Thanks for posting the photo link Paul - an interesting bird. While it has lots
of good value for a Yellow-legged Gull, there are a few things that allow some
room for uncertainty in my opinion. I'd like to hear the opinion of others with
experience of this species.
 
My main concern is the size of the white mirrors on the primaries - they should
be small on Yellow-legged, they look large on this bird, certainly larger than
is typical for Yellow-legged. Some of that could be an artifact of the
photographs - difficult to say. Also, Yellow-legged has longer primaries than
Herring - this bird has a very short primary projection. Of course that could
be moult, but note that Yellow-legged Gull (at least the western European race)
moults earlier than Herring Gull, and I would have thought would be through
moult by now. I'm not too sure of the moult timing of other races though - so
that's worth investigating. 
 
Also, the streaking on the head is definitely towards the extensive extreme for
Yellow-legged Gull. In photo 6 - the streaking looks extensive but very fine.
Size is difficult to judge but Yellow-legged is pretty close to average Herring
Gull size, there is extensive overlap among the various races of both. It's
usually noticeably larger than Lesser-Black-backed (when side by side), a
Yellow-legged between Ring-billed and Herring size would be odd.
 
I don't think any one thing rules out Yellow-legged but it's certainly doesn't
look like a classic bird of the races I'm used to seeing in Europe and North
Africa. This species complex is, well, complex though!
 
A good find whatever the outcome.
 
Andy Wilson,
Frederick
 
 
<A name=1258667211>Subject: Adult Yellow-legged Gull</A>
From: pobrien776 <pobrien776 AT AOL.COM>
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:46:34 -0500
For those of you who may be in the vicinity of Blackwater Refuge this weekend, 
be on the lookout for this gull. �It was seen last Friday (the 13th!) by
Marcia 
Balestri, but not relocated over the weekend. �It was with a flock of mostly 
Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls foraging in the fields along Egypt Road north of 
Key Wallace. �For all we know it could be in North Carolina by now, but it is 
certainly worth looking for. �It will be slightly darker in the mantle and 
midway in size between Herring and Ring-billed Gulls, but with yellow legs. 
�Many of you probably missed the 1993 bird at the Oaks Landfill in 
Laytonsville, Montgomery Co. �It shuttled between the landfill and Georgetown 
Reservoir. �It was a return of the first documented North American record
which 
had been found by Dave Czaplak at Georgetown in the winter of 1990-1991, as I 
recall. 


Photos can be seen at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/BobsShots/Gulls

Good luck!

Paul O'Brien
Rockville, Mont. Co., MD
 Eared Grebe - Piscataway Park PG Cty</a> [Joe Hanfman ] 
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