mshuler's Identifications

Image taken through scope by Tim Hardin. Observed extensively by very experienced birders (Andy Kratter, Tim, and others) both in rest, in flight, and preening.

Identifying features of first cycle LBBG include:

• smaller than Herring gull but larger than ring-billed gull (there’s a HERG to the left and many RBGU to the right for comparison)
• in flight, dark primaries differentiate from HERG (seen a few times by Andy and once by myself)
• lighter head with black smudge around eye (clear in pictures)
• back was a checkered pattern

The dark primaries were definitely the nail in the coffin for this ID and were well observed. Unfortunately we could not take any in flight pictures. Huge thanks to all the birders who helped find and ID this bird.