[texbirds] Thayer's Gull

From: lmj6464@xxxxxxx
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:12:28 -0500 (EST)
Dear Texbirders,

Late this morning I had a first winter Thayer's Gull on the beach at Mustang 
Island. Or, at least I am pretty sure it was a Thayer's.  This bird was just 
south of the bollards at the south end of Mustang Island State Park.  Take the 
Beach Access Road 3, turn left at the beach and go north nearly to the bollards.
    
The bird was slightly smaller than a nearby Herring Gull.  The bill was shorter 
and thinner than most Herring Gulls.  The head profile was much more rounded 
than is typical for Herring Gull.  The underparts were a nearly uniform tan 
with no streaking.  When the bird flew, the secondaries were about the same 
shade of brown as the rest of the inner wing and much lighter than the outer 
primaries.  There was no light "window" in the inner primaries.  

The only thing that leaves me not completely sure was that the "chevrons" (due 
to the edge of the primaries being lighter than the rest of the feather) on the 
folded primaries were visible but quite narrow.  That is more consistent with 
Herring Gull, but all the rest of the field marks pointed to Thayer's.

By the way, I drove the beach all the way from Port A to Packery Channel, 
except for the part in the state park.  There were no Red Knots and if there 
were any small, collared plovers, I didn't see them.

Larry Jordan
Corpus Christi

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[texbirds] Thayer's Gull

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