This is a follow-up to a Facebook Posting by Jana Whittle regarding an aberrant Laughing Gull that four members of the Golden Triangle Audubon Society observed in the parking lot of at the RV park near the entrance at the south end of Mustang Island State park. (I know- the text based announcement in Facebook and the photos posted in TexBirds can be the source of endless ironic humor - I'm a luddite without a Facebook account). Yesterday afternoon while visiting Mustang Island, Christine Sliva alerted the rest of our little band of adventurers to an unusual gull with a bright orange bill and orange legs. With a little research, specifically inquiring of two of our gull experts (John Whittle and Steve Mayes), we found out that this is an aberrant Laughing Gull. Sherrie Rodin's further googling research led to finding out that this may be a relatively rare condition where integumentary tissues do not produce melanin, and as a result likely acquire their color from carotene pigments that remain. Apparently such rare birds are reported at very low but fairly regular rates. Links to the photos from our encounter: http://hstewart.smugmug.com/Nature/Birding-Trips/Corpus-Christi-2013/31934684_wCfgH7#!i=2771891523&k=KPBkwDV http://hstewart.smugmug.com/Nature/Birding-Trips/Corpus-Christi-2013/31934684_wCfgH7#!i=2771889947&k=Z7wqtkV http://hstewart.smugmug.com/Nature/Birding-Trips/Corpus-Christi-2013/31934684_wCfgH7#!i=2771890901&k=g4C5czD http://hstewart.smugmug.com/Nature/Birding-Trips/Corpus-Christi-2013/31934684_wCfgH7#!i=2771889840&k=PvdMQKf Harlan Stewart Nederland, TexasEdit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner
