Voting Comments

Thayer's Gull
Record #53-B-08

1st Round: 2-5
2nd Round: 0-7

1st Round

2nd Round
4/1/09
Cliff Weisse -- Reject, specific identification not established

The description lacks any mention of structure and without details of structure I don't feel you can safely eliminate GWGU x HEGU.  If this individual was as large as Herring Gulls it would be large for a Thayer's, which usually appears smaller than Herring and slightly larger than California.  Large size is also suggestive of GWGU x HEGU.

5/1/09
Cliff Weisse--Reject, specific identification not established

Same comments

04-05-2009
Dave Trochlell--Reject, specific identification not established

The gull described here may well have been a Thayer's Gull, but the description didn't provide me with enough information on plumage and structure to make an informed and comfortable decision.

05-01-2009
Dave Trochlell--Reject, specific identification not established

I'll continue to reject this record for reasons mentioned in the first vote.

04-06-2009
chuck trost--Reject, specific identification not established

I was bothered by not having any description of the wing-tip color, under wing color, and size comparison with nearby Herrings (same size?) The eye color can be variable, as well as the bill size.

06-27-2009
chuck trost--Reject, specific identification not established

I still feel that the description is not adequate to eliminate other species.

12 April 2009
Hardy--Reject, specific identification not established

There is nothing in this report incompatible with a Thayer's id, but some description of the primaries is needed to convince me.

21 June 2009
Hardy--Reject, specific identification not established

same comments as first round

4-15-09
Carlisle--Accept

convincing description ... but 'size similar to Herrings' a little concerning (maybe it was an especially large male? - when I see Thayer's near Herrings, they are always noticeably 10+% smaller than at least most of the Herrings present) and should likely be competed against hybrid possibilities

5-7-09
Carlisle--Reject, specific identification not established

I agree with the concerns of others - esp. that, given the size issue, structural details are needed

04-20-2009
Doug Ward--Accept

While you’d like to have some mention of the bird’s primary coloration and patterning (both upper and lower wing), I believe the combination of comparative bill size, dark iris and pink legs is sufficient to ID this one.

05-01-2009
Doug Ward--Reject, specific identification not established

I think there was a pretty good chance that this bird was indeed a Thayer’s Gull (Larus thayeri), but given a fair number of details were either not seen or noted, I probably erred on the side of leniency in the first round; I’m changing my vote to reject this time around.

4/28/2009
Darren Clark--Reject, specific identification not established

Field marks are consistent with Thayer's Gull, but no mention was made of structure.

05-14-2009
Darren Clark--Reject, specific identification not established

See previous comments