Hello: On the Minnesota side of the Superior entry way at WI. Pt. I spotted an California Gull that is in a weird transition plumage. It showed signs of being a 3rd winter gull and 2nd winter gull.
I had Ring-billed Gulls and Herring Gull right next to the gull. - the size was definitely smaller than a Herring Gull and bigger in size to a adult Ring-billed Gull - blue/greenish pale legs - small narrow bill that had a hint of pale green/blue base to bill. small dark spot on outer tip of bill but not at the tip. - dark eye and some brown smudges around the eye and down the neck. - when it stood it looked bottom heavy so it sat tilted with the breast upwards and the wing tips slightly downward. This is field mark Peder told me about and it showed this while it stood next to a Herring Gull. - looked long winged to me. -the mantle was gray but it did not show that it was that much darker than the nearby gull species. The gulls all took flight when a eagle flew over them and the gull never made an appearance after the initial viewing. At Parking Lot one: ( Peder Svingen and I spotted a immature Parasitic Jaeger harassing the swarms of Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls. Not a bad day in the blowing NW winds and sleet/rain. Mike Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota Website: http://www.mikehendricksonbirding.com Blog: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/ ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
