An adult California Gull was on the mud flats at the mouth of Hunting
Creek, Alexandria, VA, at 2 p.m. today. This is probably the same bird
reported from this location by Kurt Gaskill a few days ago. It was with a
bunch of Ring-billed and Herring Gulls, so it was easy to gage size
(intermediate between the other 2 species) and to see the distinctly darker
mantle. The legs were "pea-soup" green, greener than those of the
Ring-bills. There was a large red spot on the lower mandible, but the dark
spot on the upper mandible, so distinctive on wintering Californias, was
almost entirely absent. In other words, this bird was pretty much in
breeding plumage.
I seem to recall reports from Neabsco Creek (and maybe the PW Co.
landfill?) of adult California Gull(s) this past winter, so maybe all these
sightings have been of the same bird.
Mike Bowen
Bethesda, MD
D. H. Michael Bowen (Mike)
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda MD 20817-3845
Tel/Fax: (301) 530-5764
e-mail: dhmbowen@xxxxxxxxx
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