Date: Tue, 2 Feb 1999 05:30:07 PST
Reply-To: Steve Holzman <steve_holzman@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Georgia Birders Online <GABO-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From: Steve Holzman <steve_holzman@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: More on Thayers gull (LONG)
Content-Type: text/plain
Greetings,
Too bad Paul Sykes isn't online as he is eminently more qualified to
speak on the bird we saw on 1/23/99. The birds depicted on the
photographs under GOS web site do not look like the bird I saw on the
23rd.
I'll try to summarize from Paul's notes (which he's submitting to the
Records committee - which will have the final word of course). We had
great light and got very close looks at the bird. If I've obmitted any
key feature, it's because it's not in the notes in front of me.
Head/Neck - crown rounded, head mostly white with a few light diffused
brown streaks. Indistinct dark smudge in front of and above eye
Eyes/Lores - light brown iris
Upper and Lower Mandible - bill appeared short and relatively slender
with the angle at gonys not very pronounced. basal 2/3rds washed out
looking pale pink, tip dark brown
Legs - rather bright pink
Upperparts - pale gray or dirty white upperparts with very fine narrow
intricate brown markings in various shapes (e.g. bars, swiggles,
chevrons, etc); these brown markings generally being widely spaced and
toward distal ends of feathers.
Underparts - pale grayish brown or dirty white with no distinct markings
Rectrices - light colored terminal band that was very narrow; broad
brown subterminal band; base of uppertail coverts heavily barred brown
and white. Undertail coverts white with some fine brwon barring
Wing - Outer primaries with outer webs brown (not black and without
windows) and inner webs light in color, inner primaries silvery in
color. Secondaries dark with narrow pale edging. Upper wing coverts
light in color
Overall impression was a very pale warm brown (but not as pale as 1st
winter Iceland or Glaucous) bird with very fine intricate brown
markings, broad brown tail band and two-toned relatively short bill.
Too bad we did not have a camera on that Friday. So I hope someone
found this to be of value.
Steve Holzman
Brunswick, GA
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