Your thoughts (1 Viewer)

[KC Foggin]

I played hooky today Not a good day to do any digiscoping on the beach. Very windy as a storm is on its way. My question concerns the bird coming in for a landing in the lower left hand corner. Where I don't believe it was on top of the gulls it probably wasn't too far off as it is fairly in focus. This was taken pretty far out. The gulls were barely discernible with the naked eye. Just specks of white. . I know the pic is not good but please give me your best thoughts on what this larger bird is:h?:

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hi KC,

It's a fairly dark 1st-winter Herring Gull (American race smithsonianus)

Michael

 

[Darrell Clegg]

Hi KC,

The bird look to be a first winter Herring Gull, hence the brown plumage. There is a first winter Laughing Gull in the middle of your photo - a bird we Brits would like to see a bit more often, though Michael will be able to tell you about the one which lived on the roof of his local hospital back in the 1980's

Darrell

 

[KC Foggin]

Thanks Michael & Darrell. I'm ashamed to say that I really do not know my shorebirds as well as I should. Pretty sad when you live 2 blocks from the ocean but seldom find the time to get there. Think I'll start playing hooky more often