Little Gull flyby Adams County

[Gary Bowen (Thornton)]

Had a lone flyby of a Little Gull on 5/28/20 along S. Platte River at 104th in Adams County.

Gary Bowen, Thornton

[Steven Rash]

Gary,

Among other things, a little gull in breeding plumage would lack the eye arcs seen on the bird you photographed. This one looks like a better fit for Franklin’s gull to me. Nice capture!

Happy Birding,

Steve Rash
Denver Co.

[Gary Bowen (Thornton)]

Thanks Steve. It was a lucky shot in the rain.

Two iNaturtalists and the Gull Watchers group have tag it as a Little Gull.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47688487

HOWEVER, you make a good arguement for a Franklin’s gull - I'm open to changing the ID.

Gary Bowen, Thornton

[Nicholas Komar]

While body shape and bill size look good for Franklin’s, the wingtip pattern (lacking significant white in outer primaries) and adult head pattern favor Laughing Gull. A first summer Franklins gull should not have a full black head, and an older Franklin’s Gull would have extensive white in primary tips. interesting bird.

Nick Komar

Fort Collins 

On May 29, 2020, at 9:02 AM, Gary Bowen (Thornton) <gewb...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Steven Rash]

Nick,

I think the reason you can’t see the white wingtips well is due to the exposure needed to capture the bird in poor lighting conditions. If ya squint hard enough at the image I believe you can see them.

Steve Rash
Denver, Co.

[Derek Hill]

Voting Franklin's on this bird, due to probability; wing shape - LIGU would have shorter rounder tipped wings; underwing color - jet black in adult LIGU, while this bird although underexposed in the photo has whitish axillaries and slightly darker secondaries/inner primaries clearly contrasting with black wingtips; and the bill is too small for a Laughing.  The portly appearance is better for FRGU over LAGU. Maybe this bird has retained outer primaries or is just hard to see in the photo, but I do see FRGU lacking the white-bordered black tips in the spring.

Good birding

Derek Hill

Loveland

[Karl Stecher Jr.]

Franklin's.  The eye arcs are visible.

 

Karl Stecher

Aurora

 

 

 

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From: "Gary Bowen (Thornton)" <gewb...@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2020 4:15 PM
To: "Colorado Birds" <cob...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: *** SPAM 10: [cobirds] Re: Little Gull flyby Adams County

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[Gary Bowen (Thornton)]

Thanks for the discussion and education! I'm going with Franklin's Gull. I wish my photo was clearer but as a photographer sometimes I have to take what is given.

Regards,
Gary Bowen, Thornton

On Friday, May 29, 2020 at 6:50:48 AM UTC-6, Gary Bowen (Thornton) wrote:

[Karl Stecher Jr.]

Nick...I bow to your expertise, but...

 

   the arcs are classic Franklin's

 

   the bill size, as you note, is Franklin's, not laughing

 

   ?

 

Karl Stecher

Aurora

 

 

 

 

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From: "Nicholas Komar" <quet...@comcast.net>
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2020 11:29 PM
To: gewb...@gmail.com
Cc: "Colorado Birds" <cob...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: *** SPAM 10: Re: [cobirds] Re: Little Gull flyby Adams County

 

While body shape and bill size look good for Franklin’s, the wingtip pattern (lacking significant white in outer primaries) and adult head pattern favor Laughing Gull. A first summer Franklins gull should not have a full black head, and an older Franklin’s Gull would have extensive white in primary tips. interesting bird.

 

Nick Komar

Fort Collins 

On May 29, 2020, at 9:02 AM, Gary Bowen (Thornton) <gewb...@gmail.com> wrote:
 

?

Thanks Steve. It was a lucky shot in the rain.

Two iNaturtalists and the Gull Watchers group have tag it as a Little Gull.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47688487

HOWEVER, you make a good arguement for a Franklin’s gull - I'm open to changing the ID.

Gary Bowen, Thornton

On Friday, May 29, 2020 at 8:37:44 AM UTC-6, Steven Rash wrote:

Gary,

Among other things, a little gull in breeding plumage would lack the eye arcs seen on the bird you photographed. This one looks like a better fit for Franklin’s gull to me. Nice capture!

Happy Birding,

Steve Rash
Denver Co.

 

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