Late Saturday I encountered a very interesting gull roosting at
the lower end of Butterworth Parkway in Moline. It most resembled
Vega Gull but that identification would demand a better look than
I had. Unfortunately, it was at the far side of a large flock and
obstructed most of the time under fading light. The adult gull was
as large as the Herring Gulls, obviously darker gray and with reddish
legs. It may have been too dark for Vega but definitely not as dark
as most Lesser Black-backeds. LBBG X Herring would be my best guess
for it being a hybrid.
Otherwise, gull numbers weren't too bad and (2)1W Glaucous Gulls, an
adult and juv. Thayer's were notable. Oddly, LBBGs have been
absent. Of the gulls, only the continuing Glaucous was in Iowa.
Jim Forde
Cedar Rapids
---
This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership
available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/PayDues.aspx.
-----
You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected].
Unsubscribe at http://iowabirds.org/Reporting/Listserv.aspx.
