David Moulton, a birder from Steamboat Springs, is an acquaintance of mine. I got an email note from him and his wife, Tresa, this morning, Jan 1, with a brief description and some good digi-scoped photos of a gull he saw on Monday, Dec 30th at Aurora Res, Arapahoe COunty, fee of $10 per carload to enter. Gates are locked during the night, not sure what time they open, but I recall 7:30 or 8??
-- Frank Ferrell, whom I do not know, was the finder of the gull and brought it to the Moultons' attention. An ID could not be made, as it seemed not to be typical of any gull.
Meanwhile the gull is about the size of a Herring Gull, with a very black back, pink legs and a photo of the out-stretched wing shows a pattern COMPATIBLE WITH SLATY-BACKED GULL. He compared this to nearby Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls. Per David, "The mystery gull had a mostly unstreaked head, yellow bill with red spot, and in photo 24 appears to have a light eye."
I am not saying that is the ID, but the bird is worth study. Several keen larophiles have seen the images and lean toward that Slaty-backed, but personal looks and more photos are expected on Jan 2.
Technical troubles prevented me from posting the link to these photos, but I will try again in the morning.
There are only so many black-backed or dark gray-backed gulls that have been seen in CO:
Lesser Black-backed
Great Black-backed
Western
Kelp
& one record from MARCH, 2000 of a Slaty-backed Gull.
Hybrids can be considered too.
Joe Roller,
Denver
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