Gull ID torture, part two.

Well, I figured I did such a nice job butchering my gull ID's yesterday, that I would post some more gulls I photographed at Westmoreland Park.

Ok, so this bird I thought looked good for a Glaucous-winged but it has a light eye which just confuses me...  Glaucous-winged X Herring?  Something else entirely?


Now is this next one a Herring Gull?


And what the heck is this:

Glaucous-winged X Western?

Ok that's all I have the energy for right now.  No more gulls for awhile.

Comments

  1. 1) The light eye is unusual, but I think it is possible...looks good for a pure Glaucous-winged otherwise.

    2) I reckon so.

    3) And you know this. You can see it in the primaries hella easily.

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  2. Thanks, Steve. Hope you're brushed up on east coast gulls because I'm heading to Massachusetts on Thursday..

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  4. I agree with Seagull Steve. While the eye is a little light on the first bird, although not as light as on a Herring Gull, everything else is spot on for a Glaucous-winged. Second bird is fine for a Herring. The third is an "Olympic" (Glaucous-winged X Western hybrid). The extensive mottled hood and the wing tips that are dark but not actually black are key signs. I'm doing my gull class for Portland Audubon on Jan. 18, with a local trip on Jan. 21. Hope you can join us.

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  5. You're getting it, Jen! Just more practice. Rather than fewer posts, if you really want to learn, take more and keep asking!

    You know, you're able to get nearly instant feedback from digital photos and great optical magnification.

    Can you imagine what we went through just a few short years ago in order to learn these birds?

    Pay attention to bill shape--you should nearly be able to separate the gulls on that feature alone (with western, glaucous-winged, and hybrids all having the same heavy shape). Then you may not be thrown off by odd eye color.

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  6. Hi jen, looks like you are doing well with the gull ids. I do not even want to try. At least for now. Great photos. Happy Thanksgiving.

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  7. ITS so much easier in breeding plumage eh? When I go the coast here I look for the size of the birds to help me with an ID..but I am never 100% sure what Im seeing...lol
    have a great TRIP------hope you see a lifer while your there.

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  8. I agree that the first pic confusing with the pale eye, but otherwise looks like a glaucous-winged.
    I'm getting better at gulls, but I haven't a clue when it comes to Thayer's.

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