Monthly Notables March 2019

Sightings:

• California Gull (2 adults). Marshall County, Kentucky. 01 March 2019.
• Kamchatka Gull (adult). New Haven County, Connecticut. 02 March 2019.
• Kumlien's Gull (1st cycle). Kootenai County, Idaho. 02 March 2019.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (1st cycle). Pueblo County, Colorado. 06 March 2019.
• Slaty-backed Gull (1st cycle). San Joaquin County, California. 09 March 2019.
• Western Gull (1st cycle). Dallas County, Texas. 09 March 2019.
• Continuing from previous month. 
• California Gull (1st cycle). Volusia County, Florida. 14 March 2019.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult type). Monterey County, California. 14 March 2019.
• Mew Gull (adult type). Bernalillo County, New Mexico. 15 March 2019.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Allegan County, Michigan. 17 March 2019.
• California Gull (adult type). Franklin County, Massachusetts. 19 March 2019.
• 5th State Record. 1st noncoastal occurence. 
• Great Black-backed Gull (adult). Harrison County, Mississippi. 20 March 2019.
  
• California Gull (adult type). Middlesex County, New Jersey. 24 March 2019.
• 5th State Record. 1st County Record. Apparently the same individual sighted in MA the previous week.
• Slaty-backed Gull (1st cycle). San Joaquin County, California. 24 March 2019.
• Thayer's Gull (2nd cycle). Middlesex County, New Jersey. 25 March 2019.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle). Monterey County, California. 27 March 2019.
• Kumlien's Gull (adult). Nanaimo District County, British Columbia. 28 March 2019.

Notes:

1. The California Gull observed in MA and NJ displayed an interesting wingtip pattern that may be considered atypical for the species. In particular, the primary pattern lacks a mirror on p9, something unexpected on adults. Although expected on some 3rd cycle types, the Atlantic bird appears to be a definitive adult. 

March 2019 Quiz

Age: The crisp, mottled brown, upperparts and body feathers, along with pointed dark primaries suggest a rather straight forward 1st cycle gull.

Identification: The frosted and checkered appearance of the upperwing coverts might call to mind Thayer's Gull, but this bird has already replaced a fair amount of it juvenile scapulars. You'd expect a Thayer's to do this late in the season when the upperparts are worn and primaries bleached. Also consider the paling bill and lack of pale edges to the primaries. Our March bird is a spiffy-looking Herring Gull photographed in mid-December. Chicago.

Here it is with another herring:

Monthly Notables February 2019

Sightings:

• Black-tailed Gull (adult type). Volusia County, Florida. 01 February 2019.
• FIRST STATE RECORD.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (1st cycle). Pueblo County, Colorado. 01 February 2019.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Lake County, Illinois. 04 February 2019.
• California Gull (adult). Marshall County, Kentucky. 08 February 2019.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Elkhart County, Indiana. 08 February 2019.
• Thayer's Gull (1st cycle). St. John's County, Newfoundland & Labrador. 09 February 2019.
• Thayer's Gull (adult). Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. 09 February 2019.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (1st cycle). Arapahoe County, Colorado. 09 February 2019.
  
• Little Gull (adult). Clark County, Ohio. 10 February 2019.
• Bonaparte's Gull (1st cycle). Valdez-Cordova County, Alaska. 12 February 2019.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Riverside County, California. 17 February 2019.
  
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Stanislaus County, California. 18 February 2019.
• 1st County Record.
• Western Gull (1st cycle). Dallas County, Texas. 21 February 2019.
• 6th State Record. 1st County Record.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Shasta County, California. 22 February 2019.
• California Gull (1st cycle). Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon County, Alaska. 22 February 2019.
• Thayer's Gull (3rd cycle). Nantucket County, Massachusetts. 23 February 2019.
• Little Gull (adult). Clinton County, Illinois. 24 February 2019.
• Slaty-backed Gull (2nd cycle). San Joaquin County, California. 24 February 2019.
• Slaty-backed Gull (3rd cycle type). Skagway-Hoonah-Angon County, AK. 24 February 2019.
• European Herring Gull (adult). Volusia County, Florida. 26 February 2019.
• Laughing Gull (adult). Licking County, Ohio. 27 February 2019.

Miscellaneous Notes:

1. In proper form, Michael Brothers started off the month by finding a 1st state record Black-tailed Gull in Daytona Beach Shores. This one-day wonder fills a void for the species in the entire southeast region.
2.  An apparent new North American high count of 817 Lesser Black-backed Gulls was recorded by Devich Farbotnik on 24 February 2019 at Lake Nockamixon. Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Incidentally, two individuals were wearing satellite transmitters, believed to be those installed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission in March of 2018.