Hi Tweets,

Scott Downes writes:

>Two places today I had the exact
>same type of gull and not sure what to make of it.
(snip description of poss Glaucous Gull GLGU (Larus hyperboreus) or hybrid
with Glaucous-winged Gull GWGU L. glaucescens)

Scott, funny you should mention. Yesterday, there were two birds in the
flocks in South Delta which fit your description perfectly.

While I can't comment on the birds you saw, initially we thought the same
hybrid possibility, or even an oddly plumaged First-Basic GLGU, but after
chewing on it for a while with Rick R and Brian B, finally realised we were
looking at GWGU's in Basic 3 beginning or in their molt into Alt 3. It's the
combination of cleanly bi-colored bill, pale, worn wing plumage, and white
head that suggests GLGU or hybrid.

As these gulls move from Basic into obvious pre-Alternate molt about now,
some of them, particularly second- and third-year birds, are gonna look
pretty weird.

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)