ID-FRONTIERS for January 1-6, 2001

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Date   Time   Hybrid Gulls   paullarkin    Tue, 2 Jan 2001   10:45am   Subarcticus race Great Horned Owl?   Dan Lockshaw    Tue, 2 Jan 2001   2:21pm   AMERICAN BIRDS "Little Gull" photo   Kevin McLaughlin    Tue, 2 Jan 2001   4:21pm   A strange gull in Sacramento County, California   Steve Abbott    Wed, 3 Jan 2001   12:31am   Re: Niagara conference gull   Frank Gallo    Wed, 3 Jan 2001   9:30am   Re: A strange gull in Sacramento County, California   Steve Hampton    Wed, 3 Jan 2001   11:45am   Green-morph Pine Siskin, and others....   Martin Reid    Wed, 3 Jan 2001   9:09pm   Middendorff' Grasshopper Warbler   Brian Small    Thu, 4 Jan 2001   1:02pm   three gulls from Connecticut   Robert H. Lewis   Thu, 4 Jan 2001   5:38pm   Re: three gulls from Connecticut   norman van swelm    Thu, 4 Jan 2001   6:19pm   Herring x Lesser BBG   James H. Barton   Fri, 5 Jan 2001   6:44pm

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Subject: Hybrid Gulls
From: paullarkin <paullarkin(AT)PGEN.NET>
Date: 2 Jan 2001 10:45am

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What Ho!

Thanks for contributions by Steven Mlodinow. Dick Newell and Bruce =
Mactavish. It would seem that several hybrid combinations have been seen =
in the USA - Glaucous-wingedXWestern, Glaucous-wingedXHerring and =
Glaucous-wingedXGlaucous in the west and GlaucousXHerring, HerringXLBBG =
in the east, although taking Nick Rossiters point, and if I am reading =
the correspondence correctly, none seems to have been documented by =
ringing (banding) individuals to follow the progress of the union.

Bruce Mactavish suggests "that hybridization between gulls is not =
uncommon where an opportunity to find the right mate is restricted. This =
is most likely to happen at the latitudinal limits of the species =
breeding range." Surely other factors come into play. Unless closely =
related (in which case should they be regarded as separate species?) =
they are still likely to breed true in overlap zones as their should be =
equal opportunities for all to find their own kind even though =
individuals may be widely scattered. If one species outnumbers the other =
then it is likely that (purely due to competition) an adult female of =
the minor population will breed with a sub adult (or weak adult) male of =
the major thus making successful breeding unlikely. Similarly an adult =
male of the minor population would likely find success with a sub adult =
female of the major. Even given that relative aggressiveness will play a =
part It seems to me that these factors would make such pairings rare and =
rarely successful.
=20
Dick Newell supplied an image of a gull recorded near Cambridge in the =
UK. If a first year bird this does look IMHO to be much more like a =
potential hybrid GlaucXHG than some purported to be so in the UK. The =
plumage patterns and bi coloured bill suggest this. Many of the birds =
claimed as hybrid GlaucXHG in the UK have typical structure and bill =
patterns within the range of HG, the only Glauc type feature being the =
paleness. As has been suggested before in this forum nearctic claims of =
this cross look much more the part than do palearctic, there seems to be =
a geographical difference here. Also in the UK these birds seem to =
outnumber Glaucous Gulls, at least in the south of the country, which is =
odd.
=20
I still believe my comment that hybrids are rare, is valid with the =
modification that this is particularly the case in the palearctic, and =
that the bulk of pale gulls are leucustic or aberrant birds rather than =
crosses. It does seem that much more work involving ringing (banding) =
needs to be done here in order to prove what field observations =
(particularly) in the nearctic are indicating.
cheers
Paul =20
=20
["I am prepared to consider evidence and accept if it satisfies me" -  =
M.R. James.]

