Curiously, in July 1999 I saw a very yellow-legged gull at the same
sandbar on the Anacostia (a popular loafing place for them). Since in
all other respects it was like the other Herring Gulls associated with
it, I finally ascribed it to that species.
Fred Fallon
Bowie MD
Paul Pisano wrote:
> In case anyone out there is sitting on the edge of his/her seat waiting for
> the results of my literature review regarding the first of the two
> interesting gulls seen along the Anacostia River last Saturday (the one
> suggesting Yellow-legged Gull), I'm afraid the best I can tell you is that I
> don't know what it is. While the most likely conclusion (in terms of
> probabilities) is that it's an American Herring Gull at the pale end of the
> spectrum, and some features support that, I'm still not completely
> comfortable with that conclusion. Nor am I comfortable calling it a
> Yellow-legged Gull. So unless it's refound and better photographed, I think
> it's best left in the "one that got away" category.
>
> By the way, I went back on Sunday with Gary Allport and Frank Hawkins, and
> we did not refind the bird.
>
> And FYI, I've posted five more photos of the runt Ring-billed Gull on the
> Picasa site: http://picasaweb.google.com/cheep.paul/InterestingGull31207.
> These were taken by Michael Szabo.
>
> Good birding,
> Paul Pisano
> Arlington, VA
>
> |