I was just started to post this when I noticed I had an email from Eric Moore asking for my opinion on a gull he photographed today at Willow!!
At a bit after 3pm I took photos of numerous gulls at south shore Willow including zoomed photos of a gull of interest.? After getting back home and looking at my photos I think it best fits with Lesser Black-back Gull.? It has only a red spot on its bill, no additional black like a California Gull and a darker back than a California.? It has a light iris (dark in California).? Tail had no big white spots, but it appeared to have some short white?lines on the dark tail.? Unfortunately the legs were blocked from view in all my photos. Please weigh in with opinions as this is the same bird Eric is asking about.
Steve, it certainly looks suspiciously?like a Lesser Black-backed. There is another gull in your?photo next to your bird's bill that also seems to have a dark mantle. Does it give any good clues in an uncropped version? Leg color would clinch it.?
On Mon, Dec 2, 2024 at 4:40?PM Steve Burk via <prescottburk=[email protected]> wrote:
I was just started to post this when I noticed I had an email from Eric Moore asking for my opinion on a gull he photographed today at Willow!!
At a bit after 3pm I took photos of numerous gulls at south shore Willow including zoomed photos of a gull of interest.? After getting back home and looking at my photos I think it best fits with Lesser Black-back Gull.? It has only a red spot on its bill, no additional black like a California Gull and a darker back than a California.? It has a light iris (dark in California).? Tail had no big white spots, but it appeared to have some short white?lines on the dark tail.? Unfortunately the legs were blocked from view in all my photos. Please weigh in with opinions as this is the same bird Eric is asking about.
I saw the LBBG and the 40+ Ring Bills at 5:15.? On my way back to my car, I turned around and saw that the flock had taken flight. When last seen at 5:25pm, they were dots in the sky far above Willow Lake.? I don’t know if they landed back at the lake or not.?
I have posted the Lesser Black-backed Gull on eBird and I see that Felipe Guerro has posted it on eBird as well.? So a number of birders have arrived at the same conclusion independently.? Felipe also posted an American Herring Gull, so I'll have to look through my photos to see if I can find that in the flock.
On Mon, Dec 2, 2024 at 5:49?PM Clark Tenney via <runningsensei=[email protected]> wrote:
I saw the LBBG and the 40+ Ring Bills at 5:15.? On my way back to my car, I turned around and saw that the flock had taken flight. When last seen at 5:25pm, they were dots in the sky far above Willow Lake.? I don’t know if they landed back at the lake or not.?
Clark Tenney
On Mon, Dec 2, 2024 at 5:41?PM Heather Hofling via <xheatheringx=[email protected]> wrote:
Thank you Steve for getting the message out. Great sighting! I would be interested in knowing if they stay and are seen tomorrow. - Heather?
Heather Hofling