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Subject: Subarcticus race Great Horned Owl?
From: Dan Lockshaw <dan100(AT)HOME.COM>
Date: 2 Jan 2001 2:21pm

Hi Group,
 Last friday morning, 12/29/00, Steve Sosenski, his sister Dori and I
found a very unusual pair of Great Horned Owls up near Mt. Pinos in
southern CA. At about 7:00 AM that morning while heading up Mt. Pinos to
do some birding we found a pair of very light cream colored Great Horned
Owls.
 Shortly after light in the AM that morning we had had stopped along the
road up to Mt. Pinos when we heard a very unusual owl calling. It
sounded a bit like a Spotted Owl but without any real pattern to the
call, the "hoots" were random. Nothing like any owl any of us could
think of.
 Walking up the mountain to find the bird, we saw a very light Great
Horned Owl being mobbed by Jays. A second bird also called but this one
sounded more like a female Great Gray! After good looks at the first
owl, it flushed and a second Great Horned Owl landed in the tree right
next to us. At 15-20 feet up on a bare limb we really got excellent
views of this second bird. Now we have a pair of these distinctive light
colored Great Horned Owls. (the calls referenced here can be found at
http://owling.com)
 The owls had almost white chests with faint or washed out brown
streaking or spots. The base color of their backs was also very light
with washed out brown markings. Their facial disks had no orange color
and were very light off white or cream colored. These were also large
bulky Great Horned Owls. None of us had ever seen any Great Horned Owls
near this light with such unusual calls.
 Driving home later that afternoon, I remembered hearing an owl in Utah
last spring, late at night, with a similar non-descript call. I never
saw the owl but the next day found a Great Horned nesting in the spot I
had heard the call.... maybe the owl calling the previous night?
 The only Great Horned Owls that I have ever read about that get this
light are subarcticus race Great Horned that are mostly from Canada and
even then only some become very light. The owls I had found in Utah and
Alberta this last spring of the subarcticus race were not this light
although friends in Alberta tell me that there are very light colored
owls to be found.
 Now this brings up the questions to the group. Have any of you seen
such light colored owls around Mt. Pinos or even in CA before? Is it
possible that a light colored pair of subarcticus race Great Horned Owls
have come down from Canada? I can see one unusual colored owl but this
was a pair. Is it possible for our pacificus race Great Horned to be so
light? Can anybody shed any light on the possibilities for these owls?
Maybe I'll go back to try to photograph and record this unusual pair.

Thanks,
Dan Lockshaw
http://owling.com

P.S. owling.com is my site. The site is dedicated to helping with owl
identification in North America. Please stop by and comment or just
enjoy the photos and calls. The site is new and still "under works". I
hope to add a new researchers area soon for those studying owls to add
writings and video, owl box building for the farming industry... et. The
site is and will remain a free site to educate and promote preservation
of the owls.


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Subject: AMERICAN BIRDS "Little Gull" photo
From: Kevin McLaughlin <kmclaughlin(AT)UNIONGAS.COM>
Date: 2 Jan 2001 4:21pm

To all.    Having had the opportunity of briefly examining Alan Wormington's
three as yet unpublished Florida Little Gull prints recently,I feel I must
input on the controversy.They are most certainly photos showing a first
basic Little Gull in flight,displaying surprisingly worn primaries for the
January date.Viewing them has done nothing to change my opinion of the AB
photo captioned Little Gull in Fort Pierce Harbor,Florida on January
14,1979.Unless the photo had been altered upon development,a most unlikely
scenario,it clearly represents an image of a first basic Ross's Gull.

I have chosen to assess the birds' identity utilizing the foreparts to
arrive at my conclusion.I am uneasy about previous postings which have
centred largely on the appearance of the folded wings and tail,features I
feel are at least somewhat ambiguous.As a general caveat,I do not feel that
the photo is significantly overexposed,and does fairly represent what was
actually present.An excellent reference in a comparative sense, is Alan's
photo of a Ross's Gull,still in first basic plumage,which was present at
Point Pelee National Park,May 17-18,1999 (Ontario Bird Records Committee
Report for 1999,ONTARIO BIRDS,Volume 18,Number 2,page 55,August 2000.)This
photo shows the bird standing,and displays plumage and structural features
remarkably similar to those of the bird in the AB photo.To arrive at my
conclusion,I have studied a number of published photos of both species in
all plumages,and have focused particularly on those showing birds in their
first and second calendar years.As mentioned,my analysis will concentrate on
the foreparts,involving aspects of head,neck and bill,with six characters
highly supportive of Ross's,and one feature,in my view,determinative.

BILL: A tough feature to assess,due to the dark background,which makes it
difficult to make out where the bill ends.In checking biometrics in THE
BIRDS OF CANADA (Godfrey,1986.),it is interesting to note that,of all the
mensural characters,Ross's Gull exceeds Little Gull in every way but
one,that being bill length.The AB bird appears to have a strikingly short
bill which is proportionately thick,thus comparing well to the Pelee bird.

