What stood out on this bird was the very extensive head streaking, about what we would see in an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull in winter.  Other than that and the smaller size, to me the field marks on this bird pointed to herring gull, including the yellow iris and the mantle color which was identical to the nearby herring gulls.

Tom Harten
Croom

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Ringler <>
Sent: Feb 7, 2005 10:17 AM
To: 
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Thayer's Gull and Iceland Gull in Ocean City

Les,
   Never having seen an adult Thayer's Gull in the east perhaps I should not be questioning anyone else's observation.  However, everything in your description of the bird seems, to me, consistent with a small Herring Gull.  What field marks were definitive for you?
   Also, you didn't mention what age Iceland Gull you saw.  I hope to be in Ocean City in two weeks with other bird clubs on Presidents Day weekend to look for these birds.
   Thank you.

Bob Ringler
Eldersburg MD

 
---- Les Roslund <> wrote: 
> 	Saturday afternoon, while sharing the Ocean City Inlet viewing
> platform with Brad Lanning and Tom Harten, Brad called our attention to an
> unusual-looking gull amongst the 50 or so gulls that were basking in the
> warm sun of the perfect late-afternoon lighting on the inlet parking lot.
> The unusual bird was the only one of its size, and for calibration purposes
> had an adult Herring gull standing at one side and an adult Ring-billed Gull
> on the other side.  Besides size, the heavy streaking on head and back of
> neck, and what appeared to be a hooked bill had been what caught Brad's
> attention.  The bird was clearly smaller than the Herring Gulls, but much
> larger than the Ring-billed Gulls; had pink legs, yellow bill and bright red
> spot on lower mandible. Other markings, except for the streaked head and
> neck, were quite similar to those of the Herring Gull adults. Later, with a
> little help from reference books retrieved from the car, we concluded that
> we had been staring at an adult Thayer's Gull.  The excessively long and
> down-curved upper mandible would suggest that this may have been a quite old
> bird, or else a bird that somehow had not been eating in a way that would
> wear that mandible down to normal length.
> 	Our main viewing target from the platform was a flock of eider
> bouncing near the breaking waves well to the east of the jetty.  Both Common
> and King Eider could be resolved in the flock of 14 or more birds, including
> one Common Eider male in close-to full breeding plumange.
> 	Brad mentioned having seen an Iceland Gull on the parking lot
> earlier in the day.  The next morning I (along with Talbot County Bird Club
> members) had the fun of viewing that bird also, over on the channel island
> as seen from 4th Street.
> 
> Les Roslund
> Easton, MD


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