Possible Lesser Black-backed Gull Abbotsford
Dec 28, 2022 23:25:01 GMT -8
ed, Wetlander, and 3 more like this
Post by Gord on Dec 28, 2022 23:25:01 GMT -8
As mentioned in our CBC report we saw what I'm pretty sure will turn out to be an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. I think there's enough promise in sharing our find for me to go back again or to possibly entice others to go stare at a pile of garbage.
What we saw was a Herring Gull-sized gull with long narrow pointed wings. Very dark back and well-contrasting black wing tips with the dark grey. There were not large white 'windows' in the primaries. Definitely not Slaty-backed Gull pattern nor Western. We saw it in flight twice and it was easy to pick out but hard to get a photo in the chaos and it getting behind the structures, garbage pile and big trucks. We saw it perched once in a garbage bin in a truck as it drove past but could only see the head at times and wings when it raised them to keepbalance. The head and neck had a fair bit of fine crisp streaks. The bill I noted had a large red dot on the lower mandible but not sure if it went into the upper. I did not catch eye colour (should be yellow) nor the colour of the legs which I expect to be yellow. With gulls, it's nice to get a solid look as it would be reckless to give it a name at the moment given how gulls can be.
The best place to watch is to the south across from the station on Vye where a car can get off the road and well out of the way. From here the roof tops can be seen and a wider angle of the birds flying about. The trucks and odd marauding eagle keeps things moving around and it's a matter of time until probably most of the birds feeding there will be seen flying or perched on a roof. Good luck!
What we saw was a Herring Gull-sized gull with long narrow pointed wings. Very dark back and well-contrasting black wing tips with the dark grey. There were not large white 'windows' in the primaries. Definitely not Slaty-backed Gull pattern nor Western. We saw it in flight twice and it was easy to pick out but hard to get a photo in the chaos and it getting behind the structures, garbage pile and big trucks. We saw it perched once in a garbage bin in a truck as it drove past but could only see the head at times and wings when it raised them to keepbalance. The head and neck had a fair bit of fine crisp streaks. The bill I noted had a large red dot on the lower mandible but not sure if it went into the upper. I did not catch eye colour (should be yellow) nor the colour of the legs which I expect to be yellow. With gulls, it's nice to get a solid look as it would be reckless to give it a name at the moment given how gulls can be.
The best place to watch is to the south across from the station on Vye where a car can get off the road and well out of the way. From here the roof tops can be seen and a wider angle of the birds flying about. The trucks and odd marauding eagle keeps things moving around and it's a matter of time until probably most of the birds feeding there will be seen flying or perched on a roof. Good luck!
