Salton Sea gull ID

[Tina]

I am on the Salton Sea at the state park headquarters - NE shore.   Bill is yellow with red spot and black spot closest to tip.  Legs and feet are obviously pink.  Neck has little to no streaking/wash.  Eye is light yellow iris and maybe a yellow orbital ring.  Back is fairly dark.  Gull is large.  It is a unique individual among the many gulls.  

Only in the National Geographic book shows a Thayer's with the red and black spots on bill. I don't find that marking anywhere else.  If that is accurate it seems that is the closest match although this gull's back seems darker.  Otherwise, the bill looks like a California with the rest of it close to a Herring.

 

[Tina]

Just now, Tina said:

I am on the Salton Sea at the state park headquarters - NE shore.   Bill is yellow with red spot and black spot closest to tip.  Legs and feet are obviously pink.  Neck has little to no streaking/wash.  Eye is light yellow iris and maybe a yellow orbital ring.  Back is fairly dark.  Gull is large.  It is a unique individual among the many gulls.  

Only in the National Geographic book shows a Thayer's with the red and black spots on bill. I don't find that marking anywhere else.  If that is accurate it seems that is the closest match although this gull's back seems darker.  Otherwise, the bill looks like a California with the rest of it close to a Herring.

 

For size and back color comparison.

 

[akiley]

I'm thinking Olympic Gull (Western x Glaucous-winged).

[sfinmt]

I was leaning that way too akiley.

[darknight]

Looks better for a pure Western Gull, with those solidly dark primaries. The faint streaking on the head isn't that uncommon in near-adult birds, and the northern Western Gulls have a slightly lighter back than the southern birds.