[MDOsprey] gull question

quiltbird@annapolis.net
Thu, 1 Jul 1999 13:33:49 -0400


Hello Ospreyers,

Need some help with a gull ID, please.  Yesterday Dotty Mumford and I went
to bombay Hook to look for the little egret and whatever else we could
find.  (No luck on little egret.)  In the course of our travels, we went
out Port Mahon Road and one of the stops we made was at the pier that is
gated.  It was full of birds, mostly gulls of two species, ring-billed and
great black backed, with one royal tern.
And--one odd-ball gull.  An over-all pale bird.

The gull in question was perched with ring-billeds and was approximately
the same size, although may have been a tiny bit smaller.  It had a white
mantle, with light brown primary feathers.  It's head looked just a little
flatter the birds near it (angle of viewing?), and the tip of the beak was
shaped differently.  When preening, it spread its tail feathers, showing a
brown terminal band.

On the "brag sheet"  at Bombay Hook, an immature Iceland gull had been
reported on Port Mahon Rd, so we took this to be that bird.  But upon
looking at field guides--it doesn't fit.  Borwn primaries and brown
terminal tailband don't occur on Iceland gull in plumages described.

Any thoughts?

While at Bomay Hook, we did see Wilson's phalarope in breeding plumage,
lots of dowitchers in, 20 or so breeding plumage American avocets, glossy
ibis, 2 green-wing teal, gadwall, least sandpipers, semi-palmated
sandpipers and numerous egrets (all carefully scrutinized).  Also did not
find the peregrines reported to be frequenting the area by the tower at
Little Creek, but it started raining just as we arrived there.

All help appreciated as I have much to learn.

Linda Baker
quiltbird@annapolis.net