Any luck with this bird today? Bob Lewis
Sent from my iPhone > On Jan 9, 2021, at 6:19 PM, Shaibal Mitra <shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edu> wrote: > > This afternoon I saw and photographed a first winter Larus at Field 7 > Heckscher SP that I think is a good candidate for California Gull--one of the > most birds on Long Island among elusive abundant, migratory species. > > The bird caught my eye by virtue of its face, and it passed the test I've > applied to so many variant Larus over the decades, "can you see this as a > Herring Gull?"--I could not. The enormous variability of Herring Gull, in > combination with its abundance here, makes identification of California Gull > one of the most difficult challenges on Long Island. > > I was in the car, which is an advantage in some ways, but a disadvantage in > others--such as when it was jumped by car moments later. I saw it only > briefly and bare-eyed as it flew, but fortunately it landed again nearby. I > re-oriented the car, studied it through the window-mounted scope, took some > digi-scoped photos, then posed and answered the question referred to above to > myself. I texted for reinforcements, but when I looked up the bird was gone, > never to be seen again today, despite much searching by John Gluth, Mike > McBrien, and others. > > The field marks I noted in the field were its overall smaller than typical > HERG size; small and slight bill which was pink-based with sharply demarcated > black tip; all-black tail; seemingly less extensive/obvious pale panel in > inner primaries when it flew the first time; and solidly dark bases to the > greater coverts (contra those of same-aged HERG, checked in reference, which > were spangled up as high as I could see). > > I'm writing up a detailed description but wanted to get word and photos out > for potential follow-up tomorrow: > > https://flic.kr/p/2kqGv5V > > Shai Mitra > Bay Shore > > > > > -- > > NYSbirds-L List Info: > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > ARCHIVES: > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html > 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L > 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > -- > -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
