Monthly Notables January 2021

 Sightings:

• Heermann's Gull (1st cycle). Kitsap County, Washington. 01 January 2021.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Seneca County, New York. 01 January 2021.
• Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). Charles Mix County, South Dakota. 01 January 2021.
• California Gull (adult). Chambers County, Texas. 02 January 2021.
• Mew Gull (1st cycle). Taylor County, Texas. 03 January 2021.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Pope/Yell County, Arkansas. 03 January 2021.
• California Gull (adult). New Haven County, Connecticut. 03 January 2021.
• 3rd State Record.
• California Gull (adult). Sangamon County, Illinois. 03 January 2021.
• Taimyr Gull (adult). Pictou County, Nova Scotia. 04 January 2021.
• Presumed taimyrensis*. Unprecedented. Would be the 1st for the Atlantic.
• Black-headed Gull (2 adults). Cuyahoga County, Ohio. 04 January 2021.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Monroe County, New York. 05 January 2021.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Niagara County, Ontario. 07 January 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Hughes County, South Dakota. 07 January 2021.
• Ivory Gull (6 adults). Nome County, Alaska. 07 January 2021.
• Little Gull (adult). Lake County, Tennessee. 08 January 2021. 
• Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). Boulder County, Colorado. 09 January 2021.
• Franklin's Gull (1st cycle). Del Norte County, California. 12 January 2021.
• California Gull (1st cycle). East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. 12 January 2021.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Cuyahoga County, Ohio. 14 January 2021.
• Slaty-backed Gull (1st cycle). San Mateo County, California. 15 January 2021.
• Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. 16 January 2021.
• Ross's Gull (2nd cycle type). New Haven County, Connecticut. 16 January 2021.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Lee County, Iowa. 18 January 2021.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Simcoe County, Ontario. 18 January 2021.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Niagara County, New York. 19 January 2021.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Erie County, Pennsylvania. 22 January 2021.
• Western Gull (adult). Davis County, Utah. 23 January 2021.
• Little Gull (2nd cycle). Panola County, Mississippi. 23 January 2021.
• Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). Clay County, Missouri. 24 January 2021.
• Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). Douglas County, Kansas. 24 January 2021.
• Heermann's Gull (2nd cycle). Volusia County, Florida. 24 January 2021.
• Presumably same individual since August 2019.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Tazwell County, Illinois. 24 January 2021.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Marin County, California. 24 January 2021.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Benton County, Washington. 26 January 2021.
• California Gull (adult). Lorain County, Ohio. 27 January 2021.
• Common Gull (1st cycle). Kings County, New York. 28 January 2021.
• Ross's Gull (1st cycle). Lincoln County, Oregon. 30 January 2021.
• 3rd State Record.
• Mew Gull (2 adults). Hughes County, South Dakota. 31 January 2021.

Notes: 

1. Angela MacDonald found an adult type taimyrensis in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia on 04 January 2021. A darkish eye, fine streaking restricted to the lower hindneck and a sherbert-orange/yellow leg color support this taxon. Late primary molt is also in favor of this Asian form. P1-P7 new and fully grown, P8 80% grown, P9-P10 retained. P10 with medium to large mirror, P9 with small rounded mirror not reaching the outer web. Black on P7/P8 reaching p-coverts along the outer webs. Full, asymmetric subterminal band on P4, and black mark on outer web of P3 (on right wing). No white tongue tips on P6-P7, with very little slivers of white on inner webs of  P4-P5. The taxonomy on Taimyr Gull is unsettled. Some authorities treat it as a hybrid population between Heuglin's and Vega Gull, others place it with the Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A recently adopted position on this form is that it is a good taxon worthy of species rank.

January 2021 Quiz

 

Washington. January.

Age: There is no reason to suspect this isn't an adult. On the underwing, we'd be looking for black markings on the tail, hints of dark centers on the secondaries and darker wing linings -- none which are seen here.

Identification: This appears to be a "white-winged" species, lacking black on the underside of the outer wingtip. The ghostly gray remiges, darkerst on the outer 5-6 primaries suggest Glaucous-winged Gull or a Kumlien's type Iceland Gull. The proportions -- long and broad wing, long tail, barrel-chested body, thick neck, and above all, the stout, bulbous-tipped bill -- all support Glaucous-winged Gull. This Glaucous-winged Gull was photographed in the Olympic peninsula region, and is the expected white-winged large gull here.