Fwd: Franklin's Gull - Vasse Estuary today Sunday 8/2/09

[Frank O'Connor <>]

Peter Taylor has reported a Franklin's Gull from the Vasse - Wonnerup
Estuary.  The details below.  Photo not included as birding-aus
does not accept attachments.


> Hi
> Frank
>  
> I was taking part in the Shorebird surveys of
> the Vasse-Wonnerup estuaries today and came across a gull with an obvious
> dark hood. Several of us (including John & Judy Blyth and Logan
> Anderson) were able to observe it though it was always at the extreme
> limits of our scopes on the far side of the Vasse estuary west of Malbrup
> Creek. We viewed it for over an hour after we'd completed the shorebird
> count and saw it fly briefly for short distcnces on two or three
> occasions. 
>  
> Indications are that it is a Franklin's Gull,
> somewhere between first and second immature non-breeding. 
>  
> It was slightly smaller than the Silver Gulls
> present and had a well-defined dark-brown to black hood which extended
> from the top of the crown (above and slightly in front of the eye) to the
> nape where it was distinctly cut off by a white collar. The back and
> wings were dark grey except for the wing tips which were black. In flight
> the rump and tail appeared completely white as did the trailing edges of
> the upper wings. On closer examination some of the black wing tips
> appeared to have very indistinct white spots but no where near as obvious
> as illustrated in any of the field guides (more indicative of a first
> immature non-breeding I believe from reading HANZAB)
>  
> I've attached a photo (which is not of
> particularly good quality because of the extreme distance) which also
> shows a white eye-ring/crescent.
>  
> It didn't seem inclined to move on so possibly
> it'll stay around for a while. DEC staff maybe be able to update us
> tomorrow if they can relocate it.
>  
> cheers
> Peter
>  
> p.s. This is only the second Franklin's that
> I've seen, the other being at the Greenfield's Wetlands north of Adelaide
> in 1993!
>  
> Peter Taylor
> Birding South West
> 3/13 Young St
> Manjimup WA 6258
> http://birding-southwest.mysouthwest.com.au

_________________________________________________________________
Frank O'Connor           Birding WA http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au
Phone : (08) 9386 5694              Email :

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