Rare Bird Report #53-B-08
IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE RARE BIRD REPORT FORM SPECIES: Thayer's Gull HOW MANY: 1 adult REPORTER: Shirley Sturts 4887 E. Fernan Lake Road Coeur d'Alene,ID 83814 REPORTER EMAIL: s.sturts@verizon.net OTHER OBSERVERS: Keith Sturts Isaac Torres Frances Cassirer DATE REPORT PREPARED: 29 December 2008 from field notes DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: December 14, 1992 LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: Fighting Creek Landfill, Kootenai County HABITAT: Landfill CONDITIONS: 10-15 minutes 7x35 binoculars - 10-60 power scope approx. 60 feet away standing on the ground with other gulls DID YOU TAKE NOTES?: Yes, during the observation DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?: Yes, during the observation WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?: Peterson Western Field Guide DESCRIPTION: taken from field notes 1. pink legs 2. size - similar in size and appearance to the Herring Gulls that it was with 3. eyes - dark brown iris 4. bill - slightly smaller than the Herring Gull - with a red dot 5. mantle - slightly darker than the Herring BEHAVIOR: standing around on the ground with other gulls - California, Herring, Ring-billed and 2 Glaucous HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? Pink legs, dark eye and smaller bill than Herring but with the same red dot HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? 1. Herring - has a yellow iris, has slightly larger bill and lighter mantle. 2. 2. California - doesn't have pink legs 3.Ring-billed - much smaller and doesn't have pink legs or red dot on bill 4.Glaucous or Glaucous-winged - wingtips are about the same color as the manltle and although I didn't include the color of the wingtips in my field notes, this bird was similar to the Herring's wingtips 5.Iceland - has very little or no dark on wingtips, it is smaller than both the Herring and Thayer's and the iris is not dark lke the Thayer's 6. Mew Gull is much smaller and has yellow legs EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): I have seen many Herring, Californa and Ring-billed Gulls. At this time, I had been on several field trips (1965-1992) to the CDA Landfill with both the Spokane Audubon Society and Dan Svingen (who specialized in gulls). With there help I had identified Glaucous, Glaucous-winged, Thayer's, and Iceland Gulls. GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: : I have have been birding seriously since 1965. I started doing BBS with Tom Rogers in 1977 and took over as observer in 1985. I've been doing the Indian Mt. CBC since 1967 and also the Spokane CBC. WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?: None