The Lesser Black-backed Gulls were there at sunrise. They caught me off guard 
too! I had a Long-billed Curlew hanging out down there as well. Good mid-August 
bike birding! I had 4 Forster’s Terns on S Platte Delta straddling JeffCo and 
Douglas county lines. 

Scott Somershoe 
Littleton CO


Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 14, 2021, at 11:25 AM, David Tønnessen <[email protected]> 
> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hey Max,
> 
> Indeed it appears you found two Lesser Black-backed Gulls; a near adult 4th 
> cycle bird (notice the fleck of black in the bill for age) and a 2nd cycle. 
> Lesser Black-backed Gulls have contrasting dark wings compared to the rest of 
> their plumage even in younger plumages, and get a pale eye after their first 
> year. Like you said, the structure here is another great thing to look at; 
> long wings and heftier than a Ring-billed Gull with sharper bill angles, but 
> more petite than a Herring Gull.
> 
> This species has been increasing in this continent with occaisonal 
> oversummering birds having been found as far south as Central America.
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> David Tonnessen
> Colorado Springs, CO
> 
> El sáb., 14 ago. 2021 8:46 a. m., Max Miller <[email protected]> escribió:
>> Good morning everyone,
>> 
>> I did not expect to be sorting gulls so seriously this morning at the 
>> Chatfield Marina Sandspit, but here we are.
>> 
>> As I was scanning the flock of Ring-billed Gulls to sort out any California 
>> Gulls (which were there, too), I noticed two birds that stuck out further, 
>> an adult and a juvenile next to each other in a smaller group of 
>> Ring-billeds maybe 30 feet from the greater flock.
>> 
>> Both were noticeably bigger than the nearby Ring-billeds, but not hugely so. 
>> The adult was quite a bit darker backed than any of the other gulls, had a 
>> yellow eye, a red spot on its bill, and legs I would describe as perhaps 
>> yellowish, but pretty drab though the light could play a role here. The best 
>> I can come up with is Lesser Black-backed, but my experience with that 
>> species is limited.
>> 
>> The juvenile was about the same size and seemed associated with the adult. 
>> It's eye seemed paler as I could make out a pupil. Again, light may play a 
>> role here. It had a unique shape I thought, but of course my gull ID guides 
>> are all at home so I hesitate to put any sort of ID on it in my mind.
>> 
>> Any input is most welcome - I took a number of digiscoped photos that are 
>> uploaded to my ebird checklist at the link below. Thanks to any larophiles 
>> here who might be able to validate or negate my observations on the adult, 
>> and provide any further clues for the juvenile.
>> 
>> 
>> https://ebird.org/checklist/S93202724
>> 
>> Good birding!
>> 
>> Max Miller
>> Denver, CO
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