BILL BASE FEATHERING:A subtle feature,but one worth examining.The photo
shows a rounded projection of feathering over the base of the
culmen,differing slightly from that of a Little Gull,which has a more blunt
terminus to the feathering.This compares well to the Pelee bird,and helps
impart a distinctive look to the bill itself.

HEAD SHAPE: As every "gullophile" is aware,head shape is variable within
species of larids.My general feeling is that this is less the case in small
gulls.The AB photo shows a Ross's head shape and compares very favourably to
the Pelee bird.The forecrown is gradually sloping,rising to a subtle peak
behind the eye,then sloping gently down to the nape.This aspect accentuates
the petite headed look of the species.On balance,some photos of Ross's show
a more rounded head shape,particularly those of birds in flight and those of
standing birds with their necks compressed.Perched Little Gulls,on the other
hand,consistently show a rounded or "blocky" head profile.This is the effect
of a slightly less sloping forehead,flatter crown,and more marked or abrupt
drop-off to the nape.

NECK STRUCTURE: Ross's seem to have the ability to appear bull-necked or
long-necked,that is,to be able to draw in or stretch out their necks.The AB
photo shows the neck quite erect,with its position very comparable to that
of the Pelee bird.To further this,the distance between the juncture of the
neck and throat to the hindneck is rather short,thus again emphasizing the
smallness of the head.Conversely,Little Gulls look short necked,even when
the neck is stretched.The neck looks more uniform in thickness,not "pinching
in",as shown in both the AB photo and the Pelee bird.An excellent photo
illustrating this short,thick necked aspect of Little Gull,is found in
Grant's guide,second edition,page 286,photo 340.The neck on this second
alternate individual is being held in an upright position.

CROWN PLUMAGE: As I pointed out earlier,the photo is slightly,but not
significantly,overexposed.The crown on the AB bird is gleaming white,thus
conforming to a first basic Ross's.There is no evidence of the
characteristic "capped" look of a first basic Little,that is with the bird
having a dark patch of feathering on the crown above and behind the eye.To
further this,the combination of a white-feathered/peaked crown is
appropriate for Ross's,and matches the Pelee bird and other photos.

EYE: Characters involving the eye and eye surround are somewhat different in
the two species.Ross's,as shown in the AB and ONTARIO BIRDS photos,has an
eye which is large relative to the head surface area,and is centrally placed
on the head.The amount of dark smudging in front of the eye is variable in
first basic Ross's,again as shown in these two photos.The Pelee bird shows
quite a bit of dark above,in front of,and below the eye.The AB photo shows
very little if any dark at the front of the eye.It is impossible to know if
this is due to the slight overexposure of the film or to lack of dark
feathering per se.Photos of first basic Little Gulls show an eye which is
less centrally placed,and is relatively small compared to the surface area
of the head.They also show some degree of minimal dark smudging at the front
of the eye.

AURICULAR SPOT: To restate my earlier point,the AB photo is slightly
overexposed.The eye,bill and dark areas on the wings do not appear to be
washed out or abnormally pale.Moreover,the auricular spot is fairly
represented in the photo.The structure of the spot,being much smaller than
the size of the eye,and more importantly,its position on the side of the
head,are,in combination,diagnostic of Ross's Gull.One must bear in mind a
few things.This spot is variable in size,as depicted in Grant's guide,the AB
photo,and in the photo of the Pelee bird.The Pelee bird has a spot which is
larger than on the AB bird,and is splotchier in form.As with the putative
presence of dark feathering in front of the eye,it is not possible to assess
to what degree,if any,the film exposure has lessened the size of the spot in
the AB photo.I will clarify the diagnostic position of the spot on the
head,relative to that of a Little Gull.Employing the AB photo and the OB
photo,if one were to use a ruler and draw a line parallel to the angle of
the bill from the bottom of the spot forward,the line would intersect the
centre of the throat.The auricular spot on a first basic Little Gull is
large,round and quite dark.It appears consistently to be at least the size
of the eye,if not larger,and its position lies ever so slightly below eye
level.Using a ruler,I experimented with a number of photos of standing first
basic Little Gulls and drew (imaginary) lines forward from three points on
the spot.The line drawn from the top of the spot intersected at about the
point where the forehead feathering met the culmen.The line drawn forward
from the middle of the spot met the commissural line.The line drawn forward
from the bottom of the spot came to a point where the chin feathering met
the lower edge of the (lower) mandible.Therefore,the relative position of
the bottom of the auricular spot is the key in assessing the AB photo.Even
in a worst-case scenario,with overexposure reducing the intensity of the
darkness of the spot,and altering its structure to that of a vertically
oblong mark,the position of the lowest point of the spot would make it
impossible for the AB photo to be that of a Little Gull.The spot,in other
words,would not " migrate "down the side of the head to a position befitting
that of a Ross's Gull.To reiterate my opinion,the size and shape of the
auricular spot,and,most critically,its position on the head,have not been
drastically altered by overexposure or some other artifact of the film in
the AB photo.Thus,we have an unambiguous Ross's character.

