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Gladstone gull

To: Bill Moorhead <>, Jack Moorhead <>, "" <>
Subject: Gladstone gull
From: Rohan Clarke <>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:00:09 +1100
Hi Bill and Jack,

Nice pics, but in the images it doesn't look right for Black-tailed Gull to me. Three quick points...the adult feathers coming through on the mantle appear too dark for Bt Gull - they should be a softer paler grey The bill doesn't have the rather odd elongated and fairly narrow structure that one expects of Bt Gull and instead has a rather pronounced gonydal angle The tail band appears too narrow especially on the outer rectrices (a BT Gull of this age it should show almost completely black outer rectices).

Here is a pic of a younger Black-tailed Gull (by about 8 months) but you can see what I mean by extent of tail band, colour of the mantle and bill shape.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/image/125680976

Not exactly sure what it is but Kelp Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull seem possible.

Would be interested in others thoughts.

Cheers,
Rohan
--

Rohan Clarke
www.wildlifeimages.com.au

Latest updates
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/root&view=recent


Hi folks,

Jack has quickly knocked up a Wildairies report with all necessary info on the
Black-tailed Gull in Gladstone, central Qld.
http://aussiebirding.wildiaries.com/trips/10430

As Mike and Trevor said, this bird is easily twitchable at the boat ramp at the
Gladstone Yacht Club (23 50 17 151 15 08).
When not at the ramp it apparently has previously moved within about 500m
radius of there around the marina complex. Ben Weston (who found it and
notified Tim Dolby on Birdline Victoria!) is a bit of a character and a happy to meet anyone keen to see it. He lives on a yacht and spends the wet season in Gladstone and the winter sailing up to Cape York and back each year. Everyone at the Gladstone Marina knows Ben and would be able to get in touch with him if
a visiting birder was struggling to find the gull. Ben first saw an unusual
gull on Boxing Day and only got a better look on 12/01/11. He knew it wasn't a
Pacific Gull and that it could well be a BTGull....An awesome effort.....

The bird itself is a bit tatty and has an interesting bill colour unlike the
pictures that I have seen in Harrison. We think that it is a second winter
bird. Anyway, the pics are in Jack's report for any gull experts to correct the
ID...hopefully to something new for the country....haha...

Cheers,

Bill




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