Checklist S21371020

Sharing links

Main Details

Additional Details

People

Owner Ryan O'Donnell

Effort

Protocol:  Traveling
  • Observers:  3
  • Distance:  0.9 mi

Checklist Comments

In search of the previously-reported Laughing Gull, which I saw. Party size is a kind of time-weighted average, with zero to five people with me at any given time. Stephanie Cobbold arrived with me but waited in the car. Ran into Rachel LeBlanc, Jack Binch, and Michael Lester here, plus a few others whose names I didn't get.

Observations

  1. Number observed:  1

    Details

    Not visible from the road, but rather on a second pond further back (east) that required a bit of a walk to see and access. Continuing first-cycle bird. First state record, originally found by Matt Pendleton on Wednesday and pointed out to me today by Michael Lester. Photographed (digiscoped): Precise location about here: Accepted by the Utah Bird Records Committee as the first state record.

    Age & Sex:

    Age Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown
    Male
    Female
    Sex Unknown 1

    Media

  2. Number observed:  200

    Details

    Coarse eyeball estimate. Not nearly as many as California Gulls.

  3. Number observed:  40

    Details

    Coarse eyeball estimate.

  4. Number observed:  2

    Details

    One first-cycle, one adult (or maybe two, but more likely the one just moved between sightings). Both birds visible in this photo, but the adult is a bit hard to see, hidden behind some California Gulls in the left part of the upper right quadrant: A closer view of the adult:

    Age & Sex:

    Age Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown
    Male
    Female
    Sex Unknown 1 1

    Media

  5. Number observed:  4

    Details

    An uncommon species here, but this is by far the "expected" subspecies. One second- or third-cycle, three different adults. Similar to other earlier counts from this location. Subspecies confirmed by relatively pale gray mantles, a bit darker than California Gull and not nearly as dark as Great Black-backed Gull. I only photographed the immature bird. The adults each had dark gray mantles darker than adjacent California Gulls, long body shapes, red and black on the bills, and bright pale eyes with flecking in their white heads concentrated around the eyes. One was on the pond by the road, and the other two adults were in the back pond, at separate ends of the large flock. I scanned over each of the three adults at least twice to ensure it wasn't just one or two birds moving around, and they stayed in place during the time I was checking.

    Age & Sex:

    Age Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown
    Male
    Female
    Sex Unknown 1 3

    Media

  6. Number observed:  1500

    Details

    Coarse eyeball estimate. More likely too low than too high.

  7. Number observed:  4

    Details

    Two first-winter, two adult. Probably more if I had looked at the rest of the gulls more carefully.

    Age & Sex:

    Age Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown
    Male
    Female
    Sex Unknown 2 2
  8. Number observed:  1

    Details

    Pretty pale wingtips. Seemed to fit either a darkish Kumlein's Iceland Gull or perhaps Kumlein's x Thayer's hybrid best, too pale and lightly marked for pure Thayer's and too dark and densely marked for glaucoides Iceland or pale Kumlein's Iceland Gull.

    Age & Sex:

    Age Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown
    Male
    Female
    Sex Unknown 1

    Media

  9. American Herring/Iceland Gull

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Either a very petite Herring Gull or a very pale-eyed Thayer's Gull, and I'm leaning strongly to the latter. Bright pale eyes with no visible flecking at all, dove-shaped head, thin and short bill (for this species pair), solid deep black in wingtips.

    Age & Sex:

    Age Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown
    Male
    Female
    Sex Unknown 1
  10. Number observed:  1
  11. Number observed:  30

    Details

    Flying over the landfill itself.

  12. Number observed:  1

    Details

    This is the expected subspecies in the winter in northern Utah, and the filter should be changed. Mountain White-crowned Sparrows are expected here only in the breeding season. I noted the pale lores and orangish bill.

    Age & Sex:

    Age Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown
    Male
    Female
    Sex Unknown 1
Media Powered by Macaulay Library