It’s he call of the Eastern Meadowlark for me. It was one of the first bird calls I learned while living outside of Grand Haven, Michigan many decades ago.
Daily Archives: November 12, 2021
Re: Hulls gulch- Boise
My favorite from Georgia, Virginia and Pennsylvania is the Carolina Wren. When my late wife and I traveled to Nova Scotia in the late 90s, we were fortunate to hear one of these wrens singing. My most recent wren sighting was a Rock Wren at the scenic overlook turnout along U.S. 20 about 10 miles south of the Camas County line in Elmore County.
Alan Gregory in Mountain Home
Re: Hulls gulch- Boise
What a joy that must have been to hear.
Liz
Hulls gulch- Boise
The Merlin Sound ID app identified a hermit thrush in Hulls Gulch, Boise, this AM. I never spotted the bird.
Reminds me of what Edward Abbey , one of my heroes, said” the hermit thrush is one of the most beautiful sounds in nature”.
Any other favorites?
Pam Marcum
Boise.
Re: Possible juvenile Western Gull at Jack’s Creek (CJ Strike Reservoir)
Thank you both for your comments. I have been documenting your comments in my checklist for future reference. Thank you for this great learning opportunity not only for me but for many others I’m sure!
Jason Talbot
Re: Possible juvenile Western Gull at Jack’s Creek (CJ Strike Reservoir)
First, the bird is in juvenal plumage. Yes Herring Gulls
typically have blackish primaries and tail. Any hybrid with GWGU
would have paler primaries and typically with extensive pale tips.
Head shape with flat crown and eye set well forward are typical
for HEGU. Paleness of rump is hard to judge because some of the
photos are somewhat overexposed. Look at the amount of white in
the wing coverts in all the photos and there is considerable
variation in appearance. That said HEGU is quite variable and can
have a pale/whitish rump. While the bill is quite long and has a
strong gonys it doesn’t look bulbous like a WEGU to my eye. The
unusual thing to me is the amount of pale/pinkish on the bill this
early in winter. That’s unusual for HEGU and really so for GWGU or
WEGU.
Cliff
On 11/12/21 9:27 AM, Austin Young
wrote:
wrote:
Assuming it is a first winter, which I think is a good
assumption this early in the winter, do Herring Gull
primaries, tail, and secondaries get that dark? I am sure they
can but the flight feathers on this bird seem really dark.
Also, you can see the rump in a photo and it looks paler than
what I typically see on first winter Herrings. Maybe that is a
factor of the lighting. For me, the combo of big bill, rather
dark flight feathers and tail, blocky head, and rather pale
rump lead to this bird feeling a bit off for Herring for me.
Also, that this bird reasonably stood out from the other gulls
more than once.For the record, I hold that loosely. I think it is
reasonable that it is a Herring. I just do not have much
experience with Western Gulls either or gull hybrids.That bill is pretty long but the extensively pale base
this early in winter doesn’t really fit anything this bird
could be (any hybrid with Glaucous would have paler
primaries). Aside from the bill what’s wrong with this
bird for Herring Gull? My guess from these photos is a
Herring with unusual bill.Cliff
On 11/11/21 8:40 PM, Jason Talbot via groups.io wrote:Any thoughts on the gull species from
this checklist? https://ebird.org/checklist/S97454489Jason Talbot-- Cliff and Lisa Weisse Island Park, Idaho cliffandlisa@...
-- Cliff and Lisa Weisse Island Park, Idaho cliffandlisa@...
Re: Possible juvenile Western Gull at Jack’s Creek (CJ Strike Reservoir)
Assuming it is a first winter, which I think is a good assumption this early in the winter, do Herring Gull primaries, tail, and secondaries get that dark? I am sure they can but the flight feathers on this bird seem really dark. Also, you can see the rump in a photo and it looks paler than what I typically see on first winter Herrings. Maybe that is a factor of the lighting. For me, the combo of big bill, rather dark flight feathers and tail, blocky head, and rather pale rump lead to this bird feeling a bit off for Herring for me. Also, that this bird reasonably stood out from the other gulls more than once.
For the record, I hold that loosely. I think it is reasonable that it is a Herring. I just do not have much experience with Western Gulls either or gull hybrids.
Re: Possible juvenile Western Gull at Jack’s Creek (CJ Strike Reservoir)
That bill is pretty long but the extensively pale base this early
in winter doesn’t really fit anything this bird could be (any
hybrid with Glaucous would have paler primaries). Aside from the
bill what’s wrong with this bird for Herring Gull? My guess from
these photos is a Herring with unusual bill.
Cliff
On 11/11/21 8:40 PM, Jason Talbot via
groups.io wrote:
groups.io wrote:
Any thoughts on the gull
species from this checklist? https://ebird.org/checklist/S97454489Jason Talbot
-- Cliff and Lisa Weisse Island Park, Idaho cliffandlisa@...