Re:[nysbirds-l] Unusual gull in Prospect Park
Shane Blodgett has helpfully pointed out that the tertials of my Thursday and Friday birds have different patterns. In my opinion that leaves the Friday bird as a pretty good Thayer’s and the Thursday bird as an intriguing mystery for which I still need open wing shots. Others may disagree with the call for the Friday bird. Thanks, all! On Sat, Feb 6, 2021 at 12:31 AM Joshua Malbin wrote: > On Thursday I was gulling in Prospect Park when I noticed an unusually > light first-winter gull fly in among the many first-winter Herring Gulls on > the lake. I thought it was a dark Kumlien’s Iceland Gull, possibly even a > Thayer’s, and posted a few photos to a gull forum. People looking at those > commented that it had a potbellied look and wondered whether it could even > be a Slaty-backed Gull. Open-winged photos were absolutely necessary for > that determination, they said, so I went back to Prospect on Friday and > eventually a bird showed up that I am pretty sure was the same one from the > day before. This time I was able to get some photos of the open wing and > the tail, though I was only able to get it bathing and flying. Since I > could not get it standing on the ice again in the same posture I can’t be > completely sure that Friday’s bird is the same as Thursday’s, but the bill > and head shape and pattern look the same to me. I have posted Thursday and > Friday’s photos in an album here: > > > https://flic.kr/s/aHsmU8fiKa > > > Assuming that they are the same, the bird does show many features that > appear to my inexpert eye to be consistent with first-winter Slaty-backed. > > > First the standing pictures: It has the potbellied, short-winged look that > first caught many people’s eyes. The primaries are soft brown, not as dark > as Herring, and the tertials are even lighter brown with pale edging. The > greater and median coverts appear plain and relatively unmarked. The > undertail is quite light, nearly unmarked. > > > The open wing and flight pictures: There is a strong secondary bar and a > distinct inner primary window. The outer primaries show a pattern with pale > tongues on the inner part of the feathers. The tail seems quite dark, all > the way to the outermost feathers. > > > I am aware that this is a very difficult identification to make, and West > Coast birders have a particularly hard time ruling out Herring x > Glaucous-winged Gull (Cook Inlet Gull) as a potential confusion taxon at > this age stage. Either Cook Inlet or Slaty-backed would be pretty rare for > the northeast. It could also still be a Thayer’s or even a very dark > Kumlien’s, as I originally pegged it. It appears smallish for either > Slaty-backed or Cook Inlet based on the photos of those I have reviewed, > for example, with a bill that may be too delicate. > > > If others with more expertise would be willing to review these photos and > let me know what they think, I would greatly appreciate it. If you are > interested in looking for the bird, gulls tend to start congregating on > Prospect Park Lake in midmorning. They come in to drink and bathe, and then > rest on the ice awhile and then leave. I had to wait nearly three hours on > Friday before this bird reappeared, which it finally did at around 12:30 > p.m. On Thursday I think I had it about an hour earlier. > > > Good luck if you try. > > > Joshua Malbin > -- 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/ --
Re:[nysbirds-l] Unusual gull in Prospect Park
Shane Blodgett has helpfully pointed out that the tertials of my Thursday and Friday birds have different patterns. In my opinion that leaves the Friday bird as a pretty good Thayer’s and the Thursday bird as an intriguing mystery for which I still need open wing shots. Others may disagree with the call for the Friday bird. Thanks, all! On Sat, Feb 6, 2021 at 12:31 AM Joshua Malbin wrote: > On Thursday I was gulling in Prospect Park when I noticed an unusually > light first-winter gull fly in among the many first-winter Herring Gulls on > the lake. I thought it was a dark Kumlien’s Iceland Gull, possibly even a > Thayer’s, and posted a few photos to a gull forum. People looking at those > commented that it had a potbellied look and wondered whether it could even > be a Slaty-backed Gull. Open-winged photos were absolutely necessary for > that determination, they said, so I went back to Prospect on Friday and > eventually a bird showed up that I am pretty sure was the same one from the > day before. This time I was able to get some photos of the open wing and > the tail, though I was only able to get it bathing and flying. Since I > could not get it standing on the ice again in the same posture I can’t be > completely sure that Friday’s bird is the same as Thursday’s, but the bill > and head shape and pattern look the same to me. I have posted Thursday and > Friday’s photos in an album here: > > > https://flic.kr/s/aHsmU8fiKa > > > Assuming that they are the same, the bird does show many features that > appear to my inexpert eye to be consistent with first-winter Slaty-backed. > > > First the standing pictures: It has the potbellied, short-winged look that > first caught many people’s eyes. The primaries are soft brown, not as dark > as Herring, and the tertials are even lighter brown with pale edging. The > greater and median coverts appear plain and relatively unmarked. The > undertail is quite light, nearly unmarked. > > > The open wing and flight pictures: There is a strong secondary bar and a > distinct inner primary window. The outer primaries show a pattern with pale > tongues on the inner part of the feathers. The tail seems quite dark, all > the way to the outermost feathers. > > > I am aware that this is a very difficult identification to make, and West > Coast birders have a particularly hard time ruling out Herring x > Glaucous-winged Gull (Cook Inlet Gull) as a potential confusion taxon at > this age stage. Either Cook Inlet or Slaty-backed would be pretty rare for > the northeast. It could also still be a Thayer’s or even a very dark > Kumlien’s, as I originally pegged it. It appears smallish for either > Slaty-backed or Cook Inlet based on the photos of those I have reviewed, > for example, with a bill that may be too delicate. > > > If others with more expertise would be willing to review these photos and > let me know what they think, I would greatly appreciate it. If you are > interested in looking for the bird, gulls tend to start congregating on > Prospect Park Lake in midmorning. They come in to drink and bathe, and then > rest on the ice awhile and then leave. I had to wait nearly three hours on > Friday before this bird reappeared, which it finally did at around 12:30 > p.m. On Thursday I think I had it about an hour earlier. > > > Good luck if you try. > > > Joshua Malbin > -- 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] Unusual gull in Prospect Park
