birding-aus

Grey silver gull?

To: "'Mike Carter'" <>, "'michael norris'" <>, "'birding-aus'" <>
Subject: Grey silver gull?
From: "Tony Russell" <>
Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:30:19 +0930
We get the occasional black one here around Port Adelaide due to
staining. The first one I saw had me going for a while - thought I'd
found a rarity.

T.

-----Original Message-----
From: 
 On Behalf Of Mike Carter
Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2009 9:17 AM
To: michael norris; birding-aus
Subject: Grey silver gull?


I know of two other reports of grey Silver Gulls in Port Phillip Bay 
recently and have seen photos. One was at the WTP and one at Altona on
the 
western side of the Bay. We believe it is the result of staining,
perhaps 
the birds bathing in polluted water, even acid, as feathers wear easily.

We've had a spate of reports periodically over at least the last 40
years.

Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza  VIC 3930
Tel  (03) 9787 7136

From: "michael norris" <>
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 10:08 PM


> I've been sent a photo of an apparent Silver Gull - but it is almost 
> all grey!
>
> Slightly darker grey than the upperparts of close-by SGs with the same
> bill,
> leg and eye ring colour.  The grey is increasingly dark towards the
base 
> of
> the bill.  Black primaries with white "mirrors" as normal SGs and
touch of
> white on upper side of tail (and some secondaries?)
>
> Individual feathers and tracts more apparent than in the other gulls, 
> possibly because of slightly darker margins to the grey feathers or 
> the feathers being more rounded (the photographer said it looked 
> almost downy).
>
> I assume it was on the eastern shore of Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne.  
> Any comments please.
>
> Michael Norris
>

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