The long dark brown to blackish brown wings did appear to be "heavy" as
these birds walked around. I got very close (3 meters) and very long
(30-45min) gawkings at the Des Moines Marina gulls. Dennis thinks maybe
these are 1st year ring-billeds; and Jack below suggests 2nd year CA's.
This decision should be simpler, but according to combined info, these are
California/ring-billed hybrids! They are not glaucous-winged, mew,
western, Bonaparte"s, Heermann's or Herring's. As of late afternoon,
09-03...........
Whilst struggling to ID these gulls again Monday afternoon, I noted
that about 20 wigeon, a few gadwall, and a single Bonaparte's gull in the
water just off Des Moines Beach Park. The wigeon wintering population can
reach several hundred later on. No scoters, scaup, or grebes yet. Seems
a tad early for the wigeon from my recollection last fall. Thanks for
input.
Maureen Ellis, me2 at u.washington.edu Univ of WA and Des Moines WA

************************************************************************
On Tue, 3 Sep 1996, Jack Bowling wrote:

> Maureen asked:
snip
> >brown scalloping on the body and very long-tipped (extended far beyond
> >tail) dark brown to brownish-black wings plus dark eyes. They were
snip
> >gulls, and the birds were closer in size to the different year-closeby CA
> >gulls with grayblue-green legs. Are these pink-billed/pink legged >ones
> 2nd-year CA gulls or a hybrid of some kind? Can somebody >help, please?
>
> Sounds like a young California Gull to me, Maureen. In any age-class, they
> are always "tail-draggers", i.e., they have long wings which extend way
> down the tail and often it appears that they just don't want to hold them
> up all that high, so they almost drag on the ground at times. The
> bicolored bill is typical of a 2nd-year California, too.
>
> - Jack
>
> Jack Bowling
> Prince George, BC
> jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca
>
>
>