Martin Meyers' Photo Website
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Lesser Black-backed Gull

Subspecies not determined
Some have suggested that it could be from one of the Siberian populations
First observed 1/17/08
Virgina Lake, Reno, NV

Web page by Martin Meyers
Photos by Dennis Ghiglieri, Greg Scyphers, and Martin Meyers



Note: Steve Ting has an absolutely spectacular set of photos of this bird on his website.
Click here to visit that website.






Two digiscoped photos by Dennis Ghiglieri on first day bird was observed, 1/17/08

Digiscoped gull, Dennis Ghiglieri
Photo 1


Digiscoped gull, Dennis Ghiglieri
Photo 2



Three photos by Greg Scyphers, 1/19/08

Dark Gull, Greg Scyphers
Photo 3: Spread wing, spread tail


Dark Gull, Greg Scyphers
Photo 4: Spread wing, spread tail


Dark Gull, Greg Scyphers
Photo 5: Fighting with California Gull



Photos by Martin Meyers,
1/19/08 through 1/22/08

Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 6: Swimming, facing left


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 7: Walking, facing left


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 8: Standing, facing right


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 9: Standing, facing right


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 10: Flying left


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 11: Wings raised


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 12: Wings raised


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 13: Landing, wings spread


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 14: Wings raised


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 15: Flying right


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 16: Landing, wings and tail spread


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 17: Flying left, chasing Ring-billed Gull


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 18: Standing, wings raised


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 19: Fighting with California Gull


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 20: Drinking. This bird drank very frequently, much more than any other gull on the lake


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 21: Size comparison with California Gulls


A month has passed since the previous photos.
Photos by Martin Meyers from 2/26/08.

Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 22: Closeup of head (right side) on 2-26-08
(Note orbital ring (which was not present in last month's photos)
Is there the beginning of red gonys spot?


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 23: Closeup of head (left side) on 2-26-08
Some gape color


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 24: Another closeup of head (left side) on 2-26-08


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 25: From 2/26/08, full body shot showing legs.
To me, the legs look more yellowish than when I initially observed the bird last month.
In the earliest observations, I was convinced the legs were rather solid pink
Look at the two shots at the very top of this web page, taken the first day.


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 26: Another full body shot from 2/26/08


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 27: One more full body shot from 2/26/08


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 28: 2/26/08 Flight shot
Just a chance to compare tail and other plumage to the shots from the earlier days
(I don't see much in the way of change, but look at the next photo...)


Another month has passed.
Photos by Martin Meyers from the end of March, 2008.

Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 29: 3/31/08 Flight shot
But here's a shot from a month later (and the last day the bird was seen)
showing that it has molted R-4, and now has only two dark-banded outer tail feathers
on each side.


Dark Gull, Martin Meyers
Photo 30: 3/30/08. Notice that the leg color is pale yellowish.
(However, the feet returned to a pinkish color after it had been out of the water for awhile.)



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