On Thursday I was gulling in Prospect Park when I noticed an unusually light first-winter gull fly in among the many first-winter Herring Gulls on the lake. I thought it was a dark Kumlien’s Iceland Gull, possibly even a Thayer’s, and posted a few photos to a gull forum. People looking at those commented that it had a potbellied look and wondered whether it could even be a Slaty-backed Gull. Open-winged photos were absolutely necessary for that determination, they said, so I went back to Prospect on Friday and eventually a bird showed up that I am pretty sure was the same one from the day before. This time I was able to get some photos of the open wing and the tail, though I was only able to get it bathing and flying. Since I could not get it standing on the ice again in the same posture I can’t be completely sure that Friday’s bird is the same as Thursday’s, but the bill and head shape and pattern look the same to me. I have posted Thursday and Friday’s photos in an album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmU8fiKa Assuming that they are the same, the bird does show many features that appear to my inexpert eye to be consistent with first-winter Slaty-backed. First the standing pictures: It has the potbellied, short-winged look that first caught many people’s eyes. The primaries are soft brown, not as dark as Herring, and the tertials are even lighter brown with pale edging. The greater and median coverts appear plain and relatively unmarked. The undertail is quite light, nearly unmarked. The open wing and flight pictures: There is a strong secondary bar and a distinct inner primary window. The outer primaries show a pattern with pale tongues on the inner part of the feathers. The tail seems quite dark, all the way to the outermost feathers. I am aware that this is a very difficult identification to make, and West Coast birders have a particularly hard time ruling out Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull (Cook Inlet Gull) as a potential confusion taxon at this age stage. Either Cook Inlet or Slaty-backed would be pretty rare for the northeast. It could also still be a Thayer’s or even a very dark Kumlien’s, as I originally pegged it. It appears smallish for either Slaty-backed or Cook Inlet based on the photos of those I have reviewed, for example, with a bill that may be too delicate. If others with more expertise would be willing to review these photos and let me know what they think, I would greatly appreciate it. If you are interested in looking for the bird, gulls tend to start congregating on Prospect Park Lake in midmorning. They come in to drink and bathe, and then rest on the ice awhile and then leave. I had to wait nearly three hours on Friday before this bird reappeared, which it finally did at around 12:30 p.m. On Thursday I think I had it about an hour earlier. Good luck if you try. Joshua Malbin -- 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] Unusual gull in Prospect Park
On Thursday I was gulling in Prospect Park when I noticed an unusually light first-winter gull fly in among the many first-winter Herring Gulls on the lake. I thought it was a dark Kumlien’s Iceland Gull, possibly even a Thayer’s, and posted a few photos to a gull forum. People looking at those commented that it had a potbellied look and wondered whether it could even be a Slaty-backed Gull. Open-winged photos were absolutely necessary for that determination, they said, so I went back to Prospect on Friday and eventually a bird showed up that I am pretty sure was the same one from the day before. This time I was able to get some photos of the open wing and the tail, though I was only able to get it bathing and flying. Since I could not get it standing on the ice again in the same posture I can’t be completely sure that Friday’s bird is the same as Thursday’s, but the bill and head shape and pattern look the same to me. I have posted Thursday and Friday’s photos in an album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmU8fiKa Assuming that they are the same, the bird does show many features that appear to my inexpert eye to be consistent with first-winter Slaty-backed. First the standing pictures: It has the potbellied, short-winged look that first caught many people’s eyes. The primaries are soft brown, not as dark as Herring, and the tertials are even lighter brown with pale edging. The greater and median coverts appear plain and relatively unmarked. The undertail is quite light, nearly unmarked. The open wing and flight pictures: There is a strong secondary bar and a distinct inner primary window. The outer primaries show a pattern with pale tongues on the inner part of the feathers. The tail seems quite dark, all the way to the outermost feathers. I am aware that this is a very difficult identification to make, and West Coast birders have a particularly hard time ruling out Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull (Cook Inlet Gull) as a potential confusion taxon at this age stage. Either Cook Inlet or Slaty-backed would be pretty rare for the northeast. It could also still be a Thayer’s or even a very dark Kumlien’s, as I originally pegged it. It appears smallish for either Slaty-backed or Cook Inlet based on the photos of those I have reviewed, for example, with a bill that may be too delicate. If others with more expertise would be willing to review these photos and let me know what they think, I would greatly appreciate it. If you are interested in looking for the bird, gulls tend to start congregating on Prospect Park Lake in midmorning. They come in to drink and bathe, and then rest on the ice awhile and then leave. I had to wait nearly three hours on Friday before this bird reappeared, which it finally did at around 12:30 p.m. On Thursday I think I had it about an hour earlier. Good luck if you try. Joshua Malbin -- 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/ --
