gpasq@picuxa.UUCP (Greg Pasquariello X1190) (11/01/88)
I just returned from my trip to Massachussets (sp?). We had some really nice looks at some really good birds, but overall the trip was a bust. We saw virtually no dickie birds, probably due to the gusty winds. We drove (and drove and drove) and finally reached Salisbury Beach, in northern Mass. As you head in toward the boat ramp, there is a small grove of pine trees, really low scrubby ones. This was our first stop. I had gotten long eared owls here in the past, so it was worth a look. It was not until the last tree in the row that we discovered a small saw-whet owl, sleeping and sunning only eight feet up near the trunk! So close, that most of us couldn't focus our binocs on it! First real bird for the trip, and a lifer for at least three in the group. The other birds that we scraped up here were typical for the area and time of year and included a merlin, snow-buntings, and horned larks. The beach itself produced only occasional scattered scoters (that sounds neat) of all three species, some oldsquaw, and a herd of gannets, but little else. So on we moved toward Plum Island. There is a yacht club in Newburryport on the way that we stop at every year. It usually has lots of bonaparte's gulls, and I am told it used to have black headed gulls regularly. I have tried for about every black headed gull in the free world, and I was of the belief that there really is no such bird. So, we made the mandatory stop, saw no bonies and little else, and left. Still no black-headed. A short way down the river however, sat a large flock of gulls (near the clam shack for those of you that remember the Ross's gull of several years ago). As we parked the van I noticed a bonaparte's flying way the heck off in the distance (actually near the yacht club) and put my scope on it. The thing had black underwing tips!!! Unfortunately, no one else saw the bird, so no one else believed me. Quickly, I herded them back into the van, and zoomed back to the yacht club. People in small cars can make such funny gestures when faced with death by birding van! We got to the yacht club, and there it was, a beautiful first year black headed gull, first flying over the van, then perching on the sewage treatmen plant less than 100 yards away. That was about how the day ended. We got no other great birds to speak of, but we did have some good birding fun. The next day dawned bright and early (First cousin to "it was a dark and stormy night"). We boarded the "Capt John" in Plymouth and set sail for the Stellwagen Banks. We hit the jackpot as far as sheer numbers of birds were concerned. Lots and lots of gulls, and plenty of greater shearwaters. Manx shearwaters were common also, with about 1 for every 3 greater. That was somewhat of a surprise. I hoped to see two or three. Last year we only saw one! The whales put on a great show, with three species (fin, humpback, and Minke) bubble netting right along side the boat. Three jeagers flew by, but way off in the distance, probably all pomarine. I missed the flyby razorbill. But the best bird came as we were headed back to port. It was with the other gulls, and was very probably a Thayer's gull. I managed to see the bird quite well, and it had many of the characteristics of the Thayer's. Photos were taken, and Wayne Petersen was on board (a very good birder of national renown). He felt it could be a Thayer's but would not say for sure. I will let you know what the experts say about the photos. It would be a life bird for me if I could have identified with certainty. Oh well, maybe next time. If anyone on the Left Coast has any tips for id'ing a Thayers (Mike?) maybe you could send them or post them. I would be greatful. Happy Birding - Greg -- ========================================================================= "I crush your head!" Greg Pasquariello AT&T PMTC att!picuxa!gpasq Parsippany, NJ =========================================================================
mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser) (11/02/88)
In article <691@picuxa.UUCP>, gpasq@picuxa.UUCP (Greg Pasquariello X1190) writes: > > But the best bird came as we were headed back to port. It was > with the other gulls, and was very probably a Thayer's gull. I managed to > see the bird quite well, and it had many of the characteristics of the > Thayer's. Photos were taken, and Wayne Petersen was on board (a very good > birder of national renown). He felt it could be a Thayer's but would not > say for sure. I will let you know what the experts say about the photos. > It would be a life bird for me if I could have identified with certainty. > Oh well, maybe next time. > > If anyone on the Left Coast has any tips for id'ing a Thayers (Mike?) maybe > you could send them or post them. I would be greatful. > Two weeks ago I was out at the Bay and found the first Thayer's of the season; 6 birds in a flock of Western, Herring, and California Gulls. Thayer's is intermediate in size and structure between Herring and Iceland. The mantle is slightly darker than on Herring and obviously darker than on Iceland. Compared to Herring, the bill is smaller and the head is rounder, giving the bird a more "gentle" appearance; although not to the extent it is on Iceland. Thayer's will have a dark eye, which may be only a brown- flecked yellow, but never entirely pale like Herring. The legs may be a deep rose-pink or purplish-pink, where Herring and Iceland have pale pink legs. The black on the wing-tips is not as extensive as on Herring. The black is limited to the outer webs of the primaries except at the very tips of the feathers. When the wings are fully spread, the effect is of black and white lines on the wing tip (similar to the wing tip pattern for the Kumlieni race of Iceland Gull, except the Kumlieni has a frosted gray color and not black like Thayer's). The underwings are pale silvery with dark tips to the primaries. The overall effect is a pale underwing, and you may notice a series of dark spots along the trailing edge of the primaries. A good identification guide for gulls is; Gulls, a Guide to Identifi- cation by P. J. Grant. However, make sure that it is the second edition or it won't include Thayer's or other west coast species. I don't have any experience with Iceland Gull or other east coast gulls (notice that I don't say the right coast; I don't want you guys to get swelled heads :-) ), but out here I look for a smallish dark-eyed, pink-legged gull with a slightly darker mantle than on Herring. If it is flying, look for the striped effect in the dark area of the wingtip, or the pale underwing with dark spots on the trailing edge of the primaries. Checking the bill size and head shape is probably something you would want to do at length; probably with a Herring Gull next to it for comparison. Good luck, Mike
