As indicated by reports from many observers this past weekend, the spring flight of immature Lesser Black-backed Gulls is in full swing on Long Island (adults have presumably moved through already).
The stormy weather yesterday and today seems to have driven even more birds ashore--as suggested by Doug Gochfeld's report from Brooklyn and my own observation of at least eight individuals in southwestern Suffolk County yesterday. Most of the birds we've been seeing are first-summer birds (fledged last summer = SY), a plumage that is unfamiliar to many observers. For those interested in looking for these birds, a series of photos of LBBGs, organized by age and date, can be seen here: https://picasaweb.google.com/tixbirdz/LesserBlackBackedGullsOnLongIsland# My main reason for posting this message is to draw attention to the possible occurrence of Yellow-legged Gull, a taxon very similar to LBBG and also to European Herring Gulls. Last year on 4 Jun I photographed a bird at Robert Moses SP that closely resembles a Yellow-legged Gull: https://picasaweb.google.com/tixbirdz/PossibleYellowLeggedGullOnLongIsland6409# One of seven birds at this same site yesterday reminded me quite strongly of that bird, being a big, beady-eyed brute compared to typical LBBGs. This bird is labeled "LBBG 3" in the sequence near the start of this album: https://picasaweb.google.com/tixbirdz/LongIslandSpring2011# This morning Pat Lindsay reported two LBBGs and an Iceland Gull at RMSP. It would be interesting to know how many are present elsewhere along the coast. Shai Mitra Bay Shore ________________________________ Change is in the Air - Smoking in Designated Areas Only as of July 1, 2011<http://www.csi.cuny.edu/tobaccofree> -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
