Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 12:23:31 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Phil Davis Subject: Re: Kelp Gull Photos In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed MDOspreyers ... If you don't follow Paul's discussion, below, it has to do with a private thread that accidently got posted in midstream to MDOsprey. The threat distributed about 8 digital images of a bird in Trinidad that the observer thought might be Kelp Gull. The photos were passed to a number of MD birders who have stared long and hard at our "shrimpy" in Sandgates. Sorry for the confusion. Phil At 12:18 PM 08/13/2000 -0400, Paul O'Brien wrote: >I agree with Jane that the photos seem to match Kelp Gull and certainly are >not of a Lesser Black-backed of any subspecies. The proportions would be all >wrong for LBBG. It has the heavy front end/light rear end and upright >posture of a KEGU. The leg color looks brighter yellow than what I have >seen, but soft part colors are notoriously variable, even to the extent of >changing before your eyes. Besides, some observers noted a greenish cast, >which was evident on at least one of the photos, and KEGU legs are often >described as yellow. The green tint is probably very dependent on lighting >conditions and may even vary from individual to individual (the Galveston >bird looked more greenish gray than the Sandgates bird, which had a stronger >yellow base). > >The one feature that disturbed me about the Trinidad bird was the apparent >absence of the prominent white mirror on P10 (see the last photo with >outstretched wings). I grant that the wingtips were in motion and are >blurred, which could obscure the mirror. But it is a large mirror and I >suspect it would be noticeable in most photos of outstretched wings. Anybody >have any thoughts about this possible inconsistency? ==================================Phil Davis Davidsonville, Maryland USA mailto:PDavis@ix.netcom.com ================================== ========================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ========================================================================== =========================================================================