American Herring Gulls ~ smithsonianus ~ California ~ Feb' 15

American Herring Gulls

~~~~

Larus smithsonianus

A small collection of birds from all age groups were seen at various locations.
The numbers increased at each site the further North we travelled ..
It would of been nice to of gained flight images of some to compliment the text book side-on's but with non stop action I got distracted easily by other gulls !!

Some are 'Classic' looking birds ...
Some are 'Beauties' ...
Others are purely Top Shelf !!   

1st. Winter

Santa Barbara Beach ~ 15.02.15

 Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay ~ 16.02.15
' Top Shelf bird '

Salmon Creek ~ 17.02.15

Russian River, Jenner ~ 18.02.15

Lake Merritt, Oakland ~ 19.02.15

Alice Keck Park, Santa Barbara ~ 21.02.15

Alice Keck Park, Santa Barbara ~ 21.02.15



2nd. Winter

Salmon Creek ~ 17.02.15

Russian River, Jenner ~ 17.02.15

Russian River, Jenner ~ 17.02.15

Russian River, Jenner ~ 18.02.15


3rd. Winter ?

Russian River, Jenner ~ 18.02.15


Adults

Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay ~ 16.02.15

Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay ~ 16.02.15

Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay ~ 16.02.15
Mantle seems a shade to dark, with a odd looking head
Possible Western genes ?

Salmon Creek ~ 17.02.15

Salmon Creek ~ 17.02.15

Same bird as above standing image

Solid mark on P5, No mirrors on P9
Left wing tiny dot mirror on P10
Right wing mirror to inner web on P10

A west coast pattern but whats the % of this compared to mirrors on P9 & P10 ?

Salmon Creek ~ 17.02.15

Salmon Creek ~ 17.02.15
An absolutely stunning bird

Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay ~ 19.02.15

Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay ~ 19.02.15

Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay ~ 19.02.15

Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay ~ 19.02.15



I want to go back and do it again !!

Heermann's Gulls ~ Santa Barbara, California - Feb' 15

This elegant dark medium sized gull of Baja California, yet in winter they spread along the west coast, and was the target for the first and last days of the trip ...

Santa Barbara held 40+ birds, with only two birds further north at Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay ..

Heermann's Gull ~ 1st. W

2nd. W

3rd. W

Adult

Pair bonding displaying to each other ..

Adult winter plumage 

Adult summer plumage


Normally I prefer the immature birds to the adults but with Heermann's its the reverse the adults are superb ...

Mew Gulls ~ California ~ Feb' 15

Really enjoyed trying to get this species photographed ..

The light was problematic due to the coastbound fog which renders them flat and lacking detail, this fog was at all but one site which was Fisherman's Wharf, in Monterey but even that was short lived, good while it lasted ..

The 2nd cycle birds some with there brown tones covering the underparts, chocolate coverts & tertials are quite different to our 'Common' with more white on the body ...

The best sites where Venice Beach, Salmon Creek and the Russian River ..

Mew Gull ~ 1st. W

2nd. W

Ad. W

A few more images of this species will be on the website ...

Click here for more Gulls

  

Glaucous-winged Gulls ~ California - Feb' 15

This species hybridises with Western, Herring, Glaucous and Slaty-backed making things very interesting and a little tricky !!

Glaucous-winged Gull ~ 1st. W

2nd. W

3rd. W

Possible hybrid, grey tone & primaries to dark ??

Ad. W

More images on the website ...