In sum,none of the above seven forepart components lead to an identification
diagnosis of a first basic Little Gull.Added up,they are quite diagnostic of
Ross's.

Kevin McLaughlin,Hamilton,Ontario.


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Subject: A strange gull in Sacramento County, California
From: Steve Abbott <skua(AT)JPS.NET>
Date: 3 Jan 2001 12:31am

Hello all,

On 12-13-00 I stopped at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Sacramento County, CA
and found an unusual gull.  The gull was still present as of 12-31-00.  It
is approximately the size of nearby American Herring Gulls yet seemed a bit
bulkier-bodied and thick-necked.  The bill is somewhat heavy  at the tip (a
la Western Gull) and the back appeared to be a shade or two darker than
nearby California Gulls.  My thoughts lean toward Herring X Western Hybrid
but I don't believe that there has ever been such a pairing documented.  A
photo (with Ring-billed Gulls) taken by Frank Gray can be viewed at the
following website:

http://www.egroups.com/files/central_valley_birds/Nimbus+Gull1.jpg

Comments and ideas as to identification and/or parentage would be greatly
appreciated.  Please send comments to me (skua(AT)jps.net) or reply to the
list.

Thanks in advance,

Steve Abbott
Sacramento, CA
skua(AT)jps.net


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Subject: Re: Niagara conference gull
From: Frank Gallo <Peeplo(AT)AOL.COM>
Date: 3 Jan 2001 9:30am

Hi All,

I've checked the posted photo of the bird in question against video we took
at the conference.  After most people left, Lars Johnson showed up and looked
at the bird.  I'm certain that this is the same bird that he thought was just
a faded 1st-year smithsonianus herring.  Hope this helps.

Frank Gallo


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Subject: Re: A strange gull in Sacramento County,
         California
From: Steve Hampton <SHAMPTON(AT)OSPR.DFG.CA.GOV>
Date: 3 Jan 2001 11:45am

Steve,
    It seems like a Gl-W x Western Gull with a fairly pale eye.  This is
uncommon, but not completely unheard of.  Given they can also sport of "string
of pearls" on the primaries, they can easily be misidentified as a pale
Slaty-backed Gull.

Steve Hampton
_____________________
Resource Economist
Office of Spill Prevention and Response
California Dept of Fish and Game
PO Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
-----------------------------------
(916) 323-4724 phone
(916) 324-8829 fax

>>> Steve Abbott <skua(AT)JPS.NET> 01/02/01 11:36PM >>>
Hello all,

On 12-13-00 I stopped at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Sacramento County, CA
and found an unusual gull.  The gull was still present as of 12-31-00.  It
is approximately the size of nearby American Herring Gulls yet seemed a bit
bulkier-bodied and thick-necked.  The bill is somewhat heavy  at the tip (a
la Western Gull) and the back appeared to be a shade or two darker than
nearby California Gulls.  My thoughts lean toward Herring X Western Hybrid
but I don't believe that there has ever been such a pairing documented.  A
photo (with Ring-billed Gulls) taken by Frank Gray can be viewed at the
following website:

http://www.egroups.com/files/central_valley_birds/Nimbus+Gull1.jpg

Comments and ideas as to identification and/or parentage would be greatly
appreciated.  Please send comments to me (skua(AT)jps.net) or reply to the
list.

Thanks in advance,

Steve Abbott
Sacramento, CA
skua(AT)jps.net


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Subject: Green-morph Pine Siskin, and others....
From: Martin Reid <upupa(AT)AIRMAIL.NET>
Date: 3 Jan 2001 9:09pm

Dear all,
I've enjoyed studying PISIs in my yard this winter, and have seen two
unusual individuals that I'd like to share/learn from, plus I'd like to
float a tentative ID feature for separating PISI from EUSI:
http://www.cyberramp.net/~upupa/siskins.html
Happy New Year,
Martin
Martin Reid
upupa(AT)airmail.net
http://www.martinreid.com  or  http://www.cyberramp.net/~upupa


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Subject: Middendorff' Grasshopper Warbler
From: Brian Small <BrianJSmall(AT)AOL.COM>
Date: 4 Jan 2001 1:02pm

Dear all.

I am in the final stages of putting together an article on the ID of
Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler for surfbirds.com and trying to track down
all records from the US.  If anyone can help or even give me any opinions on
the following I would receive them gratefully, as I would any images of
Middendorff's 'in the field'.

Middendorff (1853) described 'Sylvia ochotensis' from Udskoe Ostrog, along
the lower Uda River in the Gulf of Udskaya, and it is generally thought to be
monotypic.  However, it appears that a 'lost' form referred to very rarely in
the literature, Locustella (ochotensis) subcerthiola - the 'Kamtschtkan
Grasshopper-Lark', described by Swinhoe (1874) from migrants passing through
Hakodadi (Hakodate), Hokkaido and from two specimens from Kamtchatka, is
distinct enough to warrant sub-specific status.  The northern limit of
nominate ochotensis is not known, but speculatively lies somewhere in the
Kuril Islands or extends through the Kurils and into Kamchatka, with
subcerthiola confined to the sea of Okhotsk and into Kamchatka.

(I have a vague recollection that Swinhoe called the group
'Grasshopper-Larks' because, like other larks, it needed a stronger scalpel
to cut through the tendons in the legs than in other warblers - a result
presumably of their ground-dwelling habits).

Further examination by Peter Kennerley of birds breeding on Talan Island,
c.30 km south of Magadan, show the characters of subcerthiola to differ
subtly yet distinctly from nominate birds in the southern part of the range.
These birds have an identical song to that of 'typical' Middendorff's and are
larger on average, exceeding the largest Pallas's and overlapping with
Styan's.  It is interesting to speculate that birds recorded in the USA are
of this, most northern, sub-species, and if specimens exist I would suggest
that they might be checked for the characters of subcerthiola.  I would
certainly be grateful for any information, photographs and measurements,
relating to any Aleutian birds in both spring and autumn.

Thanks in advance,
Brian Small


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Subject: three gulls from Connecticut
From: "Robert H. Lewis" <lewis(AT)BWAY.NET>
Date: 4 Jan 2001 5:38pm

Hi all,

  Following on the Easton PA bird of last month and various other posts, I
have just added to my website photos of three problematic "large
white-headed gulls."  Maybe they are all hybrids, maybe the third is a
European argentatus argentatus.  All photos were taken by Patrick Comins at
the Manchester landfill near Hartford CT during 1999.  This dump is now
closed up forever, a great loss to lariphiles.

  The page is right at the top of my website at
http://www.bway.net/~lewis/birds/gulls.html

Bob Lewis
Sleepy Hollow NY
lewis(AT)bway.net


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Subject: Re: three gulls from Connecticut
From: norman van swelm <Norman.vanswelm(AT)WXS.NL>
Date: 4 Jan 2001 6:19pm

Bob Lewis again tempted us by writing:
>Maybe they are all hybrids, maybe the third is a
>European argentatus argentatus.  All photos were taken by Patrick Comins at
>the Manchester landfill near Hartford CT during 1999.  This dump is now
>closed up forever, a great loss to lariphiles.

Well, as with the PA bird, in Europe we would opt for argentatus argentatus
without much hesitation. Certainly none of them would pass as Lesser
Black-back for a moment but since they were taken in America I would go for
hybrids. It is clear, you lot are still too lazy to colour-ring gulls so
might I suggest to fit a wee satellite transmitter to the birdies?
Cheers, Norman


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Subject: Herring x Lesser BBG
From: "James H. Barton" <redwing1986(AT)MEDIAONE.NET>
Date: 5 Jan 2001 6:44pm

    Friends, how often have you seen/photographed hybrid Herring x
Lesser BBG which could strongly suggest Yellow-legged Gull, species, to
inexperienced or wishful observers in winter?

    Can you refer me to any photos you may know of?  I'd be particularly
interested in birds that show head streaking in basic characteristic of
LBBG.

    Yours,

    Jim Barton
    redwing1986(AT)mediaone.net
    Cambridge, MA