In contrast, in the four days I walked out there, there were at most five Herring Gulls of various ages, and at most two Great Black-backeds. (Of course
there were dozens of Laughing Gulls.)
Bird A:
A few new inner primaries. missing middle tail. first summer.
very worn outer secondaries. virtually all dark bill. eye pale, but not too pale.
Bird A
Bird B:
Bill half pale (basal, lower). less spotting on breast. newer gray tertials. extremely worn secondaries (in flight). missing some secondaries.
more new inner primaries than A. tail with a couple more new feathers. eye darkish.
Bird B
Bird C:
Bill dark. lower front tip is a rectangle of white. tail intact. missing about 4 secondaries. seven new primaries.
smudge leading out behind eye. eye dark.
Bird C
Bird D:
Bill almost all dark; small pale area upper and lower front only. Tail intact. 3 new inner primaries, not far grown. secondaries all intact.
eye darker than bird A. small amount of smudging mostly arcing around eye in front. small smudge line going straight behind eye.
bill stouter than A. upper part of tail not pure white, mottled. breast white with scattered smudges, medium size.
Bird D
Bird E:
Bill basal half pale. breast and underparts white, virtually no spots. head very white, tiny amount of smudge below and in front. mantle and
scapulars gray. tertials very dark, terminally edged with white. primaries worn, dark. Five new primaries have grown in.
Bird E
Bird F:
Bill oddly and distinctly marked: lower mandible: basal half pinkish, then a black area with a odd white curved line, then top whitish. upper
mandible: basal half dark but with odd triangular pink V; then front half dark with obscure white mark. head quite white, very small smudge in
front and below. five new primaries, with fifth only 40% grown. secondaries all present but very worn. Middle fearthers of tail seem to be new.
Bird F
Bird G:
Lower basal bill whitish. rest dark except very small white tip below. four new primaries. secondaries intact. missing a few of the greater
coverts. smudge extending straight in the front of the eye, curving down and back. outer four worn primaries very pointed. tail feathers present
but very ragged.
Bird G
Bird H:
A very odd looking bird. same size as all the other Lessers. distinctive, as all of the coverts are gone, showing the white feather shafts on the
wings. unusual slanting forehead. bill mostly dark. basal lower mandible pinkish but with triangular insertion of dark. not much gonydeal bulge.
long legs. two and one half new primaries. tail intact, very dark. upper tail very white. head and breast very white. faint smudge in front of eye.
Bird H