geoffclarke 84 Posted October 6, 2018 9/29/18, Traverse City, Michigan. Pretty distant gulls. A bunch of Ring-billed, a few Herring, (a couple swans), but what are the 2 in the circle? Could it be Great Black-backed and Glaucous? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
akiley 910 Posted October 6, 2018 Neither one can be a Great Black-backed. That's the largest gull in the world, which would look giant compared to the RB around it. Glaucous are just about as big as GBBG and never as brown on the wing as this bird- it's a young Ringer- probably 2nd cycle. The darker bird is puzzling. In terms of size/shape/structure, as well as bill pattern, it seems fine for another Ringer. Lesser Black-backed would be a pretty decent amount larger. I just can't get over that mantle color. I'm trying to figure out how to see it as a Ringer at some odd angle/posture. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
akiley 910 Posted October 6, 2018 Any more pictures? Also, I think it would be helpful to see a cropped pic of the other birds here for comparison. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
geoffclarke 84 Posted October 6, 2018 Thanks, @akiley. I should have known based on size. Unfortunately, this is the only pic I got. I didn't notice the dark one in the field (I know...poor gulling skills). Here are a couple other crops of the birds left and right. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelodger14 10 Posted October 6, 2018 How about a Kelp Gull? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lonestranger 318 Posted October 6, 2018 11 hours ago, akiley said: The darker bird is puzzling. In terms of size/shape/structure, as well as bill pattern, it seems fine for another Ringer. Lesser Black-backed would be a pretty decent amount larger. I just can't get over that mantle color. I'm trying to figure out how to see it as a Ringer at some odd angle/posture. Is it possible that the darker colour is shadow being cast by a partially raised wing?...just tossing out ideas here, not claiming to know what I'm talking about. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
geoffclarke 84 Posted October 6, 2018 Yeah. I wish (1) I had noticed and taken more shots and (2) had a bigger lens. There was a birder with a much bigger lens and tripod a little ways away, but I think he was focusing much closer on the plovers and sandpipers. I was looking for an American Golden Plover in the area which I didn’t see. I’m going to check eBird for reports that day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
akiley 910 Posted October 6, 2018 2 hours ago, lonestranger said: Is it possible that the darker colour is shadow being cast by a partially raised wing?...just tossing out ideas here, not claiming to know what I'm talking about. Yeah, I think that could make sense. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
akiley 910 Posted October 6, 2018 4 hours ago, thelodger14 said: How about a Kelp Gull? Kelp Gulls are larger birds- bigger than LBBG, I believe. This bird is definitely a Ringer. Just trying to figure out how to explain the apparent coloring. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
