I visited the Larimer County landfill this afternoon expecting to find the mother load of gulls, but was disappointed. There was a decent flock of 500 or so, with a couple of adult Lesser Black-backed and good numbers of Herring and California accompanying the throng of Ring-billed Gulls. I ended the day at Horseshoe Lake in Loveland, which continues to be excellent for gulls. There were 3 Lesser Black-backed (2 adults and a first-cycle) and plenty of Herring, California and Ring-billed, plus a pod of 35 Bonaparte's Gulls. Of note was a dark-mantled adult Herring Gull that fit the description for Vega Gull (Larus argentatus vegae). This bird would be a vagrant in Colorado although single adults that resemble this species have been showing up annually. It breeds mainly in Siberia. The Europeans consider it a full species separate from Herring Gull. There is a page dedicated to it in the Sibley Guide on p. 217. The Horseshoe Lake bird was a dead ringer for the "Adult Nonbreeding" plumage depicted in the Sibley Guide. Hopefully it will stick around and pose for documentation photos.
Nick Komar
Fort Collins CO
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