I joined other frustrated seekers of the adult Slaty-backed Gull on Saturday afternoon, 3 Jan 2014. The Slaty-back eluded us, but we did see part of the gull flock sitting on the ice shelf by the main parking lot/buildings, perhaps 1000 birds, including some interesting gulls:
Glaucous - 1 first-cycle
Thayer's - 2 adults, 2 first-cycle
Thayer's - 2 adults, 2 first-cycle
Lesser Black-backed - 4 adults, 1 first-cycle
California - 1 first-cycle
Hybrid LBBxHerring - 1 adult
Herring - approx. 50
Ring-billed - approx. 900
There was also a mystery gull that stumped all of us, but now I think it is a candidate for first-cycle Slaty-backed. I am not at all confident about the identity of this bird, but the closest match I could come up with in Howell and Dunn's Gulls of the Americas is indeed Slaty-backed Gull (see p. 214, figures 30.8 and 30.9). Digiscoped images and some discussion of the bird are posted online at http://www.pbase.com/quetzal/mysterygullah. I will be seeking advice on this bird from others, but better photos are needed. So, if you are at Aurora looking for the adult Slaty-back this weekend, and you have a decent camera, you might want to photograph this bird as well. It may be a second Slaty-backed Gull.
Nick Komar
Fort Collins CO
No comments:
Post a Comment