Hi Tweets,

Jim Elder writes:

> 1) The mantle was a bit too dark for Herring though a little light for
>Western and when it flew off (it was standing at first) the mantle/wingtip
>contrast was less than I would expect in a Herring Gull
> 2) The eyes were yellow but not the very pale yellow I associate with
>Herring Gulls. They were more pale honey colored. I don't remember ever
>noting this color on a Western Gull. I thought they had dark eyes but I
>couldn't find an explicit description of eye color for Western Gulls last
>night.
> 3) The head was immaculate white. I believe a Herring Gull would be in
>winter plumage by now and would have at least some obvious brown streaking
>or spotting on the head.

This sounds like a Western X Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid, Jim, as someone
suggested, 'Olympic Gull'. A Western should be much, not slightly, darker
than a Herring Gull wich is as pale or paler than a GWGU. The white head is
indicative of Western, the paler mantle of Glaucous-winged. The wingtip
pattern suggests that parentage also. Both Western and GWGU typically have a
dark brown iris but some individuals have less pigment and tend toward paler
and paler amber or as you call it, honey color, not all the clear
citron-yellow of birds in the Herring complex. Some extreme individuals of
WEGU, GWGU, or hybrids totally lacking dark pigmentation have a white iris.

Wingtip pattern is all over the lot: pale grey both sides to black both
sides, every combination and shade in between; likewise mantle color.

Gail Spitler writes:

>Peter Grant (the one with a J as his middle initial) says that the iris of
>the adult Western Gull is yellowish -white (especially wymani) to dull
>yellowish-brown (especially nominate occidentals); orbital ring yellow to
>orange.

I'm still sad Peter Grant died far too early. What a loss. I wish he were
still alive to 1) have continued to enjoy his life; 2) have continued to
provide these wonderful family summaries such as 'Gulls, a guide to
identification; and 3) so we could clear this Western Gull iris color thing
up. Overwhelmingly, the 'occidentalis' WEGU I've seen have had dark brown
irides; still the majority have been Def Basic adults near landfills in
winter, and likewise both GWGU and their hybrids.

Michael Price We aren't flying...we're falling with style!
Vancouver BC Canada -Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story
mprice at mindlink.net