3 unknown birds - Mt. View & Monterey California (1 Viewer)

Terry O'Nolley · Oct 5, 2006

First bird seen on the breakwater at Monterey Bay - it is the small bird next to the Cormorant. Pic quality is poor - taken from a boat. It looks like a Black Turnstone but I am not sure. Confirmation would be nice.

The second pic is of a gull seen on the docks at Monterey Bay. Its long neck and upright posture seemed unusual to me. Any help would be appreciated.

Last two pics are of ducks seen over the marshland at the southern tip of San Francisco Bay.

Thanks!

Gentoo · Oct 5, 2006

The first is hard to make out but looking at the rather slender profile and thin bill, I'd say Pelagic Comorant. The second is just a Western Gull occidentalis that's still in primary molt. The last two are female Northern Shovelers.

Terry O'Nolley · Oct 5, 2006

Gentoo said:
The first is hard to make out but looking at the rather slender profile and thin bill, I'd say Pelagic Comorant. The second is just a Western Gull occidentalis that's still in primary molt. The last two are female Northern Shovelers.

THanks for the gull and duck ids! In the first pic, I was asking about the small bird to the left of the cormorant.

But you raise an interesting idea with your Pelagic Cormorant suggestion. I thought I was looking at a Brandt's Cormorant. A Pelagic Cormorant would be a lifer tick for me

chubri777 · Oct 5, 2006

the smaller bird in the first pic with the cormorant is a black turnstone...all others are as Gentoo said
here is a semi in focus pic i took of one on monterey at the coast guard jetty

jcwings · Oct 5, 2006

Gentoo is spot on (and Black Turnstone in photo 1).

Chris Benesh · Oct 5, 2006

Hi All,

I agree that the turnstone is a Black, but I think the cormorant is an out of focus Brandt's though (sorry Terry). The forehead slope looks too shallow for Pelagic and I think I am seeing a bit of the pale throat patch found on Brandt's. Also, the Northern Shovelers have male-patterned wings and faint crescents on their faces, which suggests that they are males that are still in alternate (dull eclipse) plumage.

Chris

Terry O'Nolley · Oct 5, 2006

Thanks for all of the help! I know that all of the Cormorants on the jetty appeared to be Brandt's so that doesn't surprise me.

The Black Turnstone is a lifer though.

Gentoo · Oct 5, 2006

Chris Benesh said:
Hi All,

I agree that the turnstone is a Black, but I think the cormorant is an out of focus Brandt's though (sorry Terry). The forehead slope looks too shallow for Pelagic and I think I am seeing a bit of the pale throat patch found on Brandt's. Also, the Northern Shovelers have male-patterned wings and faint crescents on their faces, which suggests that they are males that are still in alternate (dull eclipse) plumage.

Chris

The thinness of the bill ans small head doesn't seem right for Brandt's to me
http://www.birdinfo.com/A_Images_B/BrandtsCormorant_0001.html

Pelagic seems the likely bird and as the following photo shows, forhead slope is not always reliable. These two species quite frequently occur together too.
http://thebirdguide.com/pelagics/images/pelagic_cormorant_mcvicker.jpg

lou salomon · Oct 5, 2006

shape of the cormorant looks better for brandt's. the more sloping forehead and the thicker, shorter neck. i've seen brandt's on a daily basis while staying in san fran back in the 90-ties.
the gull could have some GWG-genes in it, mantle colour seems a bit on the pale side for western. possibly a backcross, F2 or 3.

Gentoo · Oct 5, 2006

lou salomon said:
shape of the cormorant looks better for brandt's. the more sloping forehead and the thicker, shorter neck. i've seen brandt's on a daily basis while staying in san fran back in the 90-ties.
the gull could have some GWG-genes in it, mantle colour seems a bit on the pale side for western. possibly a backcross, F2 or 3.

The comorant I'll give you, I'm never 100% possitive on them. That gull is a pure western, It's on the pale end of occidentalis but remember, its plumage is warn due to molt. Also, hybrids do not occur so far south so early. If this is a hybrid or backcross, it should have some prominant head smudging by now. Western's that develope any head markings usually have them by now.

JANJ · Oct 5, 2006

I agree to pure Western, some variation in grey tone (Kodak Grey Scale 7,5 - 9,5 (10)darkest in the South and overlapping with wymani (KGS (9) 9,5 - 10,5 (11).

Check the adults at the end of this site:

http://www.coastside.net/chucao/gulls/wegu-age.htm

JanJ

catmadden · Jun 15, 2007

Hi, I live in Aptos, South Monterey Bay. Your birds are: 1) Black Turnstone/ 2) California Gull/3) Northern Shoveler (Male) . Great Pics of the Shoveler!

Larry Lade · Jun 15, 2007

Gulls can be tough to ID, can't they!! :eek!:

birderbf · Jun 15, 2007

lou salomon said:
shape of the cormorant looks better for brandt's. the more sloping forehead and the thicker, shorter neck. i've seen brandt's on a daily basis while staying in san fran back in the 90-ties.
the gull could have some GWG-genes in it, mantle colour seems a bit on the pale side for western. possibly a backcross, F2 or 3.

Before I looked closely I was sure it was Pelagic, but I think the thin bill's an illusion from not being in focus. I also can see the patch on the side of the head that points to Brandt's, so i agree on that one, and all the others.

Terry O'Nolley · Jun 16, 2007

catmadden said:
Hi, I live in Aptos, South Monterey Bay. Your birds are: 1) Black Turnstone/ 2) California Gull/3) Northern Shoveler (Male) . Great Pics of the Shoveler!

Thanks for reviving this thread after 8 months!

3 unknown birds - Mt. View & Monterey California (1 Viewer)

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