Monthly Notables March 2016

• Thayer's Gull (adult). St. John's, Newfoundland. 01 March 2016.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle). Humboldt County, California. 02 March 2016.
• Presumably a reoccurring individual returning for the 3rd consecutive winter - photographed in 1st, 2nd and now 3rd basic.
•  Kelp Gull (adult). Summit County, Ohio. 06 March 2016.
• Continuing from December 2015. Seen sporadically on random days.
• Common Gull (adult). St. John's, Newfoundland. 06 March 2016.
• 2 wintering adults - nominate canus.
• Common Gull (adult). Barnstable County, Massachusetts. 13 March 2016.
• Possible 2nd adult occurred here on 26 March 2016 showing darker wingtip pattern.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Mason County, Illinois. 13 March 2016.
• Two 1st cycle birds seen together here on 25 March 2016.
• Common Gull (adult). Digby County, Nova Scotia. 13 March 2016.
• Apparent Kamchatka Gull. Another individual adding to the "explosion" of records in the northeast part of the continent in the last 2 years.
• Ivory Gull (1st cycle). Rimouski-Neigette County, Quebec. 17 March 2016.
• A flyby bird.
• Mew Gull (adult). New Haven County, Connecticut. 20 March 2016.
• 1st state occurrence of an apparent American Short-billed (brachyrhynchus).
• Common Gull (adult). New Haven County, Connecticut. 20 March 2016.
• Nominate canus seen together with the Short-billed Gull noted above.
• California Gull (1st cycle). New Haven County, Connecticut. 21 March 2016.
• 1st State Record.
• Slaty-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Kodiak Island County, Alaska. 22 March 2016.
• Sabine's Gull (adult). Lincoln County, Oregon. 23 March 2016.
• Heermann's Gull (2nd cycle). Galveston County, Texas. 25 March 2016.
• 4th State Record.
• Franklin's Gull (3). Volusia County, Florida. 28 March 2016.
• 1st winter birds. P-molt out to p3 in one individual with nearly all wing coverts and rectrices replaced.

March 2016 Quiz

The pointed primary tips help age this individual as a 1st cycle. The short, thin legs, and apparent small bill suggest a female type, large white-headed gull. California Gull is ruled out by the all black bill. The darker upperparts look much like a 2nd cycle Lesser Black-baked, but this bird is in its first plumage cycle. In addition, the pale tips to the greater coverts and paler upper scapulars and mantle feathers are wrong for that species. This month's quiz bird is a 1st cycle Herring Gull, photographed in Will County, Illinois on 15 February 2016.

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.   

February 2016 Quiz

It's clear we have a hooded gull in what looks like definitive adult plumage. The partial hood suggests the bird is in basic plumage (as opposed to alternate).

The upperparts are relatively dark, helping us narrow down our choices to Sabine's, Franklin's or Laughing Gull. The longer legs could help rule out Sabine's as this a short-legged species that often resembles a shorebird when viewed on land at a distance.

The semi-hood looks similar to the what one may see on a Franklin's in the non-breeding season. However, Laughing Gull can also show this half-hood (depending on how much of the hood has molted in - or out). Further, the white apicals on the primaries may tempt one to call this a Franklin's, but adult Laughings often show white tips to the primaries (especially in late fall/early winter when the feathers are renewed).

The narrow eye crescents, long legs and long wing projection all help identify our quiz bird as a Laughing Gull. Seeing the relatively thick bill with flat, sharply sloped tip, makes the identification much, much easier.

This adult was photographed in Volusia County, Florida on 24 January 2016.