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clueless (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter KC Foggin
- Start date
JANJ said:
A rare gull (for the location) called on a single non high-resolution photo, with no qualifications or disclaimers???
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Who are you and what did you do with JanJ???
More seriously, I'll take a closer look, but how did you so definitively eliminate 2nd winter smithsonianus?
I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything, but my vote is for Herring Gull. The question is the age, the bill looks like a 2nd winter, but could be an advanced first winter. The axillaries are a bit light, but not convincingly so. For a February bird I'm going to lean for advanced first winter given that there are too few pixels to judge the bill with any confidence, but it could be a 2nd winter that's a bit retarded in the plumage department.
The inner primaries are quite pale on the left wing, and that in combination with the stout body and the apparent solidity of the dark breast and belly plumage would have me thinking Herring even if this had been taken on the other coast.
The inner primaries are quite pale on the left wing, and that in combination with the stout body and the apparent solidity of the dark breast and belly plumage would have me thinking Herring even if this had been taken on the other coast.
JANJ
Well-known member
No- Thayeri, you are right with American Herring of course, I just jumped, and was going to come back, because something with that dark belly for CG at this time of year perhaps. Why not a 1st winter AMHG, not saying that 2nd winter is out of the question, but I wouldn´t judge from here for certain.
JanJ
JanJ
Hi JanJ, as I indicated above, my lean upon further reflection was 1st winter.
On the other hand, however, the axillaries are distinctly lighter than the adjacent underwing coverts on the right wing even where evenly lit, and in combination with the streak of white along the the upper flanks, I wouldn't be ruling out a slow and dark 2nd winter either. Particularly since other than P9 on the right wing, those primary tips are looking pretty rounded.
On the other hand, however, the axillaries are distinctly lighter than the adjacent underwing coverts on the right wing even where evenly lit, and in combination with the streak of white along the the upper flanks, I wouldn't be ruling out a slow and dark 2nd winter either. Particularly since other than P9 on the right wing, those primary tips are looking pretty rounded.
JANJ
Well-known member
Had a look at the p-tips first thing, a bit difficult to be sure if they really where 2nd generation- rounded. It´s not always easy to see the shape of p-tips, it´ll take a sharp image and preferable a right angle: first and second here:
http://tasmania.globat.com/~peregrineprints.com/gulls/pg/Hegu/1/mar13pal.htm
Although a variable character, the 'broad' dark tips to all the inner primaries (to p1), perhaps indicate 1st generation primaries over 2nd, the broadnes I mean.
I will say that some of the primaries do look somehow rounded, most obvious on p 5.
Conclusion: 2cy or 3cy, but smithsonianus it should be.
JanJ
http://tasmania.globat.com/~peregrineprints.com/gulls/pg/Hegu/1/mar13pal.htm
Although a variable character, the 'broad' dark tips to all the inner primaries (to p1), perhaps indicate 1st generation primaries over 2nd, the broadnes I mean.
I will say that some of the primaries do look somehow rounded, most obvious on p 5.
Conclusion: 2cy or 3cy, but smithsonianus it should be.
JanJ
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