Here's my 5 cents worth (well maybe only 3-4) on the gull seen recently by 
quite a few people -- me not included! -- at Schoolhouse Pond in PG County, 
and photographed by Arlene Ripley:

Judging from Arlene's very good digiscoped photos, the bird certainly looks 
darker than most young Iceland Gulls I have seen -- not that I've seen that 
many -- but it is structurally very like an Iceland Gull, in terms of the 
overall shape of the body, the head, and the bill, which is quite short. 
The darker outer half of the bill and the somewhat lighter basal half are 
perfectly typical of 1st winter Iceland.  The overall coloration is also 
rather homogeneous, except for the scapulars, as Arlene points out, and 
especially on the breast and belly.  I would expect a 1st-winter Thayer's 
to be somewhat larger, darker, and with even darker primaries than are 
visible in Arlene's pictures.  Possibly young Thayer's would also exhibit 
even more of a checkerboard pattern on the scapulars and coverts.

I have never seen a Kumlein's and I don't possess (yet!) the new Olsen gull 
book.  The Collins Birds of Europe, which doesn't picture a young 
Kumlein's, notes in the text that 1st winter Kumlein's is 
"indistinguishable from glaucoides "(i.e., Iceland).  Don't know if that 
allows for as dark a bird as we have here, which possibly argues away from 
Iceland and Kumlein's.

My 20-year-old Harrison's "Seabirds" intriguingly says that 1st winter 
Kumlein's Gull has grayer primaries than Iceland, and that the tail is 
almost uniformly pale gray.  However, Harrison shows no picture of an 
immature bird.

My vote:  A rather dark "Iceland-type."  I don't believe it's a Thayer's.

On that indecisive note, Joy and I wish a Very Happy New Year to all 
MDOspreyers.

And a tip of the cap to Mr. Saunders for continuing to host this terrific 
service.  Thanks, Norm.

Mike Bowen
Montgomery Bird Club



At 09:16 AM 12/30/2004 -0500, you wrote:
>Sorry for the delay in posting. This has been a busy week. Anyway, I was 
>present on 12/27 $ 12/28 when the questionable gull was seen by several 
>Ospreyers. I have little experience with both species (especially 
>Thayer's), and am handicapped with both scope and long camera lens in the 
>repair shop. A friend was kind enough to loan me a scope so I was able to 
>take a few hand-held digiscopes of the gull which on the 27th we were 
>calling Thayer's based on the size and color, although the color did seem 
>a bit pale for Thayer's. The bird stayed pretty far out in the flock on 
>the 27th. However, when I returned on Tuesday, it was much closer and I 
>got better shots. While the primaries are not as dark brown as is shown in 
>Sibley, they do show the pale edging. Also the "anchor-shaped" scapular 
>markings seem to be present (communication from Gail Mackiernan who asked 
>me to post my photos) thus leaning toward Thayer's. Note the pale base of 
>the bill also. However the overall paleness and bill size leans toward 
>first winter Kumlein's as well as the patterned tertials.
>
>I'm making these pictures available to the list for discussion as to the 
>proper ID of this gull. And I'm putting the new Olsen gull book on my wishlist!
>
>Here's the link: http://nestbox.com/gull.htm
>
>I've had no luck finding the Mew Gull despite three trips and many 
>quarters in the parking meters!
>
>Arlene Ripley
>Calvert County, MD
>piwa AT comcast DOT net
>http://nestbox.com
>
>
>

D. H. Michael Bowen (Mike)
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda MD 20817-3845
Tel/Fax: (301) 530-5764
e-mail: