[obol] Boiler Bay, probable Black-headed Gull

[Phil Pickering]

7:15-9:45 (11/27):
overcast with light rain turning partly sunny, wind W 10-20,
8-10 ft swells.

4000+ Red-throated Loons 
1000+ Pacific Loons
10 Common Loons
10 Western Grebes
500+ Northern Fulmars (movment both directions, most within
                                 1/2 mile, about equal light/dark)
40 Short-tailed Shearwaters
275 Brown Pelicans (N, about 60% immature)
50 Brandt's Cormorants
20 Pelagic Cormorants
2 Brant (N)
5 Northern Pintail
1 Black Scoter
800 White-winged Scoters (S)
300 Surf Scoters
20 Red Phalaropes (feeding, S)
1 probable BLACK-HEADED GULL*
40 Mew Gulls
500+ California Gulls (most N)
15+ Thayer's Gulls
8+ Herring Gulls
200+ Glaucous-winged Gulls (most N)
100 Western Gulls
1 Heermann's Gull
1 Black-legged Kittiwake
300 Common Murres
5 Ancient Murrelets

*North by itself just offshore. No direct comparison available but
immediate impression was of a larger, heavier, and distinctly broader
& longer-winged bird that Bonaparte's, with size closer to Mew.
Flight seemed less buoyant than typical for Bony.

In basic adult plumage with Bonaparte's-like upperwing pattern
& white head with dark auricular spot. I was only able to get a
brief look at the underwing pattern, but it appeared to be white
on the outer 1-2 primaries with the white delineated into relatively
narrow strips by extensive very dark gray areas covering most
of the rest of the under-primaries. Under-secondaries, coverts,
& tail whitish. Was flying away by the time I thought to check bill
color so unable to see it. 

Phil
philliplc at charter.net