Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2011-70
| Common name: |
Lesser Black-backed Gull |
| Scientific name: | Larus fuscus |
| Date: | 12-28-2011 |
| Time: | 11:00AM |
| Length of time observed: | 30 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | adult |
| Sex: | ? |
| Location: | Farmington Bay |
| County: | Davis |
| Latilong: | |
| Elevation: | 4,200 |
| Distance to bird: | 50 yards |
| Optical equipment: | 20-60X Alpen spotting scope,10X50 Brushnell binoculars,Canon SX20is digital camera |
| Weather: | overcast |
| Light Conditions: | overcast,with no direct sunlight,which would have cause a lot of backlighting at that time of day from the angle we had to observe them from,but generall poor lighting |
| Description: Size of bird: | Medium sized Gull |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Gull like |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Dark charcoal gray back,with a heavily marked brownish head |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Long and slender |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
A very dark mantled Gull, it stood out among the Heering, Thayer's, Ring-billed
and California Gulls its was with. A little larger than a California, but
smaller than a Heering Gull, with a very pale eye and heavily marked brownish
head. We watched it at close range for almost a half an hour. (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | none heard |
| Behavior: | swimming in a patch of open water fishing on a mostly frozen over pond |
| Habitat: | Mostly frozen over fresh water pond, in a large marshy area on the eastern edge of the great salt lake |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
The only other dark mantled gull likely in Utah is a Western Gull,which was also present for direct comparison, and was much larger,with a nearly clean white head. California Gulls can sometimes appear very dark mantled in poor light, but are smaller with black in the bill and a dark eye,and were also present for direct comparison. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Yes,I saw an adult last February at Farmington Bay, and another adult in February of 2009 at Farmington bay |
| References consulted: | Sibley Guide to Birds,2000 |
| Description from: | From memory |
| Observer: | Bryant Olsen |
| Observer's address: | 688 East 700 South SLC,UT 84102 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | bryant_olsen@yahoo.com |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | Norman Jensen,Gail Jensen,Mark Jensen, Tanner Poe,Jerry Poe,Ned Bixler,Mark Thai, Karen Kirchhoff and others |
| Date prepared: | 12-29-2011 |
| Additional material: | Photos |
| Additional_Comments: |