I posted some frame captures of digivids I took of the black-headed gull (all lower case) that Dave Nicosia found at Armitage Rd. Saturday afternoon (2 April). Please forgive the quality...I picked frames to try to show variation in appearance of the leg color (which I would describe as "Freshly Nitrited Nova Lox" ) as well as the bill-shape and proportion, and the extent of black and sides of the head (this bird certainly did not show the fingers of black descending from crown to eye and ear that Sibley figures. Find photos at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/booleanquery/BirdsForID# The ID consensus there on the dike looking north northwest at about 1700h was Bonaparte's based on maximum likelihood, but ...the gull gave a bulkier, chestier appearance than Bonaparte's to me (Bill Evan's saw the videos and voiced that impression as well). One of the frames has a Ring-billed Gull in it which is closer, but may give a sense of size. Also the bill appeared somewhat longish for a Bonaparte's. For comparison to a Bonaparte's with red legs see: http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/birds/ohio_birds/Bonaparte_Gull_Red_Legs.html I would appreciate opinions from laridoligists far and wide on range of color in the legs of these gulls (which Sibley describes as 'pink').Other observations from the Montezuma area that might be relevant to vistors this weekend: After several Greater Yellowlegs and a furtive Wilson's Snipe at Larue's I think I had 2 Lesser Yellowlegs in Benning Marsh, but am still mulling over photos. I will post some shots of them for interested dichomtomizers. I ran into two DEC guys (Jim and another who's name I didn't get) at the new shore bird spot (1 Killdeer and many Green-winged Teal among other ducks) who said that there were 17 Pectoral Sandpipers and a Dunlin at Van Dyne Spoor in the morning. The presumption was they were the same bunch seeni n previous days at Armitage. I spent an hour (ca. 2-3 PM) -at Van Dyne Spoor and din't see any shorebirds (lots of Pintail, GW Teal etc., 1 Sandhill Crane, 2 Trumpeter Swans, 6-7 probable Tundra Swans, a circling Rough-legged Hawk, the expected No. Harrier). At Armitage I looked for the Pectorals for awhile and finally found 8-9 about 125 yards east of the dike on the western edge of the fields to the north of the road. The Dunlin was there with them. Good birding...Stuart -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