gpasq@picuxa.UUCP (Greg Pasquariello X1190) (11/03/88)
In article <31830@oliveb.olivetti.com> mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser) writes: >In article <691@picuxa.UUCP>, gpasq@picuxa.UUCP (Greg Pasquariello X1190) writes: > > > > But the best bird came as we were headed back to port. It was > > with the other gulls, and was very probably a Thayer's gull. I managed to > > see the bird quite well, and it had many of the characteristics of the > > Thayer's. > > Two weeks ago I was out at the Bay and found the first Thayer's of the >season; 6 birds in a flock of Western, Herring, and California Gulls. > > Thayer's is intermediate in size and structure between Herring and >Iceland. The mantle is slightly darker than on Herring and obviously darker >than on Iceland. Compared to Herring, the bill is smaller and the head is >rounder, giving the bird a more "gentle" appearance; although not to the extent >it is on Iceland. Thayer's will have a dark eye, which may be only a brown- >flecked yellow, but never entirely pale like Herring. The legs may be a deep >rose-pink or purplish-pink, where Herring and Iceland have pale pink legs. >The black on the wing-tips is not as extensive as on Herring. The black is >limited to the outer webs of the primaries except at the very tips of the >feathers. When the wings are fully spread, the effect is of black and white >lines on the wing tip (similar to the wing tip pattern for the Kumlieni race >of Iceland Gull, except the Kumlieni has a frosted gray color and not black >like Thayer's). The underwings are pale silvery with dark tips to the primaries. > >Good luck, >Mike Thanks for the tips. Do you have any for the pre-adult birds? The one we saw in Mass was a second winter bird, with a somewhat gray mantle, back, and wings. The tips (on top) were a dusky grey-brown, the underwing tips were pale (see exception below) and the bird was generally paler than a herring gull of the same age. The rump was whitish (a fairly good mark), and the tail was brown with a dark brown terminal band. The head was pale. Some of the exceptions that make me hesitate in calling it a Thayer's include: 1. The bill was that of a herring gull, not any more delicate. 2. The jizz wasn't right. Color aside, it _looked_ like a herring gull. 3. The eye was yellow. All literature says it ranges from brown to yellow flecked with brown, but Wayne Peterson says it can be clear yellow (true?). 4. There were no dusky ear coverts. 5. The outer 2 primaries were duskier than the inner ones, giving an impression of somewhat darker tips. 6. It was the size of a herring gull. I am of the opinion that it may be a Herring x Glaucous hybrid. I read last night (I think in Harrison's seabirds) that 50% of the Glaucous gulls in (hmmm, where was it... Iceland maybe?) are hybrids, and that in some locations there are almost no pure glaucous. I believe all of the large Larus gulls (of the "herring gull type") should be lumped. Thanks again Mike! Happy Birding. Greg -- ========================================================================= "I crush your head!" Greg Pasquariello AT&T PMTC att!picuxa!gpasq Parsippany, NJ =========================================================================
mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser) (11/05/88)
In article <693@picuxa.UUCP>, gpasq@picuxa.UUCP (Greg Pasquariello X1190) writes: > > Thanks for the tips. Do you have any for the pre-adult birds? The one we > saw in Mass was a second winter bird, with a somewhat gray mantle, back, > and wings. The tips (on top) were a dusky grey-brown, the underwing tips > were pale (see exception below) and the bird was generally paler than a > herring gull of the same age. The rump was whitish (a fairly good mark), > and the tail was brown with a dark brown terminal band. The head was pale. I don't have any experience with subadult Thayer's Gulls, except for a few first-winter birds. The above marks don't seem out of line with what I've read. However, I think that the whitish rump is probably a distinctive mark on a few 2nd winter gull species (Herring and Western?) > 1. The bill was that of a herring gull, not any more delicate. I've never seen a Thayer's Gull with a bill as large as a typical Herring, but I don't know the extent of variability in this feature. > 3. The eye was yellow. All literature says it ranges from > brown to yellow flecked with brown, but Wayne Peterson > says it can be clear yellow (true?). Not to my knowledge. I'll bow to Wayne's greater expertise, but I'd feel more comfortable with a literature reference for this. > 4. There were no dusky ear coverts. I'm not sure if this is a reliable characteristic. P.J. Grant mentions it as a character for first-winter Thayer's, but also says that it is exhibited by some Herrings. National Geographic illustrates their first-winter Thayer's with a darkish ear/eye patch. On the outing that I mentioned in my original posting, I found a small number of winter plumaged adult Herring Gulls with a dark ear/eye patch, but none of the Thayer's Gulls had it. > I believe all of the large Larus gulls (of the "herring gull type") should > be lumped. BITE YOUR TONGUE! You've been working too hard; you're under a lot of pressure; you need a little time off! Think of the wife and kids, man! :-) Mike