Quincy, Illinois. 02 Jan 2015.
• 3rd/4th State Record.
• Ivory Gull (adult). Marion, Missouri. 03 Jan 2015. 
• 1st State Record.*
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Hermiston, Oregon. 02 Jan 2015.
• 5th State Record.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult type). East Peoria/Peoria, Illinois. 11 Jan 2015.
• 5th State Record.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Salt Lake City, Utah. 14 January 2015. 
• 1st State Record.
• Kelp Gull (adult). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 17 January 2015. 
• 1st State Record.
• Great Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Yell County, Arkansas. 22 January 2015.
• 1st state record.

Notes:
*Same individual first found in Illinios, flying back and forth between both states across the 
Mississippi River.

Monthly Notables November 2015

• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Pierce County, Washington. 03 November 2015.
• Continuing. Reoccurring. 
• Kumlien's Iceland Gull (adult). Nanaimo County, British Columbia. 03 November 2015.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (1st cycle). Salt Lake County, Utah. 03 November 2015.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult). Washoe County, Nevada. 03 November 2015.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Moultrie County, Illinois. 06 November 2015.
• Mew Gull (1st cycle type). Dondas & Glengarry County, Ontario. 07 November 2015.
• Franklin's Gull (1st cycle). Fairfield County, Connecticut. 10 November 2015.
• 5th State Record*.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. 11 November 2015.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Lancaster County, Nebraska. 11 November 2015.
• 4th State Record.
• Mew Gull (adult). McLean County, North Dakota. 11 November 2015.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). St. John's County, Newfoundland. 11 November 2015.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (juveniles - 2). Lake County, Indiana. 12 November 2015.
• Observed from Cook County, Illinois, over Indiana waters.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Berrien County, Michigan. 13 November 2015.
• Size, lighter gray upperparts and date all strongly suggest subspecies, albertaensis.
• Iceland Gull (1,168). La Haute-Cote-Nord County, Quebec. 14 November 2015.
• A new site high count for the Tadoussac Bird Observatory. Counters are confident the entire flight wasn't recorded due to snow squalls earlier in the morning.
• Heermann's Gull (2nd cycle). Maricopa County, Arizona. 15 November 2015.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (800). Barnstable County, Massachusetts. 15 November 2015.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (juvenile). Teton County, Montana. 16 November 2015.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Brown County, Wisconsin. 19 November 2015.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (1st cycle). Eddy County, New Mexico. 22 November 2015.
• 3rd State Record.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Polk County, Iowa. 23 November 2015.
• Sabine's Gull (adult). Polk County, Iowa. 21 November 2015.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). San Diego County, California. 24 November 2015.
• Only about 10 county records.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Rock Island County, Illinois. 25 November 2015.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Wake County, North Carolina. 29 November 2015.
• 2nd inland record for the state.

*The biggest highlight this month, for birders in the eastern United States, was a relatively large "fallout" of Franklin's Gulls throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Hundreds of Franklin's (both adults & sub-adults) were reported from the Great Lakes and east to the Atlantic on 12 November and 13 November, respectively. An unprecedented 315+ individuals were reported in Cape May, New Jersey on 13 November 2015. 

November 2015 Quiz

BERRIEN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.  09 OCTOBER 2015.

Multiple-species quizzes are interesting, mainly because the identifications we make are relative, and of course, comparative.

Let's start with the standing black-backed. It clearly outsizes the other two individuals that are at rest. Not only because it's standing, but because it's genuinely large-bodied, big-headed and large-billed. This is the largest gull species on the planet: Great Black-backed Gull. The extensive black-marked bill and brown greater coverts and tertials suggest a 3rd cycle type, not an adult.

The other black-backed with mostly black bill, white head and pale iris is its smaller cousin - Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle type). The light gray adult-type to the far right appears to be a Herring Gull, although one would want better views to be certain.