February 2022 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

• Slaty-backed Gull (3rd cycle). New York County, New York. 01 February 2022.
• 1st County Record. Apparently here in late January, first identified as LBBG.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Clark County, Nevada. 01 February 2022. 
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). San Mateo County, CA. 01 February 2022.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Jackson County, Mississippi. 02 February 2022.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Mobile County, Alabama. 03 February 2022.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Los Angeles County, California. 05 February 2022.
• California Gull (1st cycle). Volusia County, Florida. 06 February 2022.
• California Gull (adult). Dare County, North Carolina. 06 February 2022.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult). Clallam County, Washington. 06 February 2022. 
• Vega Gull (adult). San Mateo County, California. 08 February 2022.
• Yellow-footed Gull (1st cycle). Mohave County, Arizona. 08 February 2022.
• Continuing. 
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). Volusia County, Florida. 08 February 2022.
• Atlantic Coast Bird.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Marion County, Florida. 10 February 2022.
• Kamchatka Gull (adult). Fairfield County, Connecticut. 10 February 2022.
• 6th State Record of kamtschatschensis.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (2nd cycle). Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. 12 February 2022.
• 1ST STATE RECORD.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). New Hanover County, North Carolina. 12 February 2022.
• 1ST STATE RECORD. Atlantic Coast Bird.
• Slaty-backed Gull (1st cycle). San Mateo County, California. 14 February 2022.
• Presumably same bird from December 2021.
• Vega Gull (1st cycle). Los Angeles County, California. 15 February 2022.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). Dare County, North Carolina. 15 February 2022.
• Atlantic Coast Bird.
• Common Gull (adult). Washington County, Maine. 17 February 2022.
• Likely kamtschatschensis, which would constitute a 1st state record for this race.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (2nd cycle). Bucks County, Pennsylvania. 20 February 2022.
• Same individual from Montgomery County, PA.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Benton County, Oregon. 21 February 2022.
• Slaty-backed Gull (1st cycle). San Mateo County, California. 22 February 2022.
• Common Gull (adult). Bucks County, Pennsylvania. 27 February 2022.
• Common Gull (adult). Essex County, Massachusetts. 27 February 2022.
• Banded as chick in Iceland in 2013. First detected in MA in 2017.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle). Glynn County, Georgia. 28 February 2022.
• Atlantic Coast Bird.
• Heermann's Gull (1st cycle). Hopewell County, Virginia. 28 February 2022.
• Continuing 1st cycle. 

February 2022 Quiz

 

London. December.

Age: Identification and aging, once again, go hand-in-hand. This white-headed gull is either a 2nd cycle type (if a three-year gull), or a 3rd cycle type (if a four-year gull).

Identification: The time of year and location set the stage. Immediately we note the small head, thin bill with tapered tip and long narrow wings. The upperparts are not a pale silver-gray, but more of a flat gray (in part due to age and lighting). The lower neck has distinct spotting, and the eye appears disproportionally large. These features all point to the expected Common Gull. The broad white trailing edge to the secondaries abruptly becomes thin at the inner primaries. The two large mirrors on p9-p10 are helpful, and also, the all-white tail and white secondaries tips are expected in 2nd cycle type canus.