Tweets et al,
Late this afternoon I found what seemed to me to be an adult LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL in breeding plumage. At the onset I must say that I have
never seen a KELP GULL or a SOUTHERN BLACK-BACKED GULL (had not heard of it
even until Bob Boekelheide brought it up) and my YELLOW-FOOTED GULLS were
some time ago and my one LBBG was a subadult a few years back.
The bird was in Port Angeles Harbor this afternoon about 5:30 to 6 PM.
Viewed through a Kowa Scope with fluorite coating with a 20-60X zoom at a
distance of 50 yards, mostly in sunlight from behind my right shoulder. It
was quietly roosting with mostly CALIFORNIA GULLS. Close comparison with
nearby Californias showed it to be the same size and bill shape. It so much
looked like a California in all respects that my first thought was a
melanistic California. I could not make out a gonydeal angle and there was a
very large red spot on the lower mandible at this area. It had a completely
white head with a yellow iris (I could never make out an orbital ring), a
black mantle and black primaries and yellow legs (at times the legs showed
an orangish cast). The tail was white as were the complete underparts. At
this point I consulted Sibley. Examination after this revealed the red cere,
primaries extending well beyond the tail and when looking from the tail end,
the mantle was not quite as black as the primaries and had somewhat of a
brownish cast. The white edges of the scapulars and the tertials present on
most dark mantled gulls were apparent but not very wide.
I called Bob Boekelheide and he arrived at trilight and there apparently
were many more gulls (they come from all over at sundown to roost on the
logs in the harbor). He could not find the bird in the fading light. I will
try to relocate the bird tomorrow with some local birders and post a note if
I find it.
Does some local gull expert have some thoughts based on the description?
Bob Norton
Joyce (near Port Angeles), WA
norton36 at olypen.com