Monthly Notables February 2016

• Yellow-legged gull (adult). Franklin County, Massachusetts. 01 February 2016.
• Probable. Appledore Gull not safely eliminated. No vocalization. The "Turner's Falls" bird generated much debate this month with many European observers suggesting it was indistinguishable from nominate michahellis. An ongoing identification conundrum in North America. Recorded vocalizations should be a priority with these types.  
• Thayer's Gull (1st cycle). Brevard County, Florida. 01 February 2016.
• Thayer's Gull (adult). Cecil County, Maryland. 01 February 2016.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Snohomish County, Washington. 01 February 2016.
• Appears to be a different individual than the Vancouver bird from last month. It's thought that there were almost certainly 2 different individuals here.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Will County, Illinois. 01 February 2016.
• Continuing from January.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Jefferson County, Wisconsin. 01 February 2016.
• Continuing from January.
• Common Gull (adult). Halifax County, Nova Scotia. 03 February 2016.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult & 1st cycle). Placer County, California. 03 February 2016.
• Kelp Gull (adult). Los Angels County, California. 03 January 2016.
• 4th occurence for California. Appears to be the same individual first discovered in Half Moon Bay (San Mateo County) in May 2015, showing no p10 mirror.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (1st cycle). Salt Lake County, Utah. 04 February 2016.
• Kelp Gull (adult). Summit County, Ohio. 06 February 2016.
• The same adult seen here in December 2015 has resurfaced after going absent in January.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Metro Vancouver County, British Columbia. 06 February 2016.
• Glaucous Gull (1st cycle). Ralegih NC. 06 Feb 2016.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Lake County, Illinois. 07 February 2016.
• Alternate plumage.
• Thayer's Gull (adult). Cape May County, New Jersey. 07 February 2016.
• Glaucous Gull (1st cycle). Jefferson County, Louisiana. 07 February 2016.
• Sabine's Gull (1st cycle). St. John's, Newfoundland. 01-08 February 2016.
• Continued from January.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). St. Louis County, Minnesota. 10 February 2016.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult type). Benton County, Washington. 13 February 2016.
• Great Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle type). Mobile County, Alabama. 13 February 2016.
• Kumlien's Iceland Gull (1st cycle). Victoria, British Columbia. 14 February 2016.
• Ivory Gull (1st cycle). Bayfield County, Wisconsin. 17 February 2016.
• Photographed in a backyard on a trampoline. Later reported stealing bait in fishermen huts.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Volusia County, Florida. 17 February 2016.
• First record of this age group in the state.
• Little Gull (adults/1st cycles). Bruce County, Ontario. 18 February 2016.
• 6 individuals on the shores of Lake Huron.
• Yellow-legged Gull (adult). St. John's, Newfoundland. 18 February 2016.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Brevard County, Florida. 19 February 2016.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Porter County, Indiana. 20 February 2016.
• 1st county record. A weekend roamer. This adult is the same individual first discovered in Willmington, Illinois on 26 January. It was found at Montrose Harbor in Chicago on a Saturday morning in late January, returned to Willmington for a few more weeks (where it was feeding at a landfill), and then discovered in Burns Harbor, Indiana on 20 February. The bird traveled at least 60 miles in a little less than 2 hours. It's movements appeared to be motivated by two factors: hours of operation at the landfill and the absence of ice at the pond it was using to rest on.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Lake County, Illinois. 22 February 2016.
• Mew Gull (1st cycle). Knox County, Maine. 01-28 February 2016.
• Continued all month. American Short-billed.

Noteworthy this month is the number of putative GBBG x HERG hybrids reported throughout the Great Lakes region (over 20 individuals in the northeast). Almost all reports and photos are of adults (not surprising as we don't feel comfortable assigning younger birds). Still, there is no clear understanding where these hybrids originate, although the majority seem to be found wintering on the Great Lakes.