Hello: Sorry about the late post but I had no computer access yesterday.
I was in Orillia yesterday visiting my father and as I usually do I checked out the Orillia Landfill at the end of West St. At about 1030 I noted a medium sized first year gull with a brightly bicoloured pink and black bill that was rather long and thin. After closer examination it seemed a very good candidate for a California Gull being appreciably larger than the RBGUs but smaller and more delicate with a rounder head than the HRGU. I managed some reasonable photos of it both standing and with the wings open showing the long thin wings, lack of a strong contrasting pale inner primary panel and dark outer coverts giving it the distinctive "double barred" look. I have sent off the pictures to the "experts" for confirmation and will submit the sighting to the OBRC for review. I am not sure if anyone is actively keeping records for Simcoe County? I heard a rumor a few years ago that some one was going to update Ot Devitt's "Birds of Simcoe Co." If anyone out there is keeping track I would be happy to forward the pictures. Despite 1000 + gulls at the Orillia Landfill not a single Thayer's, Iceland or Glaucous ( which have been present here in Sault Ste. Marie for several weeks). Kirk Zufelt Sault Ste. Marie _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
