Dee ee, how come you didn't go get the Iceland gull near Hemet?
If y'all haven't checked out ebird.org you're missing something special.
I'm planning this summer's Midwestern Offensive and it is amazing - you
can get the daily checklists for specific days. It seems that I can count
on at least a couple Little Gulls at the Manitowoc Impoundment! SWEET!
So I went out to the Bootsma Dairy in Lakeside yesterday on the gull quest. I knew some of the birding hotties would be there, luckily, because I don't know the gulls too well. Famed inland empire birder (ex-climber and an old friend) and gull expert Howard King was there among a who's who of gullers. We saw the Iceland, Glaucus, Thayers, Glaucus Winged, Herring and missed the Lesser Black Backed and Mew gulls. There were probably Cali and Ring Billed as well. Between the slop pond and the egg farm there were thousands of gulls to pick through (and to overwhelm me).
There were also around 100 Cattle Egrets at the egg farm. 3 lifers for me. I also got the Brown Headed Cowbird for the 2013 list.
Maybe it's an aquired taste or you need the esoteric eye of the expert but gulls are boring!
The Larry posted this thread yesterday. John Sherman has some great bird pics in the link provided within the thread. Sorry if verm's link has already been posted in the bird thread.
Had a great trip to Puerto Penasco, Mexico, Salton Sea, Organ Pipes NP, Big Morongo Canyon, Joshua Tree and Sedona. Here are a few pictures from the trip.
Dee ee, went to Bootsma today; still haven't expunged the manure smell from my nostrils.
Got skunked on the Iceland but saw the 'Lesser Black-backed'. I think it is a Yellow-footed
but I defer to higher powers and await the verdict humbly. I looked at it through a Swarovski
scope and the bill looked to have the latter's hooked and sharper bill as well as a smaller red
spot. It never presented sideways so overall size remained questionable. I also thought the head
too white for a winter Lesser Black-backed. But what do I know? :-)
Let us know!