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Slaty-backed Gull
Larus schistisagus
Jodrey Fish Pier
Gloucester, MA
December 23, 24, 25, 26, 2007
Found, reported and pointed out to me by David Sibley. Thank you David!
Images from Niles Pond 12-26-07
"Click" on any image for a larger photo...
Photos of the bright yellow billed, winter plumaged adult from December 26, 2007
Taken at Niles Pond
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1st four images taken with a Nikon Coolpix 995 through a Leica 77mm - 32X Next 7 images taken with a Canon 30D & 100-400 IS lens |
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Images of the bright yellow billed, winter plumage adult from December 25, 2007
Taken from the grassy knoll next to The Building Center in Gloucester Center
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The very bright pink legs can be seen in the shots above What to look for when the bird is tucked in on the right. Nikon Coolpix 995 through a |
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Rick Heil's phonescoped images from 12-24-07 of TWO Slaty-backed Gulls in Gloucester!
"Click" on the composite above for a larger image or on the thumbnails below for the original images.
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Rick's comments to MassBird 12-24-07
| David Sibley's suspicions were correct, there are indeed TWO
individual SLATY-BACKED GULLS present in Gloucester Harbor.
In the morning we observed the bird photographed by Phil Brown yesterday, a bird with an entirely yellow bill with an orange-red spot at the gonys. In the afternoon there was a bird roosting on the same roof, but the bill, although pale at the tip, along the culmen, and on the lower edge of the bill, in the middle was dark subterminal extending inward toward the base along the cutting edge. I assume this darker billed individual is a 4th-winter, because otherwise it appeared to be a typical adult winter Slaty-backed. Similar in overall size and (bulky) proportions to the morning bird, the head and chest was perhaps more extensively mottled (onto the lower chest, sides, and even belly). Like the morning bird, it showed a broad white tertial fringe and large white tips to the primaries, and when it flew, a broad white trailing edge to the secondaries and a row of white subterminal spots or the so-called "string of pearls" on the primaries. The legs were bright pink as on the morning bird. Remarkable! |
Photos from 12-23-07 of Slaty-backed #1 from above.
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When I arrived I spotted Mr. Sibley and asked if he could point me in the
right direction to see the gull.
He informed me the bird had been roosting across the harbor on the roof of the
large cement building,
just east of Gortons.
While telling me that it had flown out of sight past the cement building a
short while ago
he suddenly said "there it is" as it flew over us and back out into the
harbor.
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It flew back over the cement building towards the Coast Guard Station.
I stayed another hour and could not relocate the bird
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All photos adjusted for contrast & brightness with Photoshop. |
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Digital "noise" removed with Noise Ninja. |
All photos taken with a Canon 30D & 100-400 image stabilized lens.
All photos © Phil Brown